166 



The Scottish Naturalist. 



was pursued from the direction of Kinnord, round the south slope 

 of Mortlich, past " Breen's Well," at which, tradition says, he took 

 his last drink. (This well is now in the middle of a field, and is 

 used as a watering place for cattle.) Passing onward, he received 

 his first wound on the Brae of Stretum, about the fourth of a mile 

 S.W. from the church of Lumphanan. The spot is still marked 

 by a large stone, which the people of the locality for ages have 

 considered it unlucky to disturb, although the ground which sur- 

 rounds it has now been cultivated. About a mile further N.E. is 

 "Macbeth's Cairn," where he was slain ; and in its vicinity are a 

 number of smaller cairns, among which swords, battle-axes, bronze 

 brooches, and other memorials of ancient warfare, were found in 

 1805. 



Returning, however, more particularly to our proper locality. 

 In his reign, Alexander I., " the fiery," improved the fort on the 

 castle island, and re-constructed the draw-bridge to the north 

 shore of the lake. That this was done in his time is proved by 

 the recovery of an oak beam about the end of the last century 

 from the bottom of the loch, near to where the draw-bridge was 

 constructed, bearing the date 11 13. This is important, and shows 

 that the forts in Loch Kinnord were still used, probably at this 

 period, chiefly to over-awe the people to subjection to the King's 

 Government. Further on, in the year 1296, and again in 1303, 

 two great English armies, under Edward I., " nicknamed," by the 

 Scots, Longshanks, made, on both occasions, night encampments 

 at Loch Kinnord. This was during the time while Edward tried 

 to overcome the " rebellious spirits of the Scots," which he never 

 managed to do. About this time, and as long as national con- 

 flicts existed in Scotland, Kinnord was often made a resting-place, 

 being the most commodious and convenient between Kildrummy 

 and Brechin. 



THE BATTLE OF CULBLEAN. 



Prophecy : — "In Culblean they'll meet stalwart, stark, and stern." — Thomas 

 the Rhymer. 



It is quite unnecessary here to give all the particulars which led 

 up to this battle. It was fought on St. Andrew's day — 30th Nov. 

 1335. Like many other conflicts about that time, it was caused 

 by the two contending parties in Scotland — one in favour of the 

 heirs of Bruce, and the other in favour of the heirs of Baliol. It 



