Field Visit

Date 1996

Event ID 1040516

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1040516

NR 2405 6583 Located 136m N of a small spur of land, which juts out into the E end of Loch Gorm. The site is accessed from the E by a causeway of large boulders and medium-sized stone which have been placed in a double row to form a platform measuring 3.4m in average width. The causeway is 97m long but terminated 30m short of the E shore of Loch Gorm and 61m short of the artificial island at the time of survey. A large sand-bar has formed between the E side of the site and the E shore of Loch Gorm.

Although the suspected artificial island is located 181m from the E shore of Loch Gorm, it can be easily waded to without the water ever reaching above the knees. The suspected artificial island is an oval islet which measures 107m N-S by 77m E-W at its base. The outer margin of the islet is ringed by a 20m wide spread of large and medium-sized stone which sharply contrasts the surrounding sandy loch bed. The sides of the islet are composed of a scatter of small stones, which rises up gradually at a 4 degree angle from the loch bed to form an oval platform, measuring 63m N-S by 38m E-W. The surface of the islet was heavily vegetated and covered with dense clumps of willow, briars and turfs of long grass at the time of survey.

Sponsors: Edinburgh University Archaeology Department, Holley & Associates.

M W Holley 1996.