range, with the lord's private apartments of great chamber and solar in the block to the north, and kitchens to the south. The foundations of a rectangular building stand on a rocky mound within the Nether Bailey, tentatively identified as a chapel. Upper Bailey The Upper Bailey is focused on the rocky mound at the southwest corner of the castle. The highest part of the headland, this mound is the site of the earliest defences at Urquhart. Vitrified material, characteristic of early medieval fortification, was discovered on the slopes of the mound, indicating the site of the early medieval fortification identified by Professor Alcock. In the 13th century, the mound became the motte of the original castle built by the Durwards, and the surviving walls represent a "shell keep" (a hollow enclosure) of this date. These ruins are fragmentary but indicate that there were towers to the north and south of the shell keep. A 16th-century watergate in the eastern wall of the Upper Bailey gives access to the shore of the loch. The adjacent buildings may have housed the stables. To the south of this, opposite the motte, is the base of a doocot (pigeon house) and the scant remains of 13th-century buildings, possibly once a great hall but more recently re-used as a smithy. Relics After the castle came into public hands repairs and excavations were carried out. These were interrupted by World War I but were resumed and completed by 1922. A large collection of relics was found, including a bronze ewer from the 15th century, coins, jewellery, crosses and other items from the 13th to 17th centuries. The excavations have been criticised for not recording the locations or stratigraphic information, but the collection is of great value, and is now mostly in the care of the National Museum, Edinburgh. Samson (1983) has provided a detailed list with illustrations. References Bibliography External links aboutScotland - Urquhart Castle Ruined castles in Highland (council area) Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Highland Historic house museums in Highland (council area) Loch Ness