unlikely, that of old, there might have been also a round tower at Dunkeld, as at Abernethy and Brechin, while the square tower of St Regulus, at St Andrews, was built by an architect from the continent; "whence," says Pinkerton, "perhaps the very name and fable of St Regulus may have arisen." At Auldbar, two miles south-west from Brechin, there is a curious chapel, situated in a romantic dell, and a singular monument, described by Pennant: here the bell was suspended on an ancient ash-tree, that grew on the top of the bank, overhanging the deep glen in which the chapel is placed, and where the sound would have been too much confined.-We shall now inquire into the probable date of the erection of the tower at Brechin. The southern Picts were converted to Christianity by Ninian, or, as he is called in Gaelic, Ringan, anno 412. Palladius is supposed to have made Fordun his residence in 430. The northern Picts were converted by Columba, anno 565. According to Bede, Ceolfrid, abbot of Wearmouth, wrote his famous letter about Easter and the Tonsure, to Naiton, or Nechton, or Nethan III. king of the Picts, anno 715; and, in that year, Nethan desired that masons, or architects, should be sent to him by the Angles from Northumberland, to build a church of stone. Bells were invented in 600, and during the seventh century, came into general use throughout the popedom, being deemed very efficacious, after consecration, in scaring evil spirits, who were believed to fly in terror from the hallowed sounds. It seems probable that the tower of Brechin would be built during the eighth century, and perhaps about 720; while the church remained a fabric of wood till about 990, or toward the end of the reign of Kenneth

III. The Chron. Pict. closes with telling us, Hic est qui tribuit magnam civitatem Brechne Domino, "He it was who gave the large town of Brechin to our Lord." This close clearly shews that Chronicle to have been written after Kenneth's time, and it is most likely, in the eleventh century. The notice is so far of moment, that it affords evidence of Brechin being then a place of consequence, and it probably was of considerable importance long before that period. Abernethy is supposed to have been founded about A. D. 600, by Nethan II.; and it was there that Nethan III. built the church of stone, 715; that place having then become the capital of the Pictish dominions; but it is a moot case among antiquaries, where the Pictish kings had their residence previously to the seventh century. Though we know of no direct proof which can be produced to establish the fact, we agree with those who think Brechin was the seat of government before it was removed southward to Abernethy, and that it continued to be the occasional residence of the Pictish sovereigns, till the end of the monarchy, anno 843. Angus was the country of the Picts proper, who also inhabited Mearns. Brechin is situated in the midst of this fertile region, and in the Pictish Chronicle, it is called a large town in 990. The round tower above described, shews the place to have been much regarded by the Pictish kings; and in the neighbourhood were the impregnable fortresses of the Cater Thuns. St Bridget, to whom the church of Abernethy was dedicated, came from Glen Esk, in the vicinage of Brechin. This saint, according to Usher, died in extreme old age, anno 520. It appears, that Brudi, the son of Meilochon, king of the Northern Picts, had a castle on the river Ness,

which was the place of his residence at the time he was visited by Columba, in 570. Adomnan, abbot of Hyona, or Iona, wrote the Life of Columba about 680; and he says the saint used to pass Drum Alban, in his way to the castle of Brudi, on the river Ness. The passage is somewhat obscure. Drum Alban," the Ridge of Alban," called in Latin Dorsi montes Britannici, which divided the territories of the Scots and Picts, Pinkerton supposes to have been Braedalbin, and that the castle of Brudi was near to Inverness.* Father Innes thinks the Ridge of Alban means the Grampian mountains. The Pictish royal residence at Brechin is believed to have been situated where Brechin castle now stands; and the round tower, or belfry, of the ancient church, is supposed, by the reverend Mr Small, of Edenshead, to have been the mausoleum of the royal family. He is probably in the right, and, upon digging to the depth of a few feet, it is not unlikely that skeletons would be found. Brechin

* In the opinion of Pinkerton, the Life of Columba, written by Adomnan, is the most complete piece of biography of which Europe can boast through the whole of the middle ages, and it is certainly both a curious and an interesting work. There is much of prophecy and of miracle. Columba, at the court of Brudi, had many adventures with Broichan, a magician; and the Picts, in that age, had glass drinking vessels, for the magician is described as using one. It is related as miraculous, that the saint, on his journey to the castle of Brudi, travelled a whole day wanting a linchpin to one of the wheels of his carriage, which yet did not come off. It was surely a miracle that he did not break his neck in crossing Drum Alban, in any vehicle with wheels, during the sixth century. Adomnan calls the Picts gentiles barbari, "barbarous pagans ;" and it is clear that they did not speak Gaelic; for it is particularly mentioned, that Columba preached to them "by an interpreter," per interpretatorem. ADOMNAN, Vita Columbæ, lib. ii. ch. 12.

was formerly a walled town, and a bishop's see, and is now a considerable royal burgh, the seat of a presbytery. The bishopric was founded by David I. about 1150. No vestige remains of the castle that was so bravely defended against Edward I. by the gallant Sir Thomas Maule, who fell in the act of cheering his men to an obstinate resistance; but, on its site, an elegant modern edifice, the residence of the Honourable W. R. Maule, of Panmure, stands on the brink of a perpendicular rock, overhanging the North Esk.

On the singular monument at the chapel of Auldbar, formerly mentioned, there are sculptured two persons, probably religious, in a sitting posture, and beneath them a man, seemingly tearing out a lion's tongue, perhaps intended to represent Samson rending the young lion "that roared against him ;" and opposite to him, there is a curious figure of an antique harp : under these are a man on horseback, a lamb, a bullock, and an animal that is supposed to resemble an ass.

At Aberlemno, situated half way between Brechin and Forfar, there are four sculptured upright stones, called the Danish stones, and which are believed to have been erected to commemorate a victory, obtained over the Danes by Malcolm II. in the early part of the eleventh century. There were formerly five of these obelisks, and in the vicinity are several tumuli and cairns. Some of these have been opened, wherein were found rude stone coffins, containing black earth and mouldering bones. Stat. Acco. vol. iv. p. 50. There was formerly a sixth obelisk on the north side of the South Esk, in the parish of Cariston, anciently called Carald-stane, and this obelisk was supposed to mark the spot where Carald, a Danish chief, fell; and in the neighbourhood

are two remarkable barrows.-The Danes are supposed, after touching at the promontory of Red-head, to have landed at West Haven, near Panbride, and four miles north of the mouth of the Tay, where they were instantly attacked by the Scots at Carnoustie, which derives its name from the engagement, signifying "The cairns of the Host."-" To this day," says Buchanan, "when the wind raises the sand at Balbride, (Panbride,) many bones are uncovered, of larger dimensions than can well agree with the stature of men of these times." The Danes were under the command of Camus, and Buchanan says, he landed his soldiers at the Red-head, and marched southward by the coast, plundering as he went along. This may have been the case, but the former account is more probable. There are no Scottish records prior to the demise of Malcolm Caenmore, or about 1100; and every thing is obscure relating to the invasions of the Northmen; only the traditions concerning their descents are borne out by the marks of blood and battle which attended their steps.-Camus was defeated by Malcolm II. at Carnoustie, and, being cut off from his ships, was obliged to retreat to the high ground near Monikie; and at the obelisk, called Camus' Stone, or Camus' Cross, this celebrated leader is supposed to have had his skull cleft with a battle-axe. "Near Camus' Cross, the plough laid open a sepulchre, which was enclosed with four stones: here a huge skeleton was dug up, which was supposed to have been that of Camus: he appears to have received the mortal stroke upon the head, as a part of the skull was cut away." This is the account of Commissary Maule, who relates what he saw about 1610. There is a farm in the neighbourhood, called Camuston, and another