DALRY DISTRICT

The cove, which is situated in the lower bed of carboniferous limestone, measures, if all the passages were put end to end, some 500 feet in length, some of the passages being pretty wide arid roomy. A full description of the exploration will be found in the second part of the seventh volume of the Glasgow Geological Society's Transactions, and some of the antiquities got in it have been figured in the Archreological Collections of Ayr and Galloway, and the incrustations in the monograph of the ' Cleaves Cove Stalactites and Stalagmites,' published by Mr. Elliot Stock.

The following section represents the general arrangement of the deposits in this cavern, the beds varying in thickness in the different passages:

The lowest bed (3) had been formed by the Dusk Water, which now flows in the glen far below the bottom level of the cave, and in it no antiquities were got. in Cleaves Cove,

FIG . 142. Part of Spindle-whorl from Cleaves Cove.

FIG. 144. Bone Spoon.

FIG. 145. Bone Ring, Cleaves Cove.

The second, or middle bed, contained the oldest antiquities; and in the upper bed a few were got, some of which may be of considerable age.

The following are also of uncertain position: two bronze spiral finger-rings of. three twists each (Fig. 143) ; finely-made bone spoon, with circular bowl (Fig. 144), shaft broken; peculiar bone implement, 3 1/2 inches long, with oblong hole in centre, and a circular hole running through it lengthwise (the latter natural) ; rude bone ring (Fig. 145), possibly from the second deposit.

FIG. 146.- Implement of Red Deer's Horn, Cleaves Cove.

FIG. 147. Stag's-horn Handle.

FIG. 148.- Bone Chisel, Cleaves Cove.

FIG 149. Silver Ring-brooch, Cleaves Cove.

FIG. 15I. Bronze Finger. ring, Cleaves Cove.

FIG . 154.  Iron Battle-axe , Cleaves Cove.

The following is a list of the animal remains obtained :

From the Upper Deposit

Sheep ....Both slender-legged and modern varieties.

Hare ..... Left pelvis, left tibia , and right femur only.

Duck . . .A few bones .

Goose .....A few bones .

The most of these had probably been taken in by foxes, although Mr. Fox had been careful not to leave any of his own in the cave.

Goat ..............A few bones.

The bones from the middle deposit were all of a brown colour, and many had been broken and split to get at the marrow.

A large number of bones of small animals, probably bats, mice, shrews, etc., were not determined. A number of bones showed the marks of cutting instruments-knives and rude saws-and a few were gnawed.

A few bits of yellowish-glazed pottery were got in one of the passages.

Next in interest to the cove is the Caerwinning Fort, situated on a hill of that name (sometimes Carswinning), to the east of the centre of the Garnock Valley, and commanding an extensive view of the same., Some sixty or seventy years ago it was much dilapidated by a thoughtless farmer removing the stones from it wherewith to make fences.

The foot of this round little hill (Caerwinning) below the fort is said by Mr. Hogg, in the New Statistical Account, to have been defended by a ditch, but this I have failed to find, and it may have been obliterated about fifty years ago by the mining operations that were at one time carried on with the object of trying to get copper ore.

There are the remains of three ramparts. The outer one can still be traced for a distance of 500 paces by large boulders which have been left here and there; but on the north-east side of the hill, where the latter is steep, it does not seem to have been continued.

A bit of it on the south-west side is still in a pretty fair state of preservation.

The gateways, which are placed in the outer and inner ramparts, can still be distinctly made out, the entrances having been towards the west. On this side, where the hill slopes most gently of all, the distance from the outer rampart to the middle one is 31 paces, and from the middle one to the inner one 53 paces.

There are no ditches in connection with any of these ramparts, and perhaps the nature of the hill, a hard felstone, forbade their excavation.

The little Aitnock Fort, situated on the summit of a precipitous rock. which rises sheer up from the bed of the Rye Water, is placed about a mile and a quarter south-west from Caerwinning Fort, and, like it, has suffered considerably from the hands of the farmers. The inner ring is 16 paces in diameter, and 8 feet above the level of the field to the west of it. The outer ring is 12 paces out from the inner ring, 2 feet above the field, and several of) the large boulders of which it was built are still in position. The ditches, if there were any, have been filled up. No excavations, so far as I know, have been made in connection with either of these forts.

Hourat Castle Rock, from its name and appearance, has also very likely been a fort. It is an isolated boss of rock, standing well up from the moor on which it is situated, and, being precipitous all round, would only require a ring of palisading round its summit to make it a very secure and perfect fort.

The Dalry Court Hill was at one time quite a feature in the district, standing as it did on an eminence overlooking the level _land of ,the Garnock Valley. Unfortunately, it was 'first -almost smothered in pit refuse, and then practically annihilated; but its .dismemberment-was in skilful hands, so that we have an interesting account of its structure and contents preserved in the first volume of the Ayr :and Wigton Archreological Collections, by R. W. Cochran Patrick, Esq., LL.D., of Woodside.

Under it, on the south side, there was an excavation, covered with a small cairn of stones, containing a highly-ornamented urn or drinking-cup, 9 inches high by 6 3/4 inches wide (Fig. 156).

The finding of the remains of a wooden structure under this tumulus is certainly very interesting, as it is so rarely that ancient wooden buildings are preserved, especially on land, and the building up of the tumulus itself-a justice aire-introduces us to a period when a savage form of living was giving way to another, savage enough, perhaps, in some respects, but still a step in the right direction.

The Gallows Stone is said to have stood a short distance to the east of the Court Hill.

On old Baidland there was another mound, called the Law Hill. It has been very much levelled, but when the field is ploughed the difference of the soil indicates its whereabouts, which is in the highest part of the same, and commands an extensive view to the east and south. Near it was Baidland Tower with Orchards.

FIG. 157.-Girdle Mound, Auldmuir.

A short distance to the north-east of Linn Spout there was a mound, now removed, called the Green Knowe Tumulus, and near to Blair House - one of the oldest houses in Scotland, and still inhabited-there is, situated on top of a small whinstone knoll cove red with large beech-trees , a court hill.

Not far from the Tower of Tower, now removed, there probably - at Girthill-was a girdle mound, as the name would seem to indicate.

The top of Pencote Hill - probably meaning the hill with the house on it-seems to have been fortified, and the remains of two ditches can still be traced; and a short distance to the south of it is Castle Hill, in all likelihood fortified at one time. These two places overlook part of the valley of the Dusk Water, and must have formed capital spots for the old style of fortification.

Half a mile to the north-east of Pencote Hill, and occurring as a gently-rising knoll, just above the Dusk Water, is Law Hill, in all probability an ancient court hill or grave-mound, now levelled down; and when the plough is driven over it, the surface indications would seem to favour the idea.

On the lands of Blackstone  there is a cat stane (battle stone), in this case a jutting bit of rock. The cat stanes were set up to mark the site where a battle was fought, and this is the only named or remembered one in Ayrshire that I can find.

The following antiquities have also been found in this district:

On the lands of Lynn, four urns, containing burnt bones, were got near to the ruins of a chapel now rooted out.

Two urns were dug up at Auchengree, and one was found near Blair House, as we are informed by Mr. Hogg in the New Statistical Account.

Celts made of similar material to this one have been found all over the country, but the place where this particularly tough, finegrained, grayish felstone had been got is not known. Perhaps it may be foreign, and these celts may have been the conquering weapons of invaders. The stone is exceedingly well suited for celt-making, and ,the celts have been fashioned by people well skilled in the work, and having eyes and hands well adapted for producing sweet mathematical curves.

There is a celt in the Blair Museum which was got at Blair Park, between Dalry and Largs. It is somewhat broken.

 FIG. 158. - Celt found near Dalry Station.

A sword was at one time found near Dalry ; the blade was rust; the handle, two hollow pieces of brass soldered together, and ornamented with the figure of a dragon.

A few coins were got on Routenburn Farm, now changed to Camphill (there may have been a camp on the original Camphill, but I failed to find it, or obtain any information regarding such a thing), and are in the possession of the farmer.

Near to Hourat farmhouse there was a castle, now rooted out.

Kersland House was a stronghold in the days of old, and likely the seat of the baron of that ilk. The sword of Kerr of Kersland is still preserved in Dr. Grierson's museum at Thornhill, and is one of the longest and heaviest in the collection.

Near Dalry there was a gold article got, which Mr. Cochran Patrick informed me would be of about the intrinsic value of £6. It was of pure soft gold, and found its way into the melting-pot.

The Dalry fair day (July 1) is called Marget's (Margaret's) Day.

The cairn of stones on Hailey, at Largs, was called Marget's Mound, [ The old name of this cairn was ' Magga Law,' or the Burial-place of the Pechts.]  so that Marget, whoever she was, must have been of some consequence at one time in the West. A writer in the New Statistical Account says that a St. Margaret was killed at the siege of Antioch.

On the east face of Swinlees Hill (below the fort) mines were driven , some fifty to sixty years ago, in expectation of finding copper.