A history of the Highlands and of the Highland clans : with an ...

12
HISTOHY OP THE nrnHLANDS.
and North Britain there were others not, yet noticed. In both eud^ of
the island sepulchral tumuli have been found in close connexion with
the Druidical Circles. At Acliencorthie, the field of the circles, there are
the remains of a Druidical temple which was composed of three concentric
circles ; and there has been dug up between tlie two outer circles,
a cistvaen about three feet long and one foot and a half wide, wherein
there was found an urn containing some ashes. At Barrach in the
parish of New Deer, Aberdeenshire, a peasant digging for stones, in a
Druidical temple, found, about eighteen inches below the surface, a
flat stone lying Iiorizontaliy ; and, on raising it, he discovered an urn,
full of human bones, some of which were quite fresh ; but on being
iouched tliey crumbled into dust. This urn liad no bottom but was
placed on a flat stone, like that which covered its top ; and about a
yard from this excavation another ui-n was found, containing similar
remains. These facts demonstrate an intimate connexion between
Druidical remains and tumuli, and show that they must have been the
handy-work of the same people.
As stone chests and clay urns containing ashes and bones have been
frequently dug up about the ancient fortresses, a very close connexion
IS supposed to have existed between these strengths and the sepulchral
tumuli. On the eastern side of the British fort at Inchtuthel, there are
two sepulchral tumuli ; and several have also been found on a moor in
the parish of Monzie, contiguous to a British fortress : in one of these
called Ca/'«- Comb-hall, a stone coffin was discovered. It is conjectured
that these were the burial places of the chiefs who commanded the
Caledonian hill forts in early times.
When such pains were taken to keep alive the recollection of the
mglorious dead, it is not to be imagined that the memories of those
who fell in battle would be forgotten. Accordingly the fields of
ancient conflict are still denoted by sepulchral cairns ; and it is even
conjectured that the battle at the Grampians has been perpetuated
by supulchral tmmili raised to the memory of the Caledonians who fell
in defence of their country. " On the liill, above the moor of Ardoch
(says Gordon Itin. Septen. p. 42) are two great heaps of stones, the
one called Carn-ivochel, the other Carnlee . the former is the greatest
curiosity of this kind, that I ever met with ; the quantity of great
rough stones, lying above one another, almost surpasses belief, which
made me have the curiosity to measure it ; and I found the whole
heap to be about one hundred and eighty-two feet in length, thirty in
sloping height, and forty five in breadth at the botloni." Some of
these cairns which are still to be found in the parish of Libberton near
Edinburgh, are known by the name of Ciit-staues or Bnttle-stanrs.
There are single stones also in many parts of North Britain still known
by the appropriate name of Cat-stanes. The British Coil or the Scoto-
Irish Cath, both of which words signify a battle, is the original deriva-
tion of this name.
The next objects of antiquarian notice are tin- sfaru/i/ir/s/mies. so tra-