6o Clava : " The Stonehenge of Scotland'' [Sess. 



(attempting at least) the erection of such a chamber, 21 feet 

 in diameter. 



Eegarding the entrance passages, which can be detected in 

 only four or five of the whole thirty-nine circles, it may be 

 noted that they are mostly directed towards the S.S.W., or 

 about one o'clock, though in this, as in other features of the 

 circles, there is no uniformity ; and in the " Druid Temple " it 

 is even directed 5° to the E. of S. Whatever may be the 

 significance of the arrangement, it is worthy of notice that the 

 tallest pillar-stones of the outer rings are placed on the south 

 side, and that they diminish in size towards the north side. 

 Notice the giants on the south-west and south sides respectively 

 of INTos. 7 and 30 (the latter being the "Druid Temple"). 

 Similarly in the intermediate rings, the largest blocks are on 

 the south side, and they diminish in size towards the north 

 side. 



There now remains small space in which to discuss the 

 questions of who were the builders of these strange structures, 

 and for what purpose or purposes they were erected. In his 

 paper Mr Eraser cites and quotes from the chief authorities on 

 these questions, and I must depend largely on the information 

 there supplied. The popular theory of their origin is perpetu- 

 ated in the name of the " Druid Temple," but I think most 

 authorities now reject that theory. Some say they are of Scan- 

 dinavian origin, but Professor Wilson says they existed long 

 before the earliest Norwegian, Danish, or even perhaps Celtic 

 descent on our shores, which would relegate them to some of 

 the very earliest native tribes, and consequently they are spoken 

 of as " Caledonian." Dr Joseph Anderson says, " The circles 

 in Scotland which have been examined have yielded interments 

 of the Bronze Age, which was long over, both in this country 

 and in Norway, before the Vikings came to Orkney. The 

 pottery found in them is specially Celtic in character, and 

 quite different from Norwegian sepulchral pottery." It is to 

 be noted that the vases found in the Clava cairns were made of 

 very coarse clay, and were of the rudest structure, being more 

 like flower-pots than anything else. 



Eecurring to the tradition concerning the chapel on the 

 site of No. 8, — if it dates back to St Columba's time, to what 

 date or era must we assign the erection of the circle on whose 



