Notes on the Antiquities of the Black Isle, Ross-Shire. 477

NOTES ON THE ANTIQUITIES OF THE BLACK ISLE, ROSS-SHIRE. 477

XIII. NOTES ANTIQUITIEE ONTH " E BLACTH F KSO ISLE, ROSS-SHIBE, WITH PLANS AND SECTIONS. BY ANGUS J. BEATON, MUNLOCHY. The Black Isle, Boss-shire s singularli , y ric archaeologican hi l remains, and more particularly the district under description. Here, within a comparatively small area, there is a considerable group of antiquities of great interest and importance to the archaeologist. The district seems to have been in those early ages densely populated, judging froe numberth m , and n somi , e instances e extraordinarth , y magnitude of its ancient forts. Among these are the vitrified fort on Ord Hill of Kessock, near Inverness; and about two miles south-west of Cam Inenan is " David's Fort," pronounced by an eminent authority to finese beth t exampl "e eartth f eo h constructio northe th n "n .i In proportion to its area, it posseses more ancient remains than any simila northe r areth n ai . Five stone circles, twelve ancient forts (earth- works) e vitrifieon , d fortd ove an a ,scorr f cairn o etumulid an se ar , knowwritere th o nt .

KILCOY DISTRICT.—Kilcoy, the property of Mr. Charles Mackenzie, is north-ease th t portio parise th f Killearnanf nho o , situate southere th n do n slope of the Mliaol Ehuie, or Yellow Moor, an anticlinal ridge of old red sandstone traversing the entire length, and forming, as it were, the back- bone of the Black Isle, Ardmeanach or Ardmanach,1 which terminates in the Sutors of Cromarty. Kilcoy is distant from Inverness about eight croe mileth ws sa flies . Cam Inenan.—Beginning at the watershed of the Millbuie, at Carnur- fee0 nanheigha t 50 t a ,f abovo t e seacommandind eth an , extensivn ga e 1 Ardmeanach, a height in the middle, was the ancient name of the Black Isle, calle somy db e Ardmanach Monkse Lane th th , f do . Eithe thosf ro e name appros si - priate, the peninsula being formed like a house ridge, and " the territory of the monks" being equally applicabl accounn o s containin t it i f o o tt e ecclesiasticae gth l settlements and lands of Portrosse, Kosemarkyn, and Beauly. 478 PROCEEDING THF SO E SOCIETY, JUN , 1882E14 . e countrth vie f r wmileo fo y s around a ver s i y, complete stone circle called Carn Inenan, from which the parish of Killearnan evidently

4°

Sectio. e linB th eA n no

Section on the line C D. Fig. 1. Plan and Sections of Carn Inenan, Black Isle, Ross-shire. (Stones still standin hatchedc gar ; fallen one showe ar s outlinn ni e only.) ANTIQUITIEE NOTETH N SO SBLACE OFTH K ISLE, EOSS-SH1HE9 47 .

derives its name. It consists of three concentric circles. The outer ring is 66 feet in diameter, and consists of seven large stones averaging fee5 t high, fou whicf o r stile har l standin remaindee th g; r have tumbled down, but are evidently not shifted from their places. The middle ring is 38 feet in diameter, and consists of thirty-one stones. The inner ring is 14 feet in diameter, and consists of twelve stones. They are chiefly of gneiss and granite, with two or three conglomerate boulders. Extending from the intermediate to the inner ring are two rows of stones, four on each side, packed between with small stone d coverean s d wit a hlarg e slab partially displaced. There is a tradition which associates it with the burial placa Celti f eo c king called Urnan, around whose shouldes wa r placed a massive chain of gold. I remember coming acros stonsa e circl f somewhaeo t similar constructio Orknen ni islan n 1876n locha a yi n n i do ,, about 1| mile south of Birsay Palace e drainin e Th locth . hf go reveale e remainth d a f so rude causeway leading from the shore to the circle. As at Carn Inenan, there were twelve stones, extending from one circle to the other, and about 3 feet to 4 feet wide, six stones being on each side. (I regret that sketce th hI the n , wit madit e notes f hth o e , have gone amissing, pre- venting me from giving a plan.) Carn Gl&s.—About three-quarter a mil f so e south-eas e circlth f f eo o t Carn Inenan is a huge cairn of stones called Carn Glas1 (the Grey Cairn) t i cover; a bass f 134eo 0 square yards standd an ,fee 1 2 s t high, being an aggregation of about 1200 tons of stones. Tumuli, §c.—A e nortlittlth f Cairo ho t e n Glaa tumulu s i s f o s no very great dimensions, and many smaller ones are scattered between e stonth thied scirclan e fieleth dreferren I immediatel . dto y adjoin- ing, flint arrow-heads have been found t unfortunatelbu ; e findeth y r informed me, when I questioned him, that not knowing them to be of any interest e employeh , d them wit s '' hi hsteel n makini " g r firfo e

1 The appellation Grey Cairn or Cairn Gfl&s is often associated with those piles of stone fin e n mansw i d y districts; fully hal a scorf e nort existh f Inverneshn o i t s and Ross-shires. 480 PEOCEED1NG3 OF THE SOCIETY, JUNE 14, 1882.

s pipe t hi promisedbu , , shoul evee dh r come across more keeo t , p them safely for me. At the boundary between Kilmuir West and Killearnan numerous cairns and mounds are scattered all over the moor. informes . Alexandewa Mr I y b d r Grant, draper, Inverness, that some time in 1875 a hut circle was removed in course of improvement. Nothin handfulw fe e interiofouns th a g f wa fin n o t sdi e bu r sand, with some pebbles. South-west of Cam Glas, about 200 yards, is a regularly-built tumulus, about 40 feet in diameter and 15 feet high. The outside of the tumulus is covered in regular courses with stones averaging 12 inches in size, and firmly embedde d tenacioure a n i ds clay. Clos thiy b es tumulue th s si remains of another large cairn, covering nearly one-third of an acre. It greatlw no s yi demolished greaa , t part having been remove coursn di e of improvement, and the stones used in building dykes. I have failed ascertaio t remainy an f ni s were found unde portioe th r n removed. Further west is a large cairn of stones, at a place called Drynie Park; and below this t Millioa , n village a hea s f stonei , o p a poin t a s t con- siderably below high-water mark. Stone Coffin.—While Mr. Colin Grant, Braes of Kilcoy, was reclaim- in ga piec f outlyino e e 25tg th f Auguslano hn o d t 1881 e camh , e across a large slab of sandstone, about eighteen inches below the surface of the ground, which proved to be the covering of an ancient grave. The slab was roughly of the form of a rectangular prism, 5 feet 3 inches long 3 fee, t inche9 wide d san ,e apex deeth t ,a p taperin o abougt 3 t inches at the sides. It was of old red sandstone, similar to that excavated Eedcastle th t a e Quarry, abou mileo tw t s south-wes gravee th f o t. fee3 grav e s inche9 tTh eWa s long fee2 , inche3 t s feewide3 d t an , deep. The sides consisted of four slabs of gneiss, two on either side; while bot ende hth s were forme singla f do e stone same eachth f eo ,kind ; a few smaller stones were lying above and at the sides, in a bed of gravel and fine sand, evidently used as packing. The grave was carefully and substantially built, the stones being all in their natural dressed surfaces. NOTES ON THE ANTIQUITIES OF THE BLACK ISLE, ROSS-SIIIBE. 481

The skeleton enclosed was that of a full-grown man in a very advanced stage of decay, most of the bones crumbling to dust after a few days' ex- posur atmospheree th o et . Fortunatel faie craniua yth n r i stats mf wa e o preservation e teetTh h. were exceptionally sound, although very much worn, fourteen being in the upper jaw and twelve in the lower. The back part of the skull was decayed, from being in immediate contact with wel s grounde th wa l developedt I . gavd indicatioan o ,e n belonginf no g to a degenerated race, or presenting any remarkable lowness of type. The skeleton was evidently in a contracted position, and had been placed apparently facing the north-west, or that direction where the sun for the greater part of the year sets.1 No trace of anything of human workman- ship was found in the grave. The Kilcoy district thus contains many objects of interest, historic as well as prehistoric. To the north, immediately below Cam Urnan, is Kin- kell Castle, erecte A.southn e di Dth 161o t , d abou4 yard0 ;an 60 t s below Carn ruine Glasth Kilcof s so i , y Castle, suppose havo dt e been erecten di sixteente th h century; whil t Milltoa e n villag s Kei e d Castle, whics hi said to have been built in 1179 by William the Lion, and is thus supposed to be the oldest inhabited castle in Scotland. DRUMNAMAEG DISTRICT.—Drumnamarg or " Drium-na-marbh," signify- ing the ridge of the dead, lies about 2£ miles in an easterly direction from Kilcoy. The name suggests a place of great interest, and, in point of fact, within a radius of half a mile there are four ancient remains still well preserved, while several others have been removed withi e recollectioth n f o n individuals still alive. Fort Allanriach.—Of these No. 1 is a circular structure called " Fort Allanriach. situates i t I plantatioa " n di n abou yard0 5 t s fro publie mth c

The writer was informed by an old man that tradition indicates a time when a 1 dead bodplaces wa y d facin poine th g t wher sne th ne " stood " whe departee h n d hence ; but almost invariably all skeletons exhumed face the east, i.e., towards the rising of the sun ; and at the present date this cnstom of facing the body eastward is rigidly adhere. dto VOL. XVI. 2 H 482 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , JUNE 14, 1882. road leading from Kessock Ferr o Dint y g walld oppositan , fourte th e h milestone from Kessock. The circlfee 8 n diamete5 i ts ei r inside e walfee3 th ;s ti l thickd an ,

ip s to .20

SECTION AT

Fig. 2. Ground Plan and Section of Remains at Allanriach'. stands 2|- to 3 feet high, having a slope of 5 feet. It is formed of stones and earth. The portion shown on the plan was evidently removed when the plantation dyke was erected. NOTES ON THE ANTIQUITIES OF THE BLACK ISLE, ROSS-SH1KE. 483

J. F. Mackenzie of Allangrange, on whose property the circle is situated, informs me of a very fine example of a fort with ditch or moat in the

— B

10 S O 10 20 SO >= 'I I ———I I I

Fig . Pla 3 .Sectiod nan Remainf no t Whitsa e Bridge, Stratherrick, Inverness-shire. Fairburn "Wood westere th t a , n extremit Blace th f kyo Isle, whic hI hav e never before heard noticed. t BroomhillA littla , e south-eas f Allanriacho t stona , e cist, containing 484 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , JUN , 1882E14 . human remains and fragments of a clay urn, was discovered a number of years ago, but no definite information can now be obtained regarding it. I have annexed a plan and section of a "supposed burial-place," at

so 40 so et m so so I I I ' I • 1--

SECTION AT A-B

Fig . Groun4 . d Plan and- Sectio Remainf no t Ooftcraniesa , Black Isle, Boss-shire.

"White Bridge, Stratherrick; fro s closmit e similarit e remainth o yt t sa Allanriach, illustrating the analogy between circles in different localities. Beehive Structure.—Below the farm of Croftcrunie, and 500 yards east NOTES ON THE ANTIQUITIES OF THE BLACK ISLE, EOSS-SHIEE. 485

of No. 1, is a curious structure1 (fig. 4), the features of which are shown in the plan and section annexed. The outer wall is 10 feet thick, and from fee3 o t2t high, forme f largdo e boulder f gneissso , regularl closeld yan y laid togethe outee inned th n ran r o r faces, whil space eth e betwee firmls ni y packed with smaller stones and soil. In the centre is a circular hole partly filled with stones, and still 5 feet deep, although its original depth must have been considerabl e appearancth ys ha more t f havinI eo . g widela oncd ha ey vaultemuco s s i h dt destroye i roof t bu , d overan d - grown with bushes that it is very difficult to make out its original form. I have only drawn those portions still remainin d distinctlan g y traceable. Burial Cairn and Circle.—Two hundred yards north-west of No. 2 is a very interesting mound (No , surrounde.3) circulaa y db r wal f stoneo l s and earth. The surrounding ring is 78 feet in diameter, 3 feet wide, and standing on an average about 2J feet above the ground level. Near the centre is a mound or cairn 24 feet long, by 15 feet wide at the middle, ovan oa f l shape, wit hdepta f 4 ho e ^centre th fee t a t . (See fig) .5. My first impression was that it must be a burial-place; accordingly, with the assistance of Mr. James Stuart, farmer, Croftcrunie, we dug the cairn on the 22nd April 1882. The surface was covered with small boulders, carefully and closely laid together upon a bed of fine black soil, which stood at the centre, 4 feet 6 inches above the natural surface, gradually diminishin nothino gt l roundfee3 al g t t A fro .e soutmth h caire edg showth s f n(a eo plan section)nd o nan foune ,w circulada r hole in the hard gravelly pan, 2 feet in diameter, 18 inches deeper than the natural surface. The matter in the hole consisted of soft mossy stuff, then tenacious clay, burnt charcoal, and a few fragments of burnt bones t 18A inche. s fro norte mth h las e edgth t f holeeo came w , e acrossa circular aggregatio stonex si f no s closely grouped together otheo n , r stones being par y founan t belon di causewayee wth d covering. Having removed the stones, a similar hole of dimensions and shape almost identical with Since this pape rea s Invernese dth wa r s Scientific Society visite remainse dth , and cam1 e to the conclusion that it was a Beehive dwelling. 486 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JUNE 14, 1882.

e revealelase thosth on t f eo d itself thin I s. hol eweapon-sharpenina g B

,.3O, SoFeet

Sectioe Linth E.en A n o Fig . Buria5 . l Cair Circulad nan r Wal t Croftcruniea l . ovan stona s pickef l o ewa shape p u dd smoothl an , y ground e edgeth , s bearing very distinct marks of the friction. ANTIQUITIEE NOTETH N SO SBLACE OFTH K ISLE, EOSS-SHIKB7 48 .

Upon the 29th April we again dug still further in the cairn, and found two more holes, 4 feet 6 inches north of those found on the 22nd, and of the same dimensions, each containing—first, clayey stuff, then dark matter like decayed animal matter, charcoal, and fragments of burnt bones. The nature grounth f eo whicn d i e holehara hth s ds wa reddis werg du e h gravelly till firo s , m tha a pict k with difficulty could onl e forceyb n di a few inches. The holes might once have contained clay urns, which t oozinwe e gowin th throug o t g e mounth h d might have becom- de e composed, and thus left the traces of clay which we observed; but it mors i e probabl e harth e d n thai e subsoihole g th t du s l were uses da substitutes for urns, in which the ashes and charcoal were deposited. Part of the cairn is still to be examined. Non f theso e e remainn commandino e ar s g eminences e districth , t being comparatively flat, and about 250 feet above sea-level. The Temple.—Half a mil e remaineth struce a eas f ar f 'No.o to s 3 - ture called "The Temple s situatei t I cluma " n d(figi . f tree o p6) . s on the summit of the ridge called Drum-na-niarbh. The original form was evidently circulaa tha f o t r structure, whose total diamete feet5 9 s , wa r havin gcentraa l hollo r vacanwo t spac w fee0 e2 diametern no i t t i s A . remains e outeth , r circumference is quite discernible e centrath d lan , hollow is open and fully 4 feet deep, but much encumbered with stones. Traces of an outer or surrounding wall can be seen, but it and the mound itself were greatly destroyed not many year ago by a farmer removing stones for building purposes. The mound still stands from 6 to 8| feet high showe s accompanyina ,th n ni g plasectiond e originan Th f n.o erroneoue th s epithet "- Temple,ex e b y "applie ma whicw , it no s o hi t d e plaineideth a y b dcurren t thal sucal t h remain e "Druidicaar s l Temples." Immediatel remaine soute e structurth th th f ho o yf t so e callede "Th Temple, fin"a e stone battle-ax . StuartMr pickes y b , ewa farmerp u d n i , 1875, but was given by him to Mr. Kenneth Cameron, presently in the County Buildings, Edinburgh, whom, afte littlo n r e trouble I succeede, d in finding at that address, but unfortunately he had left the axe with a 488 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JUNE 14, 1882.

s nativfrienhi n i de n fin t o traci . now.villageca n df Mr o o e . wh , Cameron describe beins e siza f th ordinart eso i f go y small wood-chopping hatchets, and finely, smoothly, and neatly finished. Mr. James Stuart

so BOwj'ee

• -Fig . Groun6 . d PlaSectiod nan Temple e f "no Th " Drum-na-marbh, Black Isle, Ross-sMre.

has informed me that two smaller axes were picked up subsequently near the same place, but unfortunately I can find no trace of them. The Balnaguie Remains.—At the distance of 1J mile in a north-east direction from Temple "Th curiously-formea e s "i d structure, composef do a rectangular enclosure, formed of eight stones, including an area of 20 feet larges e feet6 Th y .b t stone, whic s partlhi y fallen 6^s i , ' x 4J 2'x ' . This stone forms the west end of the enclosure. The remainder of the stones average about 5 feet in height, the highest being 7 feet. The rectangular space is surrounded by a roughly circular wall, 100 feet in diameter. NOTES ON THE ANTIQUITIES OF THE BLACK ISLE, ROSS-SHIEE. 489

The mound, which stands about 4| feet high composes i , smalf do l stones. Betwee enclosure e outeth nth d rwese an ewalth fee0 tn 3 o lside td an , from the latter, is a semicircular wall or mouiid of the same kind of

70 #f? _j#.40 60 S>#jo ^pefeet

Fig. Groun7 . d PlaSectiod nan Remainf no t Balnaguiesa , Black Isle, lioss-shire.

structure as the outer wall, and 6J feet above the level of the edge of the terrace on the west side. On the north side, between the stone space and the outer wall, numerous stones of various sizes are scattered about. n easterlyard0 a 15 n i st yA direction smala n o , l knoll tumulua s i , s of a 40 feet base, with fully 5 feet curvature at the centre. BELMADUTH BKAEDOWN.—r Yo Stone Circle.—At Braedown Bra,e "Th e 490 PEOCEBDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, JUNE U, 1882.

of the Dune," near Belmaduthy, 1£ mile north-east of Balnaguie, are the remains of what is called a stone circle (fig. 8). It cannot, however, he properly calle dcirclea s remain it s a , s indicat s foreit havmo t e heeo ntw

A I

SGALE

'050 10 20 30 40 Sg 60 70 BO fa#^ I I f I I I II

Fig. Pla 8 Sectiod . nan n of Stone Circl t Belmaduthyea . ellipses, enclosing a somewhat rectangular space, 18 feet long hy 6 feet wide, being 2 feet shorter, hut the same in width as the Balnaguie NOTES ON THE ANTIQUITIES OF THE BLACK ISLE, ROSS-SHIRE. 491 enclosure. The largest stone, which is at the west end also, is 6-| feet highpyramidaa f o , l form, 4| fee t fee 2 e base broad tth thickan t ,d a , perfectly smoot botn ho h faces shows accompanyine A th . n ni g plant i ,

to to 20 30 40 so Feet

Fig. 9. Plan of Stone Circle at Soaniport, Inverness. • The diameter of the outer circle is 60 feet, of the second 30 feet, and of the inner circl stonee outee feet4 th eTh 1 n r.si circle vary fro mfee6 abou o t t fee3 t n i t height. has been greatly demolished, and the amount of stones in its vicinity indicate greae sth structuree t sizth f eo . At Cnoc-na-gonnan, near the village of Munlochy, Mr. Angus Bethune, 2 49 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F SO , JUN , 1882E14 . Gateside, the writer's grandfather, while improving that part of his farm, a good many years ago, discovere e edgsanda th f cisd a eo n yo t terrace. e cistTh , whic s onlwa hy abou fee2 t t square s builwa , t with flagged stones, and contained a complete human skeleton, and the fragments of a clay urn, artistically ornamented sens Belmadutho t twa t I . y Houseo t , Sir Colin Mackenzie of Kilcoy. I have also given the plan of a stone circle (fig. 9), still existing, in a wood near Scaniport, about 5 miles from Inverness, towards Loch Ness, to contras structuras it t l features with circlee thosBlace th th f en ko si Isle.