Cockburnlaw, a conspicuous hill in Dunse parish, Berwickshire, culminating 4 miles NNW of Dunse town. Its base, 6 miles in circuit, is on three sides encompassed by the Whitadder; its conical top, rising to the height of 1065 feet above sea-level, shows traces of an ancient camp, and serves as a landmark to mariners; and its rocks are granitic, while those of all the neighbouring Lammermuirs are greywacke. On the NE slope are the scanty remains of Edinshall (Edwin's hall), one of the three 'brochs' or dry-built round towers that are known to exist on the Scottish mainland to the S of the Caledonian valley. This one consisted of two concentric circles, the diameter of the innermost being 40 feet, the thickness of the walls 7 feet, and the spaces between the walls 7 and 10 feet. The said spaces were arched over, and divided into cells of 12,16, and 20 feet. The stones were not cemented by any kind of mortar; they were chiefly whinstone, locked into one another with grooves and projections. For a discussion of the origin of these 'brochs,' see Mousa.
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