veftiges of another, that went round the hill. The area wittì
the ftony mound is flat ; the axis or length of the oval is fJ
hundred and thirty-fix feet ; the tranfverfe diameter, two hundred]
Near the eaft fide is the foundation of a reftangular building
and on moil: parts are the foundations of others, finali and cir-j
cular : all which had once their fuperftruftures, the ihelter of die
poiTeflors of the poft. There is alfo a hollow, now almoft filled
with ftones, the well of the place.
The other is called brown, from the color of the ramparts,!
which are compofed only of earth. It is of a circular form, ari
tonfifts of various concentric dikes. On one fide of this rifes j
finali rill, which running down the hill, has formed a deep gully!
From the fide of thè fortrefs is another rampart, which extends!
parallel to the rill, and then reverts, forming an additional poll ol
retreat.
It is to be obferved, that thefe polls were chofen by the Cài
donians with great judgment : they fixed on the fummits of a
hill, commanding a great view, and perfectly detached, having tl
the north the Grampian hills, but on that fide feparated from then*
by the lofty and rugged banks of the Weft-water, which gival
them additional fecurity. Pofts of this kind are, as I am in-T
formed, very common at the foot of the Grampian hills ; intended]
as places of retreat for the inhabitants on the invafion of an
enemy. There is one above Phefdo, in the Merns-, anoOT
called Barmkine hill, eight miles weft of Aberdeen. I have fee» *1
long chain of fimilar pofts in my own country ; they are generally
fituated on high hills, over-looking the lower, or on lelkr W
' OVCfJ
ijver-looking plains; and feem defigned as Afyla for the people of
Kie low and defencelefs countries.
I The literal tranflation of Cattef'-thun is Camp-town. Thefe pofts
Ere of the fame kind with that made by Carailacus, on the borders
lef North-Wales. ‘Tunc montibus arduis, et ft qua clementer accedi
If iterant, in modum valli faxa praftruit*. It is very probable “that
■he Caledonians occupied thefe hills before the battle of Mons
iGrampius, which might have been fought in the plains belowr
Where there was ample room for large armies to aft in, and for
Rhe armed chariots to perform their careers- In thefe rude fail-
Belles the Caledonians might leave their wives and children, as was
I the cuftom of the other Britons; and then defcend into the bot-
toms, to repel the invaders of their liberties.- It is difficult to fix
Ijhe fpot •, but there are not fewer than three Roman camps not
pmote from this range of hills,, which Agricola might have oc-
lupied; and before one of them, drawn out his forces to have
Ktdved the enemy. Of thefe one is at Kiethic, near Brechin-, a
i fccond near Caerboddo, between Forfar and Panmure; and a third-
■ear Kemymoor called Battledikes -f-. In the neighborhood of one
| of thefe feems to have been the celebrated aftion ; after which he
ltd his army to the confines of the Horefti%, received hoftages, and-
T ’dering his fleet (then in all likelihood lying in the Fay) to per-
I* Trnti Annales, lib. XII. c . 33.
i t Thefe notices o f th e cam p s, from Maitland.
i t Tranflators, m ille d b y th e fo u n d , im a g in e th efe to h a v e b e en m o u n tan ee rs ;
I t the word is probably C eltic, and Ihould be rendered, as the ingenious Mr. Aikin-
if* ¿one, the people o f F ifejbire.
form