42 SCOTLAND ILLUSTRATED. 



a treasurer, and fourteen councillors. On Sundays, the magistrates walk to 

 church, preceded by their lictors, and, till lately, used to attend, by invitation, the 

 funerals of the inhabitants. The population of the town and parish is nearly 

 fifteen thousand, and the number entitled to vote for a member of parliament, 

 in conjunction with Forres, Nairn, and Fortrose, four hundred and eighty-nine. 



Among the chief objects of -attraction in the environs, are Craig Phadrick, 

 and Ord-hill of Kessock, vitrified forts; Tomnaheurich, Culloden Moor, basin 

 and entrance of the Caledonian Canal, Druidical Temple of Leys, and Battle- 

 hill of Torvain.* Of these, Craig Phadrick has been long an object of philo- 

 sophical speculation, as to its being the work of human art or the result of 

 volcanic action. In support of the latter hypothesis, Dr. Johnson, who examined 

 the hill only two years ago, has spoken decidedly.f 



The hill is surrounded with a wall in the form of a parallelogram, about eighty 

 yards long, and thirty in breadth. The stones are all firmly cemented by a 

 vitrified matter, like lava, or the scoria of an iron foundry, the substance of the 

 stones being, in many places, softened and vitrified in some parts partially, 

 in others entirely. Where the fusion is imperfect, the stones are embedded 

 in the vitreous substance. Those who are familiar with volcanic phenomena 

 are most likely to adopt that theory, and to conclude that, in the formation 

 of the conical hills of Scotland, subterranean fire has had more to do than 

 superincumbent water. From the level summit of this hill the view of the 

 sea-coast is very beautiful. 



Tomnaheurich is a beautiful insulated hill, wearing its sylvan coronet of trees, 

 and in popular tradition the favourite rendezvous of " moonlight elves," and 

 the tomb of Thomas the Rhymer. As an alluvial relic, it forms an interesting 



The other objects lying within a day's excursion, and which will be noticed under their proper heads, 

 are, Fort George, and Fort Augustus ; Falls of Foyers, and Kilmorrack ; Castles Stewart, Dalcross, Cawdor, 

 and Urquhart ; Stone Monuments at Clava, Roman Station at Bona, &c. 



t " In rny own mind," says our distinguished author, " not a shadow of doubt remains that Craig Phadrick 

 is a volcanic mountain ; that its summit was the crater of an extinct volcano ; that advantage was taken 

 of the locality to form a fort, or place of defence ; and that the rocks were vitrified by subterranean fire', 

 not by human art. That the masses of lava now existing on the summit and sides of Craig Phadrick were 

 vitrified by Roman, Celt, or Sassenach, is abuiit as probable as that the basaltic columns of Staffa were 

 baked like bricks, in the cave of Fingal, or that the Giant's Causeway was fused in a tinker's crucible." 

 " But," says Mr. Anderson, in his notice of this passage, " it might as well be said that all the conglo- 

 merated sand-stone ridges between Speymouth and Mealfourvoney, and thence to the Kyle of Sutherland, 

 are volcanic; for Craig- Phadric, one of these, in no respect differs in general composition from the rest.' 1 

 P. 618. The most recent theory advocated (and especially with much success, by Sir George Mackenzie, 

 Bart., of Coul,) is, that the vitrification of these forts was caused by ancient BEACON- FIRES." To this propo- 

 sition the traditions of the country, and the practice of its inhabitants to the present day, give much 

 countenance. 



