FOURTH PERIOD 102 ELCHO CASTLE the wall remaining is a round tower, at a distance of about 70 yards from the castle, in a south-westerly direction. Built into this tower is a stone, with the letters E.I.W., probably meant for Earl John Wemyss. FIG. 568. Elcho Castle. View from the West. There seems to have been an earlier castle than the present one at Elcho, but all traces of it have disappeared. Several references occur in Blind Harry to "Elchoch," or " Elkok," as a place of very considerable strength, and a frequent retreat of Wallace when in flight from his enemies. The situation of the castle, although by no means striking, has many features to recommend it as the site of a stronghold, especially when communication by regularly constructed roads was unknown. Situated on the south side of the Tay, it was protected on the south and west by Moncrieff Hill, which runs parallel with the river, and on the east and south by the river Earn, which joins the Tay about one mile from Elcho. The Tay, about 150 yards distant from the castle, is a navigable river, and a canal or ditch, connecting the two, formerly permitted barges to come up quite close to the walls. The canal ended in a whinstone quarry, which is indicated on Fig. 566. From this quarry doubtless most of the stones for the rubble-work of the building were
