ringers; the parilhioners having, in time pail, thought propers
hang their bells in it inftead of the fteeple. Two handfome bellj
are placed there, which are got at by means of fix ladders placed
on wooden femicircular floors, each refting on the circullr abut-
ments within iide of the tower.
The height from the ground to the roof is eighty feet- J
mner diameter, within a few feet of the bottom, is eio-ht feJ
the thicknefs of the wall at that part, feven feet two inches - lb
that the whole diameter is fifteen feet two j the circumference very
near forty-eight-feet; the inner diameter at the top is feven feet eiaht
the thicknefs of the walls four feet fix; the circumference thirty-
eight feet eight inches; which proportion gives the b u ild in o - an
inexpreffible elegance: the top is roofed with an odaconal L
twenty-three feet high, which makes the whole one hundred and
three. In this fpire are four windows, placed alternate on the
fides, refting on the top of the tower; near the top of the tower
are four others, facing the four cardinal points ; near the bottom
are two arches,, one within another, in relief; on the top of the
outmoft is a crucifixion; between the moldings of the outmoft
and inner are two figures ; one of the Virgin Mary, the other of!
St. John, the cup and lamb ; on each corner of the bottom of this arch is ^ g u r e of certain one, for ought I know, may 1 the Caledonian bear, and the other, and with a long ftout, the
boar ; the Hone work within the inner arch has a fmall flit, or peephole,
but without the appearance of there having been a door
withm any modern period : yet I imagine there might have been
one originally, for the filling up confifts of larger ftones than the
reft of this curio.us rotund. The whole is built with molt ele-
Sant mafonry, which Mr. Gough obferved to be compofed of fixty
courfes*. I am informed by Mr. Gillies, of Brechin, that he has
often feen it vibrate in a high wind.
■ The learned among the antiquaries are greatly divided concerning
the ufe of thefe buildings, as well as the founders. Some
think them PiUiJh, probably becaufe there is one at Abernethy,
the antient feat of that nation; and others call them Danijh, becaufe
it was the cuftom of the Danes to give an alarm -J-, in time
of danger, from high places. But the manner and fimplicity of
building, in early times, of both thofe nations, was filch, as to
fuperfede that notion : befides, there are fo many fpecimens left of
their architefture, as tend at once to difprove any conjedture of
that kind: the Hebrides, Cathnefs, and Rofs-Jhire, exhibit reliques
of their buildings totally different. They could not be defigned
as belfries, as they are placed near the fteeples of churches, infinitely
more commodious for that end; nor places of alarm, as
' they are often eredted in fituations unfit for that purpofe. I muft
Bierefore fall into the opinion of the late worthy Peter Collinfon\;,
that they were incluforia; et arbli incluforii ergajlula, the prifons of
narrow inclofures : that they were ufed for the confinement of penitents
; fome perhaps conftrained, others voluntary, Dunchad o
mraoin being faid to have retired' to fuch a prifon, where he died
A. D. ggy. The penitents were placed in the upper itory ; after
¡undergoing their term of probation, they were fuffered to defcend
So the next; (in all I have feen there are inner abutments for
■uch floors) after that, they took a fecond ftep ; till at length the
I drchxhgia, II. 83. f Lm hia n a, part III. 18. | A rchAogia, I. 307.
Y 2 time