FOELD QMEEMINGS, 1882. 
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CorNcocKLE Quarry, Spepiins Tower, &c.—3d May, 1884. 
The first Field Meeting of this session was held on the 3d May, 
when, according to the “programme, ‘Wood Castle, Loch- 
maben, Corncockle Quarry, Spedlins Tower, St. Ann’s Bridge, 
and Raehills Glen would be visited.” Owing to the weather 
being cold and unsettled, a party of sixteen only assembled at 
the Fountain at the hour of starting (9.30 a.m.), and took their 
seats in the waggonette which was in waiting to convey them to 
the places mentioned. After a sharp drive for half an hour 
through the keen morning air, a halt was made at Torthorwald 
to allow the members to inspect the old castle, which has been 
for centuries a conspicuous object in that picturesque landscape. 
The origin of the castle is traditional, and the first authentic 
account of it is in the thirteenth century, when William Carlyle 
received from his uncle, King Robert Bruce, a charter of the 
lands of Collin and Roucan. From the style of the building, it 
is supposed to be between 700 and 800 years old, and like other 
noble ruins throughout the county, it has suffered severely from 
vandal hands. 
Returning to the conveyance, after spending half an hour in 
examining the ruins and collecting the spring flowers in the 
vicinity, they proceeded over the hill towards Lochmaben. At 
Ryemuir sad mementoes of the two very heavy storms of the 
preceding winter were seen. Almost all the trees in the planta- 
tions were either torn up by the roots, or snapped across the 
middle. The devastation at Corncockle was even more complete, 
for there almost 100 acres of wood were left without a tree standing. 
The next halt (after Torthorwald) was made at the farm house near 
Wood Castle, where the party dismounted and walked through 
the adjoining field to the Camp. The Camp, for such it is, is 
evidently of Roman origin, for a Roman Road runs past the base, 
and it is in a direct line between Burnswark on the east, and 
Camp Hill, Tinwald, further to the west. It measures 278 feet 
across the top at the greatest diameter from terrace to terrace, 
and has two entrances—one on the north-east side, and the other 
on the west. From the Camp the drive was continued to Corn- 
