62 Thomas Brown, Esq. on the Ancient 



midst of these times, terminated his patriotic career in 1305 on 

 a scaffold, is naturally, though erroneously, associated with 

 many more than his share of the antiquities in Scotland ; and, 

 among many others, we find that both the Roman camp and the 

 cairn near Loudoun Hill have been named after him. 



From the immediate neighbourhood of the Roman camp, and 

 from its insulated and commanding situation, it is exceedingly 

 probable that Robert Bruce may have occupied it previous to 

 the skirmish at Loudoun Hill ; and in this way the Roman 

 name may have been lost. In fact, as we have already men- 

 tioned, the field of battle, as marked by the cairn, is close be- 

 side the Roman camp, and is not 200 yards distant from it. 



This cairn was of great size, and the stones so large and use- 

 ful, that they were employed in building a stone-wall near the 

 place about 30 years ago. I have lately, however, had a new 

 collection of stones heaped on the spot, and, at present, though 

 small when compared with its former size, yet it is a well mark- 

 ed object, about fifty yards to the north of the road close by 

 Loudoun Hill. It is another monument which connects this 

 neighbourhood with the eventful fortunes of Robert Bruce. 



I have already hinted at the idea, that Scotland, before the 

 wars of the succession, had a better climate, and, in some dis- 

 tricts, a greater number of inhabitants than for several centuries 

 afterwards, and, as far as we can judge from these relics, this 

 appears actually to have been the case. At all events, this dis- 

 trict seems to have been more fought for than its appearance at 

 present would merit. In these days, the wild look of the coun- 

 try around Loudon Hill certainly would not deserve a Roman 

 camp, nor much military contest ; and surely no one would now 

 dream of hiding a treasure of silver coins in the midst of what 

 was lately a bare uninclosed country. Five centuries ago, how- 

 ever, when it was in a great measure covered by a forest of gi- 

 gantic oaks, the aspect and the shelter must have been very dif- 

 ferent from the present *. 



• It may be mentioned, however, that even in much later times, the 

 country around Loudoun Hill has been a field for contest. The celebrated 

 skirmish of Drumclog fought between the Covenanters and Graham of Cla-" 

 rerho\ise, took place within a mile of liOudonn Hill, in the year 1679. 



