Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-05-23
The Secret Chambers in Fyvie Castle

MhcmllHn ndBhLinesl
Such an unbroken series Of charters
as that preserved at Fyvie Castle must
be very rare and the harter-chamber,
all panelled in old quaintly-caryed oak,
showing the monogram Of Chancellor
Dunfermline in two places, and the
arms Of the Gordons on the vaulted
stone ceiling, is a most attractive room.
1t is on the first floor Of the Medium
Tower, Just above the secret chamber,
and the huge fre-proofc cupboard or safe,
with door like the plate Of an iron-clad,
goes deep into the wall and opens into
two large recesses. In the ceiling of
the right-hand one saw what appears
to be the remains of steps broken away.
This | believe to have been the ancient
mode Of access to the famous secret
room, which superstition has hitherto
shielded from inquisitive eyes. There
is no doubt about the exact locality,
and it probably either consists Of two
stories or goes deep into the founda-
tons and beyond the actual walls, as
the sward outside is Of different color,
and the ground sounds hollow under
the foot for some distance b yOnd the
base Of the tower, particularly on the
south side.
Tradition says that much treasure
lies buried there, but that the first
person who enters forfeits his life as
the price of bis temerity. Another
version asserts that the wife Of the
laird will 60 blind when the first ray Of
light penetrates the darkness that has
reigned for many hundreds Of years in
tide those massive walls. The popular
belief is that the "black vomit," or
plague, is shut up in the dungeon,
and l do not think q Fyyie man
would willingly use a crowbar or
chisel to solve the mystery. Matter
of-fact people suggest that it may have
been in communication with an under
ground passage to the Ythan, as q
means Of exit from the castle in times
Of danger, or that it was really only
prison. The immense depth of wall in
which the fire-proof safe in the charter
room is situated exists also on the
second floor, where the Gordon room
and The dressing.room are the latter is
Immediately above the charter-cham-
Der, and the passage between it and
the bedroom is about eight or
ten feet long, and sounds quite
hollow behind the panelling on the
western side. The same thing is re-
peated on the story above, where the
paDel.rooD, most ghostly abode. and
its dressing-room have the same space
between them, which would be more
than sufficient for a secret staircase to
the basement. In the panel-room
tradition says that there exists q
sliding panel which leads to secret pas
sage. The dressing-room to the Gordon
room has bad name for queer noises,
and nervous people have ere now as
suIed me that they felt hand at dead
Of night pressing their pillow, or heard
stined shrieks and swift footsteps in the
distance. / myself have never heard
anything more ghostly than the vanes
on a windy night, which sadly wanted
oiling.
With regard TO the " weeping stone"
which certainly does get very damp at
times and glis;ens as though with tears,
the prophecy of Thomas the Rhymer
runs as follows:
"Fyvyn's riggs and towers.
Hal pless shall ye mesdames be,
when ye shall hae within your methes,
Frae hairyit Kinks lands, stsnes three;
ADe In the oldest tower
Ane In mr. ladies' bower
And ane below the water-yett,
And II ye shall never get"
It is supposed to refer to some curse on
he Fyvie estate, which originally be-
loDged in great measure to the Church ;
N which case the weeping-stone,"
which looks like lump of dirty rock
salt, might be fragment of some
boundary-mark Of ravished Church
property.
1t is a curious coincidence that no
heir has been born in the castle for
more than five hundred years, though
Fyvie has been transmitted through
three families for many generations.