THE Scoto-NoRSE PERIOD IN DUMFRIESSHIRE. 175 
the corn was growing they could put in their time pleasantly and 
profitably over seas. They promised themselves, in American 
fashion, “a good time.’’ The Scottish tourist, voyaging gaily to 
“the land of the midnight sun,’’ is, all unconsciously, reversing 
history. He can in some degree appreciate the light-hearted 
attitude with which the Norsemen steered for the open sea. 
Gradually expeditions became less and less marauding or plunder- 
ing expeditions, but colonising occupations. That is, they looked 
forward to settling finally in the country where they landed. But 
let us return to their occupation of the Isle of Man. From that 
island their favourite method of excursion was to select a creek or 
bay into which they might run as carrying them furthest inland. 
Obviously, such a way of access lay to their ships by the Solway. 
Soon the dwellers on the banks of the Solway became familiar 
with the dragon bows of the Norse ships, their streaming raven 
banners, and their burnished shields hung overside, flashing back 
again the western rays in lines of dazzling light. It seems to me 
that the method of the Norse in this invasion was to proceed north 
and south. I am aware that some of our authorities hold that 
they settled first inthe south. The Lake District of England and 
Cumberland, of course, is dotted all over with place names of 
Norse derivation. | Whether they settled there first, or whether 
they settled on the north and south shores of the Solway simul- 
taneously, is a matter of detail. The fact remains that in course 
of time they found their way into Dumfriesshire. Now, our 
investigation is so far narrowed down; we began with an outlook 
upon Europe, then upon Scotland, and now we have traced the 
Norse to the Solway and Duntfriesshire. What is the evidence 
on which we may found a well-defined Norse occupation in Dum- 
friesshire? There remains to attest the Roman occupation—the 
camp, as in the case of Burrenswark. What remains to attest 
the Norse occupation? Members of this society are familiar with 
the remarkable profusion of mounds in this county. Some have 
been located as British camps, some as moot hills, some have 
proved very difficult to classify. From that most remarkable of 
historic documents, the Bayeux tapestry, we learn that the earlier 
Norman—i.e., Norse---castles were earthen mounds defended by 
wooden stockading. The stone castle with its characteristic 
keep, reaching its maximum in a Norham castle, was a much later 
development. The probabilities are that not a few of the many 
