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Transcription

[Page] 8
[Continued from page 6]

5th Augt.
Left St. Abbs at 6.45 a soft rain falling and
the weather looking none too promising, in
the ‘bus for Reston. Train to Grants Ho. [House] where I

Abbey St Bathans.
breakfasted with an Edinb. [Edinburgh] baker out for a
holiday. He liked “freedom on a holiday” so his luggage
consisted of a rod, basket & a pair of stockings!! Hired
from there to Abbey St. Bathans with a de:
:lightful old driver who informed me that Mr
Turnbull was a “W.C” in Edinburgh. We stopped
at Butterdean where I saw the site of

Kilspindle Castle (Site)
Kilspindie Castle, a few low mounds & fragments
of masonry beside the steading & between the mill pond
& the road. From thence by a very hilly road
I drove to the Muirhouse, passing Quixwood
locally called ‘Cookswood’, (Celtic Cuach =
“Cuckoo” wood.) where I met Mr. Wilson the
schoolmaster, a tall, thin, delicate looking man
with a thorough knowledge of the objects of
interest in his parish. He took me first to in:
:spect a portion of the Blackdyke passing

Blackdyke (G. Turnbull)
S.W. [South West] across a piece of moorland from the
road 1/2 m. [mile] N.W. [North West] of Muirhouse towards Abbey
St. Bathans. It is a track sunk a foot or so
below the level of the adjacent land about 10 ft. [feet]
in breadth from the top of the slope on either
side. There was no sign of a bank on top of
the slope but all along its course on the
sides stones outcropped. We next proceeded

Shannobank Hill. (G. Turnbull)
to Shanno-bank Hill & inspected the fort
on the summit. It is strongly situated with a
very steep slope on the W. [West] side down to the
Monynut burn. The fort consists of a central
enclosure oval in shape 248 ft. [feet] in length by 208 in breadth
within two low ramparts of stone showing no
signs of construction, concentric, except
towards the W. [West] side where they converge.
At the northern extremity & outside the outer
rampart is a circular annex contained
by a single rampart abutting on the outer rampart of the camp 278 ft. [feet] in diameter. The
total diameter of fort and annex from N [North] to S. [South]
is 446 ft. [feet] and that of the fort from E [East] to W. [West] 269. The
distance from crest to crest of the two ramparts
at the S. [South] end is 66 ft. [feet] at the N. [North] end 54 ft. [feet], and
at the E [East] side 61 ft. [feet]. Several circular foundations
are apparent partially in and on the E [East] side
of the inner rampart and there is one well
defined within the annex situated close to
the S. [South] side. Adjacent to the outer rampart on the

[Margin] The entrances are
not very clear but
the principal seems
to have been, through
the outer rampart and
the middle of the E [East] side
& at the N.W. [North West] end
& into the interior
at the North end.

E. [East] side are several circular depression the
most distinct having a diameter of 11 ft. [feet] and
a depth of 2 ft. [feet]. Beneath the turf all over
the fort stones were encountered at a
depth of a few inches almost as if the summit
had been paved. The surface seems in part

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