The Scottish Naturalist. i65 



7 



whose acts of piracy and devastation entirely altered the relations 

 of the minor contending independent powers. It is only neces- 

 sary to mention that there is a strongly established tradition in 

 the district of Kinnord that a great battle was fought in the vicinity 

 of the Hill of Mulloch, on the south slope of which large collec- 

 tions of tumuli mark the spot where some conflict had occurred. 

 The tradition further states that a small party of Scots managed 

 to get up the hill unseen, and killed the Danish General, who 

 was on the top commanding his forces, and that the great cairn 

 on the summit was collected to commemorate his death, and also 

 the fact of the victory gained by the Scots, who were said to have 

 entirely routed their enemies, the Danes, on that occasion — pur- 

 suing them towards the coast until they found refuge in their ships. 



In the year 1039, King Duncan "The Generous" was murdered 

 by Macbeth, who succeeded him as King. Macbeth, as Wyn- 

 toun tells us, reigned seventeen years, and was more a man bent 

 on carrying out public works than a courtier. In him was a 

 good deal of both Pictish and Danish blood; and he was disposed, 

 no doubt, to restore and improve many of those old Pictish forts. 

 He constructed one near his own castle, on the Hill of Dun- 

 sinane, which is situated a few miles N.E. of Perth, in the parish 

 of Collace. We may also conclude that such a famous stronghold 

 as Kinnord would be often visited, and the peel on the castle 

 island, as well as other points of importance, would be consider- 

 ably improved. It may not be out of place here briefly to notice 

 what evidence there is to establish the contention that Macbeth 

 was slain in Lumphanan. Wyntoun relates in the clearest pos- 

 sible manner the whole circumstance in Book iv., chap, xviii., p. 

 382 ; that he was pursued and slain in the woods of Lumphanan 

 by Macduff, who presented his head to King Malcolm at Kincar- 

 dine O'Neil. Fourdoun in his " Scottish Chronicles " says that 

 Macbeth fled to the north, in whose narrow passes he hoped to 

 find safety, and that he was killed by Malcolm in Lumphanan on 

 the 5th Dec. 1056. Also, Bishop Leslie, Dalrymple in his 

 " Annals," Chambers in his " Caledonia," Sir W. Scott in his 

 <: History of Scotland," and Hollingshed in his " Scottish 

 Chronicles," all agree as to particulars and date. Tradition points 

 out the locality where he was killed, and the cairn in which he 

 was buried; in 1855, a stone coffin, containing bones and ashes, 

 was dug from this cairn. Tradition further has it, that Macbeth 



