tower is a gude landmark as far as Ramsay in Man and the Point of
Ayr; there was muckle fighting about the place lang syne.'

Brown would have inquired into farther particulars, but a
fisherman is seldom an antiquary. His boatman's local knowledge
was summed up in the information already given, 'that it was a
grand landmark, and that there had been muckle fighting about the
bit lang syne.'

'I shall learn more of it,' said Brown to himself, 'when I get
ashore.'

The boat continued its course close under the point upon which the
castle was situated, which frowned from the summit of its rocky
site upon the still agitated waves of the bay beneath. 'I
believe,' said the steersman, 'ye'll get ashore here as dry as ony
gate. There's a place where their berlins and galleys, as they
ca'd them, used to lie in lang syne, but it's no used now, because
it's ill carrying gudes up the narrow stairs or ower the rocks.
Whiles of a moonlight night I have landed articles there, though.'

While he thus spoke they pulled round a point of rock, and found a
very small harbour, partly formed by nature, partly by the
indefatigable labour of the ancient inhabitants of the castle,
who, as the fisherman observed, had found it essential for the
protection of their boats and small craft, though it could not
receive vessels of any burden. The two points of rock which formed
the access approached each other so nearly that only one boat
could enter at a time. On each side were still remaining two
immense iron rings, deeply morticed into the solid rock. Through