The Catrail, or Picts-Worh-Ditch, by James Small. 109 



from end to end, and that in tMs I was greatly aided in my re- 

 searches in Selkirkshire by my friend, Mr Craig-Brown, who ac- 

 companied me during four days ; and my friend, Mr Elliot, 

 HoUybush, who was with me five days, four of them in Eox- 

 burghshire and one in Selkirkshire. The Ordnance Survey and 

 other maps were used ; and found very useful. The Catrail, as 

 laid down in the Ordnance Survey maps pf Roxburghshire is, in 

 my opinion, correct, or nearly so ; but in some places it is not 

 correctly indicated in the Selkirkshire maps. This must have 

 arisen from the surveyors having been misinformed by resi- 

 denters ; for of course the surveyors in many cases as to land- 

 markings had simply to enter what they were told by shepherds 

 or others. 



The northern end of the Catrail is on the wooded hill fully 

 half-a-mile above Torwoodlee mansion-house, two miles from 

 Galashiels. There has been a large camp on the spot, and the 

 deep trench of the Catrail partly circles the camp, which is itself 

 circular ; and many stones belonging to it, and deep indentations 

 connected with it may still be seen. This camp, with the accom- 

 panying part-circles of the Catrail, has long been locally called 

 '• the Eings." The Catrail cannot now be traced down the field 

 leading from the camp ; but it is faintly traceable in Torwoodlee 

 policy. It passed Eedburn foot into the wood o^^posite The 

 Birks gate ; and at the south end of that wood it is clearly and 

 deeply marked ; and is quite visible from the public road leading 

 alongside the wood. From this wood its line ran towards Knowe 

 Park, and on to Mossilee homestead, which stands on its track, 

 and a few hundred yards south of the homestead it appears on 

 the edge of the field road, and is nearly filled with stones. 

 Twelve years ago its track was plainly seen by me in the field 

 adjoining the steep field leading up to the young plantation on 

 the north end of HoUybush farm, through which the public foot- 

 way leads to Fernielee. On the steep field mentioned it is 

 plainly marked. It leaves the field and enters the wood through 

 which the footway above mentioned passes. After crossing the 

 wood it leads into the field above, and is easily traced along two 

 fields to an old quarry at the end of the wood on the hill im- 

 mediately above HoUybush farm-house. In this wood it is very 

 deep and wide ; and it is nowhere in its course more strongly 

 marked than here, being 20 feet wide and nearly 6 feet in depth 



