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TWO FALLS INTO THE CAULDRON The Cauldron Linn
waterfall one mile downstream of Rumbling Bridge has a
height of 88 feet. The
falls consist of two cascades of approximately equal
height, the first plunging into a cauldron
or pot where the water swirls around for a moment before
plunging over the second cascade onto a
large rock. This spectacular part of the Shire has
attracted to itself several tales, including
being the residence of our local Daoine Sidh (Fairy
Folk).
The first tale is of a sightseer, Mr Harrower of
Torryburn, who visited this place with some
friends about 150 years ago.
It WAS at that time possible for a foolish person to
jump across the top of the falls. They were
12 feet broad at that point, with a rock which could be
used as a stepping-stone in the middle.
Mr Harrower made the attempt but he had forgotten to
remove his riding spurs, and one of these
caught the rock. He stumbled, fell, and was swept over
the fall into the cauldron.
Fortunately there was no great flow of water in it, and
instead of being carried through and on
to the rock below, he was kept back in the cauldron and
managed to stand up and support
himself on a bed of sand. How to get out of this fearful
place, however, was the question,
as the sides were unclimbable.
A friend rushed off to the nearest farm, a distance of
at least half a mile, procured a
rope, and hurried with it to the spot. It proved too
short to reach the unfortunate man, who in
the meantime was slowly and gradually sinking into the
sand on which he was standing.
Another race had to be made, and a longer rope procured.
It was adjusted into a noose, thrown
over his head and round his waist, and they started to
pull him up. A new danger here
presented itself. The rope twisted itself round his neck,
and he was in imminent danger of being
strangled. He had to put his hand between the cord and
his neck, and thus escaped death. At
last, after having been nearly half an hour in the
cauldron, he was extricated.
Another story of a fall into Cauldron Linn is of a
fox.
On the occasion of several runs of the hunt in this
neighbourhood, the fox had always managed to
elude his pursuers, and even cause the death of several
dogs whose enthusiasm made them tumble
headlong into the falls. How the fox managed to escape
the same fate remained a mystery, until it was
discovered that
the fox had contrived to lay hold of a projecting branch
above the linn, and there lie safe till
the danger of the hunt was over. Before the next hunt the
huntsman cut off the branch. And when
the poor fox made his customary leap to safety, it
plunged to its doom.
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