Blair Collection > Place names in Strathbogie, with notes historical, antiquarian and descriptive

36 Place N(Xines in StratJihogie.
circumference, also following the centre of the
ramparts, is about 270 yards. It will also appear,
that the proportion of stones fused into masses
is comparatively small ; that a much larger pro-
portion is burnt, but not fused ; and that a con-
siderable part of the rampart is untouched by
fire. All fused masses of stone, wherever found,
are shown in the plan.
By permission of His Grace the Duke of
Richmond and Gordon, I made complete sections
through the ramparts, and from my observations
have arrived at the following conclusions —
(i) That the ramparts are a 'rickle' of loose
stones, the larger about 18 inches long, 12 inches
broad, and 9 inches thick, and these occur in the
lower part of the structure, while smaller stones
make up the higher part. (2) That these stones
are piled loosely together without any attempt
to fill up the interstices, or to compact the stones
by fitting them together. (3) That in the first
section, which was on the east side of the fort, no
vitrified or burnt stones appeared in any part of
the structure, and that there is no vitrified found-
ation, or vitrified wall, underlying these loose
stones. The rampart at this point measured 20
feet wide at the base, and 1 2 feet high. This sec-
tion was made at a point where no fused or burnt
stones appeared on the surface, the inference
being, that if a vitrified wall ever existed, it would
be found buried under the loose stones forming