Page images
PDF
EPUB

falling on a narrow marshy space, i, with a slight decline westward, on the S. side of which rises the mass of the hill-range. This slight mound is prolonged westward so as to enclose the rectangular mar-hy flat, e, at the foot of the W. end of the fort height. From the W. boundary of this apparent reservoir rises the prolongation of the range, and from the N. boundary the ground falls to the plain 600 ft. below. The spaces f and h unite eastward in a wide, nearly flat esplanade, k, which is unfenced, so that the eastern flank of f and h are quite open although the S. front is fortified.

[graphic]

Fig. 33. Holes for Beams in the Wall of Castle Law, Forgindenny.

35. 5 m. W. of Castle Law the Ochils strike upon the junction of the Earn and Tay and the upper part of the Firth of Tay, and here, perched on a little knoll, looking down upon Abernethy, the ancient capital of the Picts, stands a fort excavated in 1896 98 by Messrs Alexander Mckie and James Marr of that place, litterly with some and from our Society. The site is 750 It, above the sea, and about 700 al ove the strip of carse land that separates the Ochils from the Tay to the N, and is strong by nature, being only approachable

[graphic][subsumed][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Fig. 34. Plan of the Site of Abernethy Fort. (Mr F. R. Coles.)

[graphic][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Fig. 35. Plan of the structure of the Fort on Castle Law, Abernethy. (Mr F. R. Coles.)

from the W. by a narrow neck. As will be seen from the plans (figs. 34, 35), a wall has been drawn across the neck, connected by a short branch with the inner and proper wall of the fort, and parting gradually from it as it crosses the neck and descends towards a dammed-up little loch and marsh in an elevated flat or recess of the hill-mass (fig. 34). This wall, although completely concealed before excavation, was still standing under the debris and earth accumulation to a height of from 6 to 10 ft., and was 18 ft. wide at the base, faced with excellent masonry.

The wall proper of the fort, also showing no sign of its existence on the level top of the site before excavation, completely enclosed the oval interior, which

[graphic][subsumed][subsumed]

Fig. 36. Outer Face of inner wall, west end, Abernethy Fort. (Mr F. R. Coles.)

measured 136 by 51 ft., and, as in many other Scottish forts, was built with its inner face at the very edge of the slope, and the outer one some feet, in one place as much as 9 ft., perpendicular, down the slope below. The width of this inner wall was no less than from 18 to 25 ft., and it was still 7 ft. high in one place. As at Castle Law (No. 34), timber had been used in the construction, but to a much larger extent, as wherever both the outer and inner walls were examined, squared channels, in a double row (wherever the wall still stood high enough to show the upper one), were found running in from the outer face for about 8 or 10 ft. The regular loop-hole appearance of the openings of these channels and the general character of the masonry are well shown in the measured drawing taken by Mr F. R. Coles (fig. 36). On dissecting a part of the inner wall, longitudinal channels for timber were also found. Full details of this very interesting fort will be found in Proc. S. A. Scot., 1898-99, vol. xxxiii. pp. 13-33.

(c) STONE FORTS ON MONCREIFFE HILL, PERTH.

36. The isolated Hill of Moncreiffe, 725 ft. above the sea, 3 m. S.E. of Perth, rises from the N. with a moderate slope to the edge of a precipice, from

which a very steep wooded descent, 600 ft. high, falls towards Moncreiffe House and the valley of the Earn. On the edge of this mural precipice two forts have been perched, the first of which, coming along the ridge from the

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

W., is 600 ft, above the sea, and is now scarcely recognisable. The O.M. gives it an oval form measuring about 250 by 150 ft. I had some difficulty in finding any evidence of a mound or wall, but at last discovered a distinct mass of rude masonry in a chance break in the ground.

« PreviousContinue »