T^f)^' antiquities in Scotland. 207 



hills of the same clafs that I exanjlned, I lliall des- 

 cribe them with some degree of accuracy. 



This is a beautiful green hill, situated in the 

 middle of the extensive vale, called theG-ir o-h. This 

 hill was celebrated by Boethius, as coatui. ing inex- 

 haustible mines of gold in its bowels, from which 

 there ifbued such a subtile effluvium, or exudation, 

 or what you please to call it, as tinged the teeth of 

 the flieep which pastured upon it, in his days, with a 

 beautiful golden hue. But he lived in that age when 

 alchemy flourilhed, so that it was no difficult matter 

 for them to convert iron into gold. 



On the top of this hill, besides the vitrified wall 

 already alluded to, there are also the remams of ano- 

 ther ancient structure of stone and lime, which is by 

 the vulgar supposed to have been the palace of one 

 of the kings of Scotland. It discovers no remains of 

 princely magnificence, and has . been evidently a 

 etrong hold, erected at that period when every prmce- 

 ly baron was obliged to have such habitations, for. 

 securing himself and his vafsals from the sudden at- 

 tacks of his barbarous neighbour. 



This castle has been originally a square, sixty 

 feet on each side, the walls about twelve feet in thick- 

 nefs, with small windows, in the common stile of 

 building in thoscdays. It is now in rubbilh, except a 

 small part of the west wall, which was lately repair- 

 ed, so as to keep it from falling, at the expence of 

 the neighbouring gentlemen, who wifhed to preserve 

 it on account of its picturesque appearance, which is 

 seen from afar. The site of tliis building is marked. 

 on the plan at H s the part that is standing is fliaded 



