Caledonian Forest in the West of Scotland. 61 



try around Loudoun hill, about a mile distant from where the 

 coins were found, though at present bare and exposed, appears 

 in old times when the Caledonian wood existed, to have been 

 the field of several fierce contests. 



A well formed Roman camp or station, containing about two 

 acres of ground, is situated about half a mile to the south of 

 Loudoun hill, close by the road to Ayr, on an insulated rising 

 ground. It is named by the farmers near this, " Wallace'*3 

 camp ;" but it is distinctly a Roman station, with its square form, 

 and with its usual enclosures and barriers. It is not mentioned, 

 as far as I know, in any account of the Roman antiquities in 

 Scotland ; but that it was a Roman camp is distinctly proved by 

 its form and by other circumstances. This is also confirmed by 

 a silver coin which was found on the field about a year ago. 

 The farmer who found it gave it to me. I was much gratified 

 to find that it was a coin of Augustus Caesar in excellent preser- 

 vation. I have also a silver coin of Antoninus, which was found 

 along with several other Roman coins at Torfoot, about two 

 miles nearer Strathaven. 



Close by the Roman camp, to the north, (the high road lies 

 between them), a very large cairn of bulky stones existed thirty 

 years ago, which was named '* Wallace's cairn." I do not find, 

 however, that any exploit of our great national champion is 

 stated in history as having occurred on this field ; but I observe 

 it is mentioned by Barbour, that close by Loudoun hill Robert 

 Bruce defeated the English commander Aymer de Vallence in 

 the year 1307, — that is in the first year of the reign of Edward 

 II, who was at that time in Scotland. Although no coin nor 

 any other remains of antiquity were found below this cairn, yet, 

 from its situation, I have little doubt but it was intended as a 

 memorial of this battle. 



It is well known that for several centuries, both before and 

 after the time of Robert Bruce, the records of Scotland are very 

 barren and unsatisfactory. In fact this country, instead of 

 advancing in the arts, and in agriculture and population, was 

 really declining in all of these. The natives, in every sense of 

 the word, were barbarians, perpetually fighting, and exposed to 

 the attacks of the English, and even of neighbouring lairds and 

 clans. The justly popular n^me of " Wallace,**"* who, in the 



