>2 79i* account of antiquities in'Scdtland. i$*j 



This structure at Dun-Aggiesag has no additional 

 ' buildi'igs of any kind adjoining to it, although I had 

 occasion to observe, from many others, that it has 

 been no uncom-mon thing to have several low build- 

 ings of the same kind, joining to the base of the lar- 

 ger one, and communicating with it from within, 

 like cells. The most entire of this kind that I have 

 seen is at Dun-robin, the seat of the countefs of 

 Sutherland. The late earl was at great pains to 

 clear away the rubbifh from this building, and se- 

 cure it as much as pofsible from being farther demo- 

 Jillied; Unfortunately it is composed of much worse 

 materials than that I have described. 



The only particular relating to the situation of this 

 kind of buildings that occurred to me as observable, 

 wasj that they were all situated very near where wa- 

 ter could be obtained in abundance. The side of a 

 lake or river is therefore a common position ; and 

 where another situation is chosen, it is always obser- 

 vable, that water, in considerable quantities, from a 

 rivulet, or otherwise, can be obtained near. It 

 seems, however, to have been a matter of indiffe- 

 rence, whether that water was salt or frefli, stagnant 

 or running; from whence it would seem probable, 

 that water, in considerable quantities, must have been 

 necefsary for some of the purposes for which they 

 originally were intended. 



In Caithnefs, as I have already hinted, the ruins of 

 this kind of buildings are exceedingly numerous ; 

 but many of them are now such a perfect heap of 

 rubbifh, that they have- much the same appearance 

 with the cairns already mentioned, and might readily 

 ■te confouadgd with them by a superficial obs.erxcj:. 



