1792. account of antiquities in Scotland. 285 " 



was carried up in a direction parallel with tlie stair 

 itself, so as to be in all places of an equal height. It 

 was likewise observable, that- the stair was formed 

 into flights of steps ; at the top of each of which 

 there was a landing-place, with an horizontal floor, a- 

 bout six feet in length ; at the end of which another 

 flight of steps- began. "One of these flights, of steps- 

 was quite complete, with a landing-place at each end 

 ©f it, and two others were found in an imperfect 

 state ; the lowermost being in part filled up witli 

 rubbifh, and the highest reached the top of the wall 

 that is now remaining before it ended.^ Whethftr 

 these flights were regularly continued to the top, and 

 whether they contained an equal number of steps or 

 not, it was impofBible for me to dlsoover ; but the&e- 

 reraains fhow that the structure has been erected by ■ 

 a people not altogether uncivilized. 



About twenty years ago, a gentleman in that " 

 njeighbourhood, who is laiijd of the spot of ground on 

 which this beautiful remnant of ancient grandeur 

 is placed, pulled down eight or ten feet from the 

 top of these walls, for the sake of the stones, to build ■ 

 an habitation for its incurious owner. It may per- - 

 haps be a doubt with some, whether the builders or 

 the demolilhers of these walls most justly deserve 

 the name of a savage and uncivilized people ? The fi- 

 gure annexed represents the appearance it made at 

 the time I saw it, very nearly. 



By whatever people this has been erected, it muit " 

 have been a work of great labour, as the collcctin^g 

 the materials alone, where no carriages could pafg, . 

 must have been extremely difficult to accomplifh^ Ic^ 



