ANCIENT REMAINS IN ARRAN. 207 



possess, that many have been entirely obliterated or removed 

 several of those still existing have been noticed by us 

 already in our various Excursions ; others which we may have 

 overlooked, or which no longer exist, we shall now notice, 

 and then refer to our own share in endeavouring to illus- 

 trate the structure and uses of the most remarkable Arran 

 monuments yet remaining. Pennant (Tour in Scotland, 

 1772) mentions that there are in Glen Cloy "five earthen 

 tumuli or barrows placed in a row, with another on the 

 outside of them. On the top of one is a depression or hollow, 

 on that of another is a circle of stones whose ends just 

 appear above the earth. These are probably the memorial 

 of some battle ; the common men were placed beneath, the 

 plain barrows, the leaders under those distinguished by the 

 stones. A mile farther is a retreat of the ancient inhabit- 

 ants, called Torr-an-Shiain Castle [fairy's mound], sur- 

 rounded with a great stone dike. Here Robert the Bruce 

 sheltered himself for some time under the protection of 

 Mac-Louis." This is noticed in the new Statistical Ac- 

 count, 1837 (published 1845), as "the vestige of an ancient 

 fort in Glen Cloy, where Bruce's partizans who arrived 

 in Arran before him sheltered themselves, while the English 

 held Brodick Castle." In the same work (" Buteshire," 

 p. 23) imperfect remains of stone circles are mentioned as 

 existing at the top of Blairmore Glen, at the head of Glen 

 Cloy, and of several sepulchral cairns on Blairmore farm, near 

 the manse of Kilbride. "But the largest cairn which the writer 

 (Rev. Dr. Allan M'^Taughton, minister of Kilbride, 1837) 

 has examined is one of more than 200 feet in circuit, at the 

 head of Moneadh-More Glen, "W. of Lamlash. Its position 

 was near the mouth of a narrow pass between the E. and W. 

 sides of the island. Most of the stones were carried away 

 two years ago to build a stone fence in the neighbourhood 

 and several stone coffins, each composed of six unhewn flags, 

 were found under them. Similar coffins are every year met 

 with in cutting drains and ditches in different parts of the 



