quadrangular, approaching to the figure of a rhombus, of which the greater diagonal is 7 feet, and the lesser 5 feet. Its mean thickness is about 2 feet. Its weight will be about three tons. It touches the rock on which it rests only on one line, which is in the same line with its lesser diagonal, and its lower surface is convex toward the extremities of the greater diagonal. By pressing down either of the extreme corners, and withdrawing the pressure alternately, a rocking motion is produced, which may be increased so much that the distance between their lowest depression and highest elevation is a full foot. When the pressure is wholly withdrawn the stone will continue to rock till it has made 26, or more vibrations from one side to the other before it settles in its natural position. Both the lower side of the stone and the surface of the rock on which it rests appear to be worn and roughed by mutual friction. There is every reason to suppose from the form and relative situation of the surrounding grounds, that this stone must have been placed in its present position by the labour of man. It will hardly be thought, therefore, an extravagant degree of credulty to refer its origin to the same period with those other tribunals of a similar construction mentioned by writers who have treated of the customs of the ancient Celts.

"This opinion is, however, the more confirmed from finding in the neighbourhood of this stone a considerable number of other Druidical relics. On the north side of the stone, at a distance of 60 yards, on a small eminence, are two concentric circles, similar to that already described, and a single circle adjoining to them on the east side. Beyond these, at 45 yards' distance, is a third pair of concentric circles, with their adjacent circle on the east side. Further on, to the north-east, at a distance of 90 yards, is a single circle, and beside it, on the west side, two rectangular enclosures of 37 feet by 12 feet. Also a cairn 23 or 24 yards in circumference, and about 12 feet high in the centre. Several smaller cairns are scattered in the neighbourhood. One hundred and twenty yards west from the Rocking Stone is a pair of concentric circles, with a small single circle beside them of 7 feet in diameter. All the pairs of concentric circles are of the same dimensions, the inner one being about 32 feet, and the outer about 45 or 46 feet in diameter, and all of them having a breach or doorway 4 or 5 feet wide on the south side. The single circles are, in general, from 32 to 36 feet in diameter, and have no breach. The vestiges of all these structures are perfectly distinct, and many of the stones still retain the erect posture in which all of them had probably been placed at first.

"Cairns and circles similar to these described are to be found on other hills in this parish, particularly between Strathardle and Glen Derby. There are likewise several tall, erect stones, called here in Gaelic, Crom-leaca or Clach-shleuchda, stones of worship. Some of them are five or six feet above ground, and may be sunk a considerable way below the surface from their remaining so long in the same position, for a superstitious regard is paid them by the people, none venturing to remove them, though some of them are situated in the middle of corn fields."

There are also many Druidical cairns and circles on the south side of the river Ardle, especially one very large cairn at the foot of Benchally, and a little to the south of that large cairn there are a great many smaller ones. There are also two immense cairns, one at the north-east and another at the south-west extremity of the parish of Cluny, which are said to mark the ancient boundary between the Caledonian and the Pictish Kingdoms. So numerous and extensive are the Druidical remains in Strathardle, that they would require an entire paper to do them full justice, so I will now leave them and move on to another class of historic stones-the monoliths, or single standing stones, of which there are many in Strathardle. Of these Dr Marshall says in his "Historic Scenes, Parish of Kirkmichael"-"There are also in this parish several monoliths, or single standing stones. The inhabitants call them in Gaelic Crom-leaca, or Clach-sleuchda, that is being interpreted, stones of worship. This name shows that they have been connected in the popular mind with the observance of the Druid worship; and in treating of the religion of the Druids in his History of the Religious Rites, Ceremonies, and Customs of the whole world,' Dr Hurd says-'Sometimes stones were set up to perpetuate the memory of the deceased, but more commonly a hillock of earth was raised over the grave.' That stones were sometimes set up for this purpose is undoubted, but monoliths were more commonly memorial as distinguished from sepulchral stones. They were set up to perpetuate the memory of certain events which men wished to preserve from falling into oblivion. This, however, they failed to do, principally from the want of inscriptions on them. In the lapse of time the stones and the events they were to hand down to the latest generations became dissociated, so that, as Chalmers in his 'Caledonia' has observed, 'they do not answer the end either of personal vanity or of national gratitude.' That is quite true, but it was a fact well known to those who raised these stones, as we find it beauti

་

fully alluded to in the poem of 'Dan na Du-thuinn,' in Dr Smith's Sean Dana, page 85 :—

'Ach a nis cha chluinnear mo dhàn,

Cha 'n aithnich an t-anrach m' uaigh ;
Chi e leac ghlas, is cuiseag ga còdach',
Feoruichidh co d' an uaigh i.

Cha 'n aithne dhuinne, their claun a ghlinne,
Cha d'innis an dàn a chliu dhuinn.'

my fame,

'Now, there wont be heard the song of
The stranger will not know my grave;
He will see a grey stone with ragweed o'ergrown,
And he will ask-whose grave is this?

We know not, the children of the glen will say,

The song has not carried down his fame to our day.'

There are three very fine monoliths in the upper part of the glen, in the parish of Moulin, one on the farm of Cottartown of Straloch, another at Tulloch, and one at Ennochdhu, besides the one at Ardle's grave. The stones at Tulloch and Ennochdhu are memorials of the great, battle of Ennochdhu, fought between the Strathardle men and the Danes at a very early date. I have never yet been able to ascertain the exact date of this battle or to find any distinct notice of it in any of our old historical records. Many incursions by the Danes into the districts of Angus and Gowrie are recorded, but as the sites of the battles are not always mentioned, it is difficult to find out on which occasion this battle took place; but, though it must have been at a very remote period, the tradition of the district about it is still very distinct. The hero Ardle is always said to have been the eldest of three brothers, each of which gave his name to the district over which he ruled-Ard-fhuil, high or noble blood, to Strathardle; Athfhuil, next or second blood, to Athole; and Teth-fhuil, hot blood, to Strath Tummel. The latter's hot blood was the cause of his death, for wishing to cross the river Tummel on some hot-blooded expedition with a band of followers in winter, they found the river in very high flood, with great quantities of large blocks of ice floating down, and they all saw it was impossible to cross except Teth-fhuil, whose hot blood neither ice nor water could cool, so he dashed in to swim across, but the ice knocked him under, and he was drowned, so the river and the Strath took their name from him. If Ardle was really Athole's brother, then they must have lived at a very early age, as Athole is the earliest district mentioned in Scottish history. In fact, if we are to

believe the old Irish annals, as given in the ancient books of Ballymote and Lecain, Athole was only tenth in direct descent from Noah! He was one of the sons of Cruithne, the first king of the Picts. Skene, in his Chronicles of the Picts and Scots, page 24, gives the following account of the origin of the Picts from these ancient records. (The Book of Ballimote was written in 1391, and is a copy of the works of Gillacaemhin, who died in 1072):

"De Bunadh Cruithneach andseo. Cruithne mac Cinge, mic Luchtai, mic Parrthalan, mic Agnoinn, mic Buain, mic Mais, mic Fathecht, mic Iafeth, Mic Noe. Ise athair Cruithneach, agus cet bliadhna do irrighe.

Secht meic Cruithneach annso i.

Fib, Fidach, FODLA, Fortrend cathach, Cait, Ce, Cirigh. Et secht randaibh ro roindset in fearand, ut dixit Columcille.

Mhoirsheiser do Cruithne clainn,
Raindset Albain i secht raind

Cait, Ce, Cirig, cethach clann
Fib, Fidach FOTLA, Fortrenn.

Ocus is e ainm gach fir dib fil for a fearand ut est, Fib, agus Ce, agus Cait, agus reliqua."

Of the Origin of the Cruthneach here.

Cruithne, son of Cinge, son of Luctai, son of Partalan, son of Agnoin, son of Buan, son of Mais, son of Fathecht, son of Jafeth, son of Noe. He was the father of the Cruithneach, and reigned

a hundred years.

These are the seven sons of Cruithne, viz. :

:

Fib, Fidach, FODLA, Fortrend, warlike, Ceit, Ce, Cirig; and they divided the land into seven divisions, as Columcille says::

Seven children of Cruthne

Divided Alban into seven divisions,

Cait, Ce, Cirig, a warlike clan,

Fib, Fidach, FOTLA, Fortren.

And the name of each man is given to their territories, as Fib, Ce, Cait, and the rest.

Fodla and Fotla are the spellings given here; in the Annals of Tighernac, in the year 739, it is Athfoithle, and in the Annals of Ulster for the same year it is Atfoithle. If the tradition that

Ardle and Tummul were brothers of Athole's (or Fotla) be correct, then, no doubt, if they had not come to an untimely death before "the great divide," they would have each received a large slice of Scotland as well as their brothers.

Previous to the death of Ardle, the strath was called Srath Mor na Muice Brice-the Great Strath of the Spotted or Brindled Sow. This famous sow, like Diarmad's wild boar in Glenshee, had ravaged the district for a long time, and had her den at Sron-namuice, the Sow's Rock. In the old Statistical Account of Kirkmichael we read :--" According to tradition, Strath Ardle was anciently called in Gaelic Strath-na-muice-brice, the strath of the spotted wild sow, which name it is said to have retained till the time of the Danish invasions, when, in a battle fought between the Danes and the Caledonians, at the head of the country, a chief named Ard-fhuil, (High or Noble Blood) was killed, whose grave is shown to this day. From him the country got the name of Strath Ard-fhuil, Strathardle." Ardle's grave is at the back of the village of Ennochdhu, close to the entrance lodge of Dirnanean. It is sixteen feet long, as both Ardle and his faithful henchman, who fell with him, are buried in it, with their feet towards each other. There is a large stone at Ardle's head, and a lesser one at the henchman's. According to tradition, when the Danes marched up the strath, Ardle and his men posted themselves on the round hill of Tulloch, and awaited their approach. As soon as the Danes reached the foot of the hill, the Highlanders rushed down on them, and a fierce battle began at the Standing Stone of Tulloch. After a time, the Danes were driven back to the Standing Stone of Ennochdhu, the Black Moor, where the fight raged hottest, and the issue seemed doubtful, till Ardle led a fierce charge on one wing of the enemy, and drove all before him; and, as they turned and fled eastward, he pursued them too eagerly, as he left all his men behind him, and, supported only by his faithful henchman, rushed in amongst his foes, who, seeing only two men, suddenly turned, and, surrounding them, cut them to pieces, at the spot where they are buried, before his men could come to their assistance. The slain Scots were buried at the Standing Stone of Ennochdhu, and the dead Danes were thrown into the Lag-ghlas, the Grey Hollow, a round hollow in the wood at the back of Ennochdhu; and my uncle has told me that when the wood there was planted, the workmen, in making pits for the trees, turned up quantities of very much decayed bones and pieces of old metal, which were supposed to be the remains of the slain Danes, and their arms.