Anniversary Address. 17 



dykes recently erected in the neighbourhood, and the place 

 has suffered grievous dilapidations in consequence. The 

 fact of the fallen stones being quite free from any growth of 

 vegetation shows the work of destruction to have been of 

 recent date. The inner sides of the north and west ends 

 appear to have been the inhabited portion, and exhibit 

 numerous foundations of chambers more or less perfect, but 

 not one entirely so. These chambers appear to have been 

 circular, oval, or rounded, sometimes two or three opening into 

 each other, with the remains of the doorway formed by two 

 larger stones or jambs. The wall of the larger or southern 

 division was slighter and had fewer remnants of dwellings. 

 It was probably intended for cattle ; but near the entrance 

 on the lower side were the remains of a few chambers, and a 

 smaller inner inclosure which may have been used by the 

 herdsmen. A tracing, taken from the ordnance survey, shew- 

 ing the general appearance of the place, was exhibited. It 

 will be observed, that so late as the execution of that work, 

 some of the cells on the north and west side appear to have 

 been perfect. It is much to be regretted that the place had 

 not been visited and described previous to the work of demoli- 

 tion. It may still be worth while to have a careful survey 

 made of the ruins as they now exist. 



Of the rampart called Herits-dyke, no remains were 

 observed. A more deliberate search, had time permitted, 

 might have discovered traces of it. Chalmers (Caled. I., 243, 

 II., 211.) mentions it under the^'name of Herrits-dyke, and 

 attributes it to the Romanized British tribe of Ottadini, who 

 may have erected it as a defence against their northern 

 enemies, in the same manner as the Cat-rail, of which he 

 conjectures it may have formed a part. " About the middle 

 of last century it could be traced 14 miles eastward " (running 

 across the parish of Greenlaw, about a mile north of the 

 town) ; " and, tradition says, it proceeded as far as Berwick. 

 It is supposed to have extended westward to a place in the 

 parish of Legerwood called Boon " — (Boon-hill opposite Thirle- 

 stane) — " a word, in the Celtic language, signifying ' boundary' 



B.N.C. — VOL. VII. NO. I. C 



