dumfries-1920/04-058

Transcription

HISTORICAL MONUMENTS (SCOTLAND) COMMISSION.

these enclosures undoubtedly are, from the uniformity of plan, contemporaneous
with certain of the forts, yet others, there can be little doubt, belong to mediæval
times, and conceivably some are even later. The name "Birren" applied to them as
a class seems to have as its root meaning that of "shelter," A.S. beorgan, found also
in "burgh."Its range of application is thus wide, including both stone and earthen
constructions, since the "shelter" thought of was apparently with reference to cattle
and sheep.
In not a few foundations of small rectangular huts, seemingly contemporan-
eous, are apparent, and in one at Mosspeeble, Ewes Parish (No. 215), there still stands
the shepherd's cottage. It is remarkable that in these eastern dales of the county
a "birren" is almost invariably to be found in the neighbourhood of any place with a
name which appears in history in the rieving and raiding days, and the proximity of
these places to the English border rendered some "corral," in which the cattle could
be concealed, an indispensable adjunct.
In the foregoing review of the defensive constructions of the county, an attempt
has been made to indicate lines of inquiry, through minute observation of detail and
comparison, by which it may be possible to reach some sort of conclusion as to the
periods to which the numerous classes of forts belong; but while such methods may
be interesting, and instructive to some extent, the only sure source of information
is scientifically conducted exploration with the spade and the consequent recovery
of relics. Years of study have now familiarised archæologists with the art if the
potter or of the craftsman in metalwork of the various periods of our prehistory,
and the potsherd or the fibula which may be obtained from an excavation is
evidence of folk or chronology almost as incontestable as the written word of
the historian.
The "Deil's Dike" or "Dyke." - In the north-western district of the county
are to be found detached examples of the low stony mound and shallow ditch, no
doubt much reduced from their original condition, known as the "Deil's" ¹ or "Picts"
(Sanquhar) or "Celtic" Dike, and in the north-east, in the parish of Eskdalemuir,
are portions of a similar feature, which is there called the "Diel's Jingle" (No. 176).
The longest section, running from near the Nith to the boundary of Ayrshire, is in
the parish of Sanquhar (No. 566), and stretches, though not continuously, for about
ten miles. Other portions, each extending for rather less than a third of this
distance, are in the parishes of Durisdeer (No. 163) and Closeburn (No. 80). In
every case the "Dike" is sinous rather than straight, generally following a contour
line: the 600-feet level south of Sanquhar, where the land as a whole lies high,
and up to the 700 to 950 feet line on still higher ground. The portions along the
east and west sides of the Carron Water in the parish of Durisdeer are significant.
Starting at the Enterkin Water on the 500 contour, 50 feet above the stream, the
"Dike" runs due east as far as the line of an old drove road. About a quarter of a
mile due north on the road it again appears and passes northwards, first on the 900
and then on the 800-feet level, to end in an eastwards curl at Nether Dalveen. It is
next found on the eastern hillslope on the opposite side of the Carron, running south
at an elevation of 750 to 800 feet, till above Durisdeer it turns with the salient of the hill
and follows the 700-feet contour north-eastwards parallel with the Kirk Burn. An

1 Cf. also Report and Inventory of Wigtown, passim, and of Kirkcudbright, p. xxii., and Art. No.
368. The line of broad mounds west of Hightae and Heck in Lochmaben parish, which is marked on
the O.S. 6-inch maps as "Murthat or Deil's Dike," is really a natural formation of stratified sand and
gravel (kames) utterly different in size and character from the Dike proper.

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