Archaeology Notes

Event ID 675419

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/675419

NR36NE 89 3874 6813 and 3875 6819

NR 3874 6813. A large rectangular boulder, a glacial erratic of meta-igneous rock, 1.45 x 0.96m, and 0.65m high, sits on the shore of Loch Finlaggan opposite Eilean Mor. Neatly incised on its top surface is 'AI'. Both letters are Lombardic capitals, the 'A' with a top- and a cross-bar, and are obviously medieval in form. The 'I' is smaller than the 'A', suggesting it should be read as a 'one' rather than a letter.

(Undated) information in NMRS.

NR 3875 6819 A quartzite boulder, 1.02 x 0.67m, with a height of at least 0.48m, which would often be totally submerged in the water, is one of a group forming the remains of a jetty on the W side of Loch Finlaggan opposite Eilean Mor. The portion rising above the loch sediments is sub-oval in shape, but this may be giving a misleading impression of the size and outline of what could be a much larger stone. It is cut with large bold incisions, forming irregular letters: 'IIA'. Although it reads 'IIA' rather than 'AII' it cannot be doubted that this is the stone reported in 1772 by the travel writer, Pennant, who was taken to Finlaggan by a local laird, Campbell of Sunderland. He was shown on the edge of the loch 'the remains of a pier, and on a stone ... cut, A.II. or, OEneas the second, one of the lords of the isles, in whose reign it was founded'. 'OEneas the second' was Angus Og, the supporter of Robert Bruce.

D H Caldwell, R McWee and N A Ruckley 1999.