stirling-1963-vol-1/05_115

Transcription

No. 81 -- DUNS -- No. 85
of the summit. A pathway climbs gradually up the E.
flank of the knoll to reach the summit by way of a sunken
gap in the bank. This might mark the position of the
original entrance, but it has certainly been used in modern
times as the summit now accommodates two iron cannon,
a flagstaff, two seats and a boulder fancifully named the
"Beheading Stone" ¹ mounted on a column.

793944 -- NS 79 SE ("Mote") -- 16 February 1954

81. Fort, Livilands (Site). It is recorded ² that "at a
mansionhouse called Livilands", there was formerly a
fort with three concentric walls about 20 ft. apart, the
innermost enclosing an area about 50 ft. in diameter.
No traces of this structure can now be seen, and its
precise position is uncertain.

c. 800916 -- NS 89 SW (unnoted) -- 14 February 1954

82. Fort, Camelon (Site). Air-photographs taken by
Dr. St, Joseph ³ reveal the crop-markings of a native
fort (Fig. 46, K) in the N. corner of the plateau on which
stand the Roman forts of Camelon (No. 122). The
markings comprise four dark, narrow, parallel lines,
presumably representing ploughed-down ditches or
palisade-trenches, which run in a curve from the NW.
edge of the plateau to within about 50 ft. of the NE. edge,
where there may have been an entrance. The innermost
and third lines appear to be somewhat broader than the
other two. Within the interior, which measures about
150 ft. from N. to S. by about 200 ft. from E. to W., the
same photographs distinctly show the crop-mark of an
enclosure, probably a hut, bounded by a single ditch or
palisade-trench. Oval on plan, the enclosure measures
about 50 ft. by 40 ft. and appears to have an entrance
facing towards the S.

863811 -- NS 88 SE (unnoted) -- 6 December 1953

83. Crop-Marks, Mumrills. Crop-marks suggestive of
a native fort, which appear on air-photographs ⁴ of the
spur at the extreme eastern end of the plateau on which
stands the Roman fort at Mumrills (No. 112), were
tested by excavation in 1960, and no remains of ditches
were found. It can therefore be assumed that they derive
from ploughed-out rig-and-furrow cultivation and a
cart-track and not from an eroded system of defensive
banks and ditches.

921794 -- NS 97 NW (unnoted) -- 28 September 1960

DUNS

84. Dun, Baston Burn. This dun is situated, at a height
of 220 ft. O.D., on a broad ridge which lies N. of
Craigbrock Hill and is separated from it by the valley of
the Baston Burn. The sire is a quarter of a mile SSW. of
the junction between the road from Cambusbarron and
the Stirling to Dumbarton highway (A 811). On the N.
side of the dun the flank of the ridge falls away for 170 ft.
to the level carse-lands below, while to the S. there is a
more gradual descent of some 40 ft. to the burn. The
structure is now greatly dilapidated, and consists simply
of a ring of boulders and small stones which measures
about 12 ft. in thickness and has an external diameter
of some 50 ft. No facing-stones can be seen through the
rough vegetation which covers the remains, and the
position of the entrance, though it may be in the E. arc,
cannot be located with certainty.

739936 -- NS 79 SW (unnoted) -- 10 March 1954

85. Dun, Touch Muir. This dun is situated at a height
of 840 ft. O.D. on open moorland which descends very
gradually southwards to the left bank of the uppermost
reaches of the West Burn, 30 yds. distant. It is 770 yds.
NNW. by N. of the boat-house on the W. shore of
Reservoir No.4. Circular on plan (Fig. 19), the dun

[Plan Inserted]
Fig. 19. Dun, Touch Muir (No. 85)

measures 42 ft. in diameter within a ruined stone wall
8 ft. to 12 ft. in thickness. For the most part the wall now
appears simply as a grass-grown bank standing to a
maximum height of 2 ft. 6 in., but both inner and outer
facing-stones are visible at a number of points as shown
on the plan. The entrance, in the E. arc, is well-defined
and is 6 ft. in width.
The interior of the dun is on two levels, a central space,
26 ft. in diameter, and a passage which links it to the

1 T.S.N.H.A.S., ix (1886-7), 59.
2 P.S.A.S., ix (1870-2), 33.
3 Nos. DH 022-4 in the C.U.C.A.P.
4 Nos. DH 32 and 33 in the C.U.C.A.P.

-- 80