gb0551ms-36-8-86a

Transcriber's notes

Duncan MacMorroch here lies low, Was ill to his friend, waur to his foe, True to his master in weird and wo. 1623".

Transcription

[Page] 86
[Continued from page 85]

side about 40 ft. [feet] across. To the outside the rampart
is about 8 ft. [feet] above the bottom of the ditch where
highest on the W. [West] side & 6 ft. [feet] towards the interior and is 25 ft. [feet] wide at base.
The entrance has been through the middle of the
rampart. The remains down the slope to the
E [East] are less distinct. There is a circular de:
:pression on the inner side of the top of the
rampart to the N. [North] of the entrance and there
are similar depressions with signs of low
enclosing walls about the summit.

[Margin] O.S. [Ordnance Survey] 1.

The old church of Durness lies about 100 yds. [yards] W. [West] of
the house of Balnakiel. In an arched recess
to the left of the doorway lies a slab, 6’.6” in
length by 2’.8” in breadth. A compartment at
the E. [East] end contains a representation of a hunter
drawing a bow at a stag which the artist through
the exigencies of space has placed in a vertical
position and beneath the letters D.M. MC
The slab also bears a representation of the skull
and crossbones and the inscription,
Donald Makmorchor hier lyis low
vas il to his friend var to his fo True to
his maister in veird and vo 1623.
Above is a tablet within a moulded border
bearing the initials D.Mc KNRM and
in four quarters 1st. a hand, 2. a ship, 3. a stags

[Continued on page 87]