| The
Old Tolbooth
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THE OLD TOLBOOTH 
The Old Tolbooth, or County House, is easily identifiable by its rounded gable, near the entrance to Burns Begg Street. It was probably built about 1600 as the town jail. The top floor consists of the Keeper's House and the debtor's room; the middle floor was the County Hall and when necessary the Sheriff Court; while the cells occupied the ground floor. Two local Covenanters were imprisoned here in l678 for attending a conventicle at Glenvale. The building is founded on sand, and thus another prisoner is said to have tunnelled his way to freedom under the walls. Once, so the tale is told, when the Prison Inspector called at the Tolbooth, he was informed that the only prisoner "had gone for a walk, taking the key with him", so the inspector would "just have to wait till he got back". Elisabeth Fry, the great prison reformer, visiting here in 1818 found
the doors open and not a single
"Two miserable cells on the ground floor, one of which gave the occupant
a chance to chat with passers-by
ln l771 the building was repaired by the Crown and it became the County
House. Mr. Robert Adam, the famous architect
The building continued in use as a jail until 1826, when the new County
Buildings were built further down the High Street.
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| Kinross
Museum
108-110 High Street Kinross KY13 7DA |
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