Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland 54

Further excavation on the higher levels revealed stone foundations for turf walls, and hearths representing successive periods of occupation. The artefacts are described and illustrated in detail. Early activity is represented by two stone axes and a few Bronze Age objects. Personal items from the main period of occupation include brooches, rings, glass beads, glass and shale armlets, and clasps. Harness mountings, terrets, iron tools, spearheads, coins and pottery. The discovery of a hoard of Roman silver plate is particularly noteworthy. It included bowls, cups, spoons, a miscellaneous collection of pieces of plate and four coins which suggest a date in the early fifth century. Certain of the pieces have a religious character and all are described in detail. The hoard is provisionally interpreted as spoils from a variety of European locations.

The castle was erected by Gilbert de Moravia, Bishop of Caithness, between 1223 and 1245, at the orders of Alexander II and entrusted to the hereditary wardenship of the local feudal landholders, the Earls of Mar. It is one of the most splendid examples of a great medieval fortress in Scotland, and is distinguished by its unusual size and architectural development. The ruins consist of a high and massive wall of enceinte, enclosing a spacious court, and defended by six strong round towers, of which two flanked the great gateway in the south front, while a third at the north-west corner, much larger than the others, and known as the Snow Tower, was the donjon. Excavation focussed on the foundations of the gatehouse. The great well in the Snow Tower was also investigated.

Little is known of the earlier Scottish watchmakers, though one of the most notable of early watchmakers in this country and the first master of the Incorporated Clockmakers was a Scot, David Ramsay, whom James VI, on his accession to the throne of England, appointed keeper of his clocks and watches. There are in existence a considerable number of watches signed by him, one of which bears the legend, "David Ramsay Scotus me fecit." On the face of this watch, above the dial, it bears the\r\nScottish crown surmounted by the Scottish lion sejant, and below the dial the fleur-de-lys surmounted by a crown. The representation within the dial is identified as Edinburgh Castle and its environs.

The cairn appears to be oval although almost half has been washed away by an adjacent burn. The whole of the surviving cairn was investigated. The burials lie at somewhat different levels, and were both cisted and uncisted; and a much disturbed passage chamber and a portion of a marginal setting of stones were revealed. The cists numbered twelve and are described in detail. In the main they contained cremated human bone although skeletons were present in a few. One cist contained both burnt and unburnt bone. Artefacts included food vessels, jet beads, bronze sheeting, beakers and a flint knife. The interior of the cairn was almost entirely composed of loose stones, amongst which at various places were noticed small collections of human osseous remains. In most cases these were inhumed and not associated with any special arrangement of the stones. There were also a few isolated fragments of bones, mostly unburnt, and a few cremated. The article includes a report on the human bone.

Duncan's Camp is a fort which occupies Duncan's Hill. The camp is roughly oval and it main axis running north-south is eighty yards in length. There are artificial defences on the north side while the others are naturally steep. On the upper surface of a large bench of undisturbed rock at Birnam Hill which slopes slightly towards the west is a group of twenty cup-marks, most of which are well formed and deeply cut. A detached mass nearby has three cup marks. Rohallion Castle lies in a hollow on the hillside completely dominated by a rocky eminence less than 100 yards\r\naway and its dimensions are very much smaller than is customary in ancient Scottish defensive buildings. It consists of a central block, oblong on plan with round towers at two diagonally opposite corners, and a series of outer defences.

On the 6th of October 1681, there was laid before the Privy Council of Scotland a supplication by Dr Alexander Skene, Provost of St Salvator's College (otherwise the Old College) of St Andrews, for himself and in name and behalf of the masters and members of that college that a warrant might be granted for a voluntary, charitable contribution throughout the kingdom to enable repairs. This was granted and the details of all the volunteer subscribers are presented in Skene's accounts.