o8 on antiquities in Scotland. March it, 



building, thej contrived to leave a circular opening 

 in the centre of each floor that was closed by a move- 

 able cover, through which water' and stores could 

 easily be raised, by means of a pully, to any story 

 where it might be wanted. 



We have in Scotland many circular towers of 

 more modern date, built as those of England were, 

 with stone and lime, and upon the same general prin- 

 ciples with them ; but these have never here been 

 confounded with the dhunes. There were no lefs 

 than five of these circular towers in the castle of 

 Kildrumniie, alone ; and there is the remains of one, 

 of very large dimensions, still to be seen in the 

 castle of Rothsay in Bute ; but these are exceedingly 

 dilFerent from the dhunes, and have evidently been 

 constructed for very different purposes. 



On the whole, it seems to me perfectly clear, from 

 these considerations, that the kind of dhunes here 

 specified*, never were intended to serve as places of 

 defence, and, therefore, they must have been aopro- 

 prUted to some other purpose. 



3. Habitations of princes. 



Some have believed that these structures had been 

 originally employed as the habitation of princes or 

 great men, like my ingenious correspondent Mr Ni- 



* It vilHe (hewn in the sequel, thr.t there was another cL>fs of cir- 

 cular dr)-s:onc buildings ic Scotland, that Jiad probably been employed as 

 strong holes occasionally, which are also called dLur.es, that liave been 

 confounde.l with tho?e I here describe, which h^s probably tended very 

 much to mislead the judg-^ment of men en this head. The S-otti/h 

 reader is, therefore, desired to advert to this circun.star.ce at present; and 

 r<) 5i;s;>end his final decision on this head till the whok be bcf,>rt him. 



