i6o 



The Scottish Naturalist. 



such as could be conveniently found on the shores of the lake, 

 and these stones were deposited in the bottom of the loch, within, 

 and partly without, the space enclosed by the woodwork, up to 

 near the surface of the water. Although the island now stands 

 above the mean level of the water of the loch, it must be re- 

 membered that the water-level has, on several recent occasions, 

 been lowered ; and there is good reason to believe that all the 

 stones had been under the surface of the water at one time, and 

 that a wooden erection of some kind had been constructed on 

 the top of the piles, or, rather, upright poles, formerly referred to. 

 A submerged canoe full of stones lies at the east side — probably 

 swamped during the construction of the crannog. This rude 

 structure affords one of the most substantial proofs of the anti- 

 quity and great importance of the surrounding district, to the 

 early inhabitants of this country. Another very important piece 

 of evidence of the antiquity of Kinnord is the recovery of so 

 many canoes from the loch after such a lapse of time. One was 

 discovered and taken out of the loch in 1859, and is now in the 

 policies of Aboyne Castle. Other two were recovered in 1875, 

 and lay for some time on the south shore of the loch, fast 

 going to decay : being broken up by over-zealous antiquarians. 

 Each of these canoes is hollowed out of a single oak tree. The 

 two last-recovered specimens are the largest yet discovered in 

 this country ; one of them measures 30 feet 6 inches in length, 

 by 3 feet 6 inches in width. It is interesting to state that these 

 two canoes have now been put into a building erected by Sir Wm. 

 C. Brook, M.P., for their preservation. It is natural to conclude 

 that the waters of both lochs had, at an early period, carried a 

 considerable number of these primitive vessels, which could be 

 used as another means of defence. There w T as also an outlying 

 system of defence-works, but we must first notice what traces are 

 to be seen of dwellings and lines of communication. 



On the north shore of Loch Kinnord, and to the east of loch 

 Davan, extending to nearly a mile in length and one-third of a 

 mile in breadth, is a piece of land upon which are to be seen 

 numerous vestiges of circular foundations, ranging from ten to 

 fifty feet in diameter. Most of the larger circles have small 

 pear-shaped structures attached to their outer walls. It does not 

 appear that they were arranged after any system ; but walled 

 roadways can be clearly traced among the ruins, and there are in- 



