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Plate 8: Lochan nan Arm, Dail Rìgh, Taigh an Droma - Little Loch of the Weapons, Dalrigh, Tyndrum, Breadalbane.

At the end of the rhyme the second man, having finished his recital is then interrogated in his turn and responds with observations about the character of the Turner’s Burn near Upper Lix (now Wester Lix).

Tha Allt an Tuairneir an Lic Uachdarach –

Is luath e ’na theid e ’na shiubhal

Ach theid an Rìgh fo an t-sluasaid,

Ge luath e, mun ruig e an Suidhe.

(in Watson 1928, 264)

There’s the Turner’s Burn of Upper Lix.

It’s fast in its travels; though swift as it is,

the King will be below the shovel

before it reaches the Suie.

(author’s translation adapted from ibid 264)

His answer shows that he knows how rapidly and in what direction the burn runs. If the water could flow to Suie, which lies at a higher elevation upstream, the monarchy might well have been overturned. For to do so, the burn would need to change direction and run uphill from its confluence with the River Dochart. Both men had proved their provenance to each other by using a question and answer form of topo-mnemonic.