Vol 13 - Dumfriesshire & Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian ...

22 Antiquities of Eskdalemuie.
Lord Cranstoun was somewhat dismayed ;
'Tis said that five good miles he rade
To rid liim of his company,
But where he rode one mile the Dwarf ran four,
And tlie Dwarf was first at tlie Castle door.
* * * * *
Use lessens marvel, it is said ;
This elfish Dwarf with the Baron staid,
Little he ate, and less he spoke.
Nor mingled with the menial flock :
And oft apart his arms lie tossed,
And often muttered Lost !
Lost
! Lost !"
One remark before I leave this subject. Whatever may be
thought of my attempts to identify our once local "• Bogle at the
Todshawhill " with Scott's poetic creation the " Goblin Page," or
the " Baron's Dwarf," there can be very little doubt that the
identity is ther", and I leave you to discover for yourselves
other points of identity which had I the time I could have
laid before you. From this little excursion we have now paid to
the Black Esk, let us retrace our steps to the ^Yhite. I would say
a word or two about Wat Carrick Chapel and Churchyard, which
are about a mile straight south of the Church—the names are what
they are by reason of their proximity to a well -pronounced British
fort, which overlooks both, rather, I should say, two forts—the one
on the top of the hill, the other lower down. The term Caer
occurring in the word Kerroc (as I have already explained) stands
invariably wherever it occurs for hill fort. This Chapel of Wat
Carrick belonged originally to the Parish of Westerkirk, and
served the whole district of Upper Eskdale, not only until the year
1703, when Upper Eskdale was formed into a separate parish
called Eskdalemuir, but for nearly twenty years longer, until, in
short, the new parish of Eskdalemuir was in the position to possess
itself of a Church of its own, which it was able to do in the year
1722. Now crossing the river we find ourselves on the farm of
the term Cote means mud cottage, and occurs in the names
Cote ;
Cauldcote, Hoscot. In a field raised some little elevation above
the level of the Esk, we have two circles of stones, in the form of
Druicidal temples (as Dr Brown styles them)—the one entire,
measuring about ninety feet in circumference, the other having a
portion of it worn away by the water, measuring about 340 feet.
The interior of this larger one, indeed, is so extensive that I have