710 
Proceedings of the Pioyal Society 
parently were given to account for the way in which particular 
boulders came into the district. * 
To show that this was the origin and object of the names, a few 
of the legends, as stated in the reports, may be given. They in¬ 
dicate, no doubt, a very deplorable state of ignorance and credulity; 
but they indicate also that in many cases our forefathers had 
satisfied themselves that the boulders had been transported into the 
district. Their perplexity was how to account for their transport. 
Not knowing anything of glaciers or icebergs, they had to resort to 
supernatural agency for an explanation. A few examples may be 
given. 
Reference has already been made to a large conglomerate boulder 
near the top of a hill, in the Island of Eday, one of the Orkneys. 
It goes under the name of u Giant's Stone ” The legend for it is, 
that it was flung by a giant from the Island of Stronsay. Now, as 
already stated, there is no conglomerate rock which could have 
supplied the boulder in Eday Island, but there is in Stromsa. 
So also in the Island of Sanday, one of the Orkneys, there is a 
granite or gneiss boulder; the legend about which is, that it was 
thrown from the Shetland Islands by a giantess, who had been 
jilted by a Westray man. She intended to throw it into Westray, 
but she made a bad shot, and it fell into the Island of Sanday. 
There is no rock which could have produced the boulder in Sanday, 
but there is abundance of it in the Shetlands. 
About 1-J miles west of St Andrew’s in Eife, there is a large con¬ 
glomerate boulder, and the legend about it is, that when the “ Four 
hnockit steeple ” in that tow T n was being built, a giant who lived at 
Drumcairo Crags, a hill about 5 miles to the north-west of St 
Andrews, was indignant, and resolved to demolish the edifice. He, 
therefore, got the largest stone he could find, and borrowing his 
mother’s apron, he made a sling of it, and threw it at St Andrews. 
But the stone being too heavy, the apron broke, and the stone did 
not quite reach its destination, and there it has lain ever since. 
There is no conglomerate rock where the boulder lies, but there is 
at or near Drumcarro Crags. 
* The Rev. Mr Joass of Golspie refers to a "boulder in Sutherland, called “ Clach 
Mhic Mhios,” or stone of the Mantliold son, believed to have been thrown from a 
hill two miles off by BaW Fingalian. 
