558 



The Pillar Towers of the British Islands. 



[No. 5, 



surface, to give a circular form to the tower ; and they are accurately 

 adjusted in regular courses with but little lime or cement. The door- 

 way is six feet above the base of the tower ; but in consequence of the 

 graveyard adjoining having become greatly elevated above the general 

 surface of the soil, the door is now only two feet above the ground. It 

 is 7 feet 9J inches high, 29 inches in width at the spring of the semi- 

 circular arch, and 27J inches at the base. Four windows near the top 

 of the tower face the cardinal points : they are 3 feet 10 J inches in 

 height, 1 foot 4J inches in width above, and 1 foot 6J inches below 

 and seem to differ from each other in their architectural form. Gordon 

 in his Itinerary, mentions, at the beginning of last century, that " each 

 window is supported by two small pillars ;'■ traces of which are still 

 very evident in one or two of them. Those in the west window are 

 entirely gone. Dr. Wilson supposes* the windows may be modern ; 

 but after a careful examination, on the spot, I have come to the conclu- 

 sion that they were prepared at the same time as the rest of the 

 tower. Besides the four windows, there are three small openings to 

 give light. 



c This tower was repaired thirty years ago, when seven human skulls 

 were found within it, lying together. Some of them were of a dark 

 colour, as if they had undergone some process of embalming. Along 

 with these, several long bones were found, some of which had been so 

 recently deposited that they had still their ligaments attached to them.f 

 The tower stands about twenty yards- to the SW. of the parish church, 

 which is a modern structure. It is now used as a belfry, and the 

 beadle informed me that it is " pretty well" adapted for this purpose. 

 It also contains the village clock ; and the ancient Jouge, or pillory, 

 is attached to it. 



' The Pillar- Tower of AbernethyJ is said to have been built by Nectan 

 III., A. D. 720, in the capital of a Pictish kingdom. The Culdees 

 afterwards had a college there ; and in 1273 this was converted into 

 a priory of regular Canons of the Augustine order.' 



# Prehistoric Annals, p. 595. 



f Small's Roman Antiquities of Fife, p. 154, and Appendix F. 



X The name which the Highlanders give to Abernethy is Obair Neachtain, or 

 Abair Neachtain, i. e., < c the work of Neetam" This Nectan or Nethan desired 

 architects to be sent to build a church, [see Bede] perhaps that of Abernethy. 

 " Fergustus episcopus Scotiae Pictus," — i,e., Fergus, the Pictish bishop of Ireland, 

 was in the Roman general council, A.D. 721 — [a Binis, t. 3, quoted by Pinkerfcon, 

 Inquiry, IL 3 267 5 see also Statistical Account of Scotland; vol. x, ; p.' 435. 



