136 account of antiquities in Scotland. yan. 25. 



In later times, atrocious murderers were usually- 

 covered with a heap of stones by the way-side, which 

 were also called cairns. But these are so small, in 

 comparison of the former, as never to be in danger 

 of being confounded with them. 



Ofsian frequently mentions the " four grey stones" 

 as the mark, of burial places in his time. It is 

 somewhat surprizing that no travellers have remark- 

 ed any monuments of this kind in the highlands at 

 present. But the natives have little curiosity, and 

 pafs by things, that they have been accustomed to 

 see from their infancy as matters of no moment. 

 "When I was in the highlands, some years ago, I 

 saw something a little way from the road side that 

 attracted my attention. On going up to it I found 

 several graves, bounded each by four flat stones, set 

 on edge like those described by Ofsian. Two long 

 stones were placed on each side, about three feet dis- 

 tant from each other, the two at each end narrower, 

 and distant from one another a little more than six 

 feet. The whole was rude and inartificial. It was 

 in the county of Caithnefs, where long flat stones are 

 very common. I was, you may believe, extremely 

 desirous of learning if thete was any tradition in the 

 country relating to this ; but although it was with- • 

 in half a mile of a gentleman's house, and not above 

 thirty yards from the highway, I found, upon en- 

 quiry, that the gentleman had never observed it 

 himself, nor heard any thing about it till I told him ' 

 of it. 



III. The long stones set on end in the earth are^ 



T.viih still greater certainty, kiiown to be monuments 



