Pirate 
ccLXx. 
Vig. 2. 
with it. This may have served the double of 
a watch tower, and the habitation of the people who 
the stati the valley 
the remains of an old castle, with which the station 
was ly connected. While on the top of Dun 
polo pete pe us, that marks of fire would be 
found on a hill, which obstructed the view of Dun 
Creich from Strath Carron, a valley which branches 
from that of the Dornoch Firth. We went to the 
and found several masses of melted stones. A few miles 
th rock occupies an angle 
formed by the river Carron a tributary stream, are 
the remains of a fort, built in the circular form of the 
Duns, (or Danish, or Pictish forts, as they have been 
called,) with distinct traces of ditches and earthen ram- 
rts in With this also, the signal station of 
Dun Creich ma have been connected. 
Ww ~ nothing similar to Dun Creich, or 
other vitrified forts, has been observed farther to the 
; though it is probable something of the sort 
may exist at the head of other firths. The next we shall 
take notice of is the first we meet with to the south- 
ward, and is situate at the head of the Cromarty Firth. 
The name of the hill is Knock Farri/, and it is one of 
those which arrested the attention of Mr Williams. It 
is about two miles from the town of Dingwall, in the 
county of Ross, and forms of a double ridge, which 
bounds the valley of peffer on the south, and se- 
parates it from the v. of the river Conan. The 
ascent from the east west ends is comparatively 
easy, but the sides of the hill are very steep. From 
the summit there is an extensive view pap tchin of 
Cc , and of the adjacent country ; and the hill of 
Cote Mock nau teense, pecs age Rese ars 
trifications which have been described by Mr Tytler, 
is distinctly seen.. The flat area on the top isa 
deal inclined towards the west ; its length being about 
135 yards, and its medium breadth about 45. Round 
the area, and close to the edge of the hill, we find 
masses composed of stones cemented together by melt- 
ed matter, irregular in their positions and size ; and ex- 
tending at each end about 50 yards from the area. 
The vitrification is every where superficial, extend- 
ing but a very little way among the stones. There 
isa apnaiditablo quantity of rubbish seen in the cuts 
which Mr Williams caused to be made across the 
area in different places. This rubbish appears.to have 
been collected for the purpose of extending or forming 
the area on the top; and it would seem much la- 
bour had been bestowed in accomplishing in this man- 
ner what might, apparently, have been effected more 
easily by cutting down of the summit. On the plan 
Plate CCLX. Fig. 2), A, marks the cuts made by Mr 
illiams ; B what seems to be the vestiges of a hut, 
sud G sho pamela Oa Osis Rae SNE OE Eee 
ing rain water ; for there is no appearance rin, 
water ieonlag Gls bay pat of ie bal wep aan id 
sures nearly an English acre. This station may have 
been chosen to give warning of the approach of ships 
up the Firth of seoeucle aad wea weobekt gps coe 
post of the castle of Dingwall, Guay. bh i 
of the Earls of Ross. 
To account for the vitrification appearing all round 
the area, we have only to refer to our supposition of a 
system of signals, the shifting of the wind rénder- 
sae srceeary. te change the e on which the fires 
were to be lighted. vitrified masses appear in 
many instances to have been displaced ; and one fact 
eccurred to our notice which ascertains this displacement 
$ 
FORTS, VITRIFIED: 
ond a doubt. Qe tiatthing belome scan SiaaaY Vitrified — 
side of which was considerably inclined, we observed — Forts. 
some melted matter that had run down and consolidsted “V"™ 
a al posit cers ‘oat ken iaestetnay 4 
inal position, would have i 5 
Shey tereat right angles to the indlinndiwiiriedeusften: 
Many fortuitous ee may have ee 
to uce the present irregular appearances. #t can- 
psy t,hseen eS ee 
with as much regularity as the nature of the materials — 
would allow, both in order to render it more durable; 
and to make it serve the purposes of defence. _ For we 
re gone htm suet ee 
signals, was ren su strong to resist 
attacks of an enemy, We do nh however, consider 
that any appearance on Knock Farril indicates the fu- 
sibility of the stones having been used for idati 
theram DrAnderson was mistaken when he 
in the 6th vol. of the Archeologia, that the vitrifications 
are to be seen only on the outside of the ramparts of 
Knock Farril. e mentions, however, the fact, that 
on the hill called Top of Noth, in Aberdeenshire, the 
vitrification is only on the inside ; which is a very sa- 
tisfactory confirmation of the idea that it has been pro- 
duced by si fires. Had the outside of the rampart 
on Top of Noth been vitrified, we might have been 
warranted in concluding that fire had been used to 
strengthen it. Had the inside been vitrified with this 
view, it is impossible to conceive that no attempt was 
made to cement the outside also ; sincé in every struc< 
ture for defence, however rude, we find the strongest, - 
and not, as in this instance, the weakest, part opposed 
paleradie: mye of an enemy. On some hills, 
apparently intended for defence have been id, 
where there are no appearances of vitrification. In. 
such instances it is probable that the stones will be 
found not to be of an easily fusible nature ; if in reality, 
no vitrification can be found, on accurate search bei 
made. This last remark is occasioned by the di 
Cane ee ee ee ee ae . 
one of the stations the great chain’ 
eecaped the notice dé Mr T. 
Nimmo, civil engineer, and late rector of the 
at Inverness, ; 
