morass; the front to the left is traLeaca Howe, extending to the left for several miles, which at that time must have been nearly impassable. The ground in front slopes gradually towards this ravine, becoming steep as it approaches its margin.

A

"There's a leam fishing in St. Catherine's Dub," he would say, point-versed by a narrow ravine called the ing to a deep gash in the rocks. "Lang syne, Eppie, a great Spanish barquethe St. Catherine by name-struck upon that reef. It was a ship of the great Armada, and it carried the admiral's flag. It went to the bottom wi' every sowl on board. They say that a great store o' gowd lies at the bottom o' the Dub-that was the clash of the country-side when I was a wean. But lang or ever the Armada sailed the Danes kent ilka landing-place alang the Heughs. They were wild folk, fearin' neither God nor man. Mony a farm-house they harried, and they burned the kirks, and spared neither mither nor maiden. But in the end a great battle was fought at the Ward, it began in the dawnin' and lasted far on thro' the nicht,-and the saut-water thieves were forced back to their ships. It was a grand deliverance, and the Yerl built a kirk on the battlefield, for it was said that mair than mortal men took part in the fecht. That's an auld wife's story it may be; but that the battle was won wi' God's help we may richtly beleeve. The kirk stood for a thousand years, and may be standin' yet; for ae wild winter nicht a mighty wind arose and blew for a week, so that no man could stand against it. When it ceased the kirk was gone-it had been owercassen by the sand; and indeed the sandbank itsel' may be seen to this day at the water o' Slains."

Some three or four miles from this spot, at the southern extremity of the parish of Longside, and about five miles to the south-west of Peterhead, is Cairn Catto, or The Battle Cairn. It was at one time of great extent, but has been greatly demolished by the use of the stones for dykes. It is a series of cists or stone tombs, many of which the present editor has seen open. Dr. Pratt thinks that the cairn is doubtless on some great battlefield, which seems to have been chosen with considerable skill. Taking the cairn, which is on a piece of level ground, with a gentle rise in the centre, as the point d'appui, the right towards the north is flanked by an extensive

The south-western declivity is, or was, -for the plough has unsanctimoniously invaded this ancient battlefield,- -COVered with small mounds of stone and earth and circular rings, which evidently were the sites of the camp fires. Graves abound in all directions. bleak hill rising beyond the glen is called Dun-a-cluach. In the hollow between is a huge block of granite, calculated to weigh from 60 to 70 tons. It is raised a little from the ground on a platform of supporting blocks. The editor was told by an old man in the neighbourhood that in his young days it was a Laggan or moving stone. It has, however, long since ceased to respond to any power that has attempted to prove its capacity in that respect. Our old friend said some herd laddies had jammed it with stones. At any rate it is not now a Laggan stone, but it is a splendid specimen of a boulder of red granite.

All around there are Camp faulds, Camp pits, Camp wells, a King's grave, a Silver cairn, Picts' houses, a subterranean vault, celts, flint arrowheads, etc. etc. "The Leaca Howe (Leaca lech or leac, a stone; probably so named from the great stone in it, just referred to), having the hills of Cairn Catto and Dun-a-Cluach on its eastern margin, and the hills of Aldie on its western, had at a remote period been well stocked with trees, the trunks of which are still to be found at the bottom of the hollow. Extending northwards, this ravine had terminated in an extensive wood, now a bleak and barren waste, known as 'The Moss of Savoch of Longside.' Both sides of the ravine were, till a comparatively late date, covered with the vestiges of the terrible conflict which had taken place in its vicinity. The number of flint arrow and spear heads that have been picked up and the endless recur

This branch leaves the Aberdeen and Peterhead line at Maud Junction, and runs first north then east, skirting the south side of Mormond, and so again north to Fraserburgh-in all 16 miles. The first station is

rence of tumuli, may be looked upon as the unwritten records of the battle, THE FRASERBURGH BRANCH. its remote date, and sanguinary character. Till very lately the mounds on the slopes of the hills to the east of the Howe might be counted by the hundred. They were of different sizes, varying from 6 to upwards of 20 feet in diameter, and were generally elevated above the surface of the field from 8 inches to a foot. Eighteen or twenty of these, in a south-westerly direction from the cairn, were apparently formed with great care, being accurately circular, flat on the top, 7 or 8 feet in diameter, and raised 6 or 8 inches above the surface. They were altogether of a different character from the ordinary mounds in the vicinity. For what purpose these were constructed it is difficult to imagine."

The nine clear springs near by,

known as the "Morris Wells," now supply the town of Peterhead with water. These strange mystical unknown memorials of the past, mingle with the most practical utilitarianism of the present; and the modern march of improvement will ere long abolish these relics of an unknown story. Perhaps,-who knows?

77. Brucklay.
1 miles from Maud.
33
Aberdeen.

"Brucklay Castle (Fordyce) is built on the north bank of the Ugie, the ground rising gently from the stream It is not known by whom to the site. or at what time the original portion of the castle was built. Though very plain and simple, it had a considerable degree of that beauty and character

which most of the houses erected in

Scotland during the last half of the
17th century possessed, arising chiefly
from their loftiness and broken sky-
line, relieved by turrets and crow-steps
on highly-pitched gables.
A lofty
central round tower containing the
staircase was the principal feature of
this castle. Considerable alterations
and additions have been made at dif-
ferent times. In 1765 Mr. William
Dingwall, and again in 1814 Mr. John
Dingwall, enlarged the building, the
latter adding two good-sized rooms and
an entrance-hall on the eastern side,
but without any regard to the style of
the old castle. Again in 1849 Captain
Dingwall Fordyce carried up the two
new rooms (under the superintendence
of Mr. Matthews of Aberdeen) to the
height of three stories, and had the
front broken by extending the entrance-
hall, and projecting a porte cochere.
The old circular staircase was removed
and a new one erected in a square
tower, carried up to the height of 75
feet, and terminated by a sort of keep
on the top. The original style of the
building was restored, and somewhat
elaborated by the introduction of corbel
turrets and dormer window heads."
Further additions have more recently
been made at the south-west corner
and a handsome granite terrace added,

with steps leading to the flower-garden. | the western foot of Mormond. MorThe grounds are tastefully laid out, and enriched by a considerable sheet of water.

of Techmuiry, Hatton and Forrest, on
their way to the Corbie Hill near Kirk-
ton of Philorth for sea sand, found on
their return the bridges swept away,
and the brooks converted into raging
torrents which they were unable to
cross. My informant, who was then a
lad of fourteen, had the curiosity, along
with multitudes far and near, to inspect
the cavities in the hill, some of which
were 18 or 20 feet deep. Peats were
cut not only in the haughs of Rora, but
at Inverugie, from immense solid masses
of moss carried down by the torrent.'
A local poet says:—

66

the Castle Hill. It was once the sito of a castle of the Comyns. The New Statistical Account says:- 'The famous Cummine, Earl of Buchan, had a seat here; but after his defeat at Inverurie by King Robert Bruce this castle fell into ruins. By the blowing of the light sand in the neighbourhood, which happens during every gale of wind, it is now covered with a deep soil and produces crops of grain and grass. In Fordoun's Chronicle, after mention of this defeat, it is narrated that 'Bruce pursued Cummine to Turriff and afterwards destroyed by fire his whole earldom of Buchan,' which may The people there had muckle need.' in some measure account for the marks Strichen House and the greater part of fire frequently discernible on the of the parish was the ancient possession large trees dug out of the moss. of the Frasers of Strichen, now repre-outlet to the sea. sented by Lord Lovat. Not long ago the lands were sold to George Baird, one of the partners of the Gartsherrie Ironworks, in whose family they still

"It took the peats to Peterhead,

remain.

Leaving Strichen, the line skirts the

south base of Mormond.

79. Mormond

2 miles from Strichen.

81

39

Maud.
Aberdeen.

The Loch of Strabeg has no apparent It is to a large extent formed by the sand which has drifted across the mouth of the burn, through which there is a constant filtering of the water; and it is said that in 1817 the water was four feet higher than in

1840.

Previous to 1720 vessels of small burden could enter the loch. But about that time the opening was silted up by a gale blowing a neighbouring hill of sand into it. Attempts were made towards the close of the last

is a mere local station. Any one desir-century to drain the loch, but without ous to ascend the hill will do it most conveniently from Strichen, but the east point may be reached more shortly

from this.

This is the station for several important Houses. Craigellie (Milne) is near the station. Further to the east is Crimonmogate (Bannerman). Finely situated on a wooded hill facing the south is Cairness (Gordon), an extensive and magnificent Grecian mansion built by General Gordon from designs by Playfair, and said to have cost £25,000.

Between the station and the sea lies the Loch of Strabeg, a sheet of water covering some 550 acres. At its east end there is a small circular hill called

K

success; and it is doubtful how far, even if the scheme had succeeded, it would with trout, both red and yellow, with have repaid the cost. The loch abounds perch, fresh-water flounders, and also eels of immense size.

The Parish Church of Lonmay used to be at the village of St. Combs (St. Columba). In 1608 it was removed to the more central spot it now occupies near the south-east entrance to Cairness. Close beside it there is an Episcopalian Chapel.

There is a Druidical circle at Newark in Crimonmogate.