The HIGHLANDS of SCOTLAND. 15 



fouth fide by a narrow ridge, communicating with the hills of 

 Stratherrick, of which it terminates a fmall collateral chain. 

 On every other quarter, the afcent is almofh perpendicular j 

 and the bafe of the hill is defended by a very rapid river, 

 which winds along two thirds of its circumference. The in- 

 clofed area on the top of Dun-Jardel is an oblong fquare off 

 twenty- five yards in length and fifteen in breadth. It is, there- 

 fore, confiderably fmaller than any of the three fortified hills 

 above mentioned ; but is, from its fituation and form, incom- 

 parably flronger, and muft, in thofe periods when it was re- 

 forted to for defence, have been quite impregnable. The area 

 on the fummit is levelled, cleared of flones, and has in it the 

 remains of a well. It is furrounded with a very ftrong wall 

 of dry ftones, which has formerly been of great height and 

 thicknefs, as may be conjectured from the prodigious quantity 

 of flones that has fallen only from one fide of the fortification, 

 and has refted upon the level ridge on the fouth fide. Thofe 

 parts of the building on the other fides which have gone to de- 

 cay, muft have rolled down the precipice into the river at the 

 bottom. It is remarkable, that, on afcending the conical fum- 

 mit of Dun-Jardel, there is, upon a fmall fhoulder of the hill, 

 about fifty or fixty feet below the fortification on the top, a cir- 

 cle of large ftones, firmly fixed in the ground, with a tranfverfe 

 double range of ftones, extending from one fide, to ferve as an 

 avenue or entry to the circle. This is, without doubt, a monu- 

 ment of the fame nature with thofe which are termed Druidical 

 Temples, and muft have been appropriated to the fame purpofes ; 

 but whether it had any connection with the fortification on the 

 fummit of the hill, I fhall not take upon me to determine. It 

 may, however, afford fome ground, as I fhall afterwards fliew, 

 for a conjecture as to the period when thofe extraordinary for- 

 tifications were reared. 



Immediately oppofite to Dun-Jardel, on the north fide of 

 Loch-Nefs, is another conical hill called Dun-Sgrebin, on the 



fummit 



