^J% • antiquities in Scotland, -^^K' ^9* 



clear away, which, it is natural to think, would have 

 been tumbled carelefsly down this hill from the 

 mouth of the hole, had thej been opened only in 

 search of treasure. 



It has been said, that these vitrified walls are no 

 where to be found but where the rock on which they 

 stand, is of the plumb-pudding kind ^ but this I can 

 afsure you is a mistake. The hill of Tap-o-noath 

 consists chiefly of small fragments of rotten granite ; 

 that of Dun-o-deer is a mafs of slaty iron gravel. 



Many other vitrified fortifications have been disco- 

 vered in Scotland, several of which I myself have 

 iexamined ; but I ftiall here only specify one more, 

 because of some peculiarities there observed, that 

 tend to throw some farther light on the nature of 

 these structures* 



'For many years past philosophers have been a- 

 b.unting after volcanoes in every part of the globe, 

 and the slightest appearance of vitrified matter has 

 been by many accounted the most undoubted proof 

 of a volcanic origin. Hence a i^eneral pre udice 

 prevails among those who have not examined rhese 

 structures themselves, that their origin can only be 

 attributed to that cause. I have already mentioned 

 several circumstances, that, to the intelligent reader, 

 will afford full conviction that these can only have 

 been works of art ; but one circumstance, which af- 

 fords a yet clearer proof of Jt than any of those al- 

 ready adduced, I had occasion to observe at the hill 

 of Fmhaven, in tlie Ihire of Angus, about six miles 

 north from the town of Forfar ; on the too of which 



