Archaeology Notes

Event ID 696038

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/696038

NR46NW 5 4253 6881

NR 4253 6882 Crannog.

F Celoria 1959; Information from RCAHMS to OS.

This low grass-covered island is situated close to the former sw shore of the partly-drained Loch nan Deala. It is roughy

circular, varying between 23m and 26m in diameter, and there are traces of a rubble causeway 25m in length and 2m

wide linking the island to the original shoreline. The N half of the island is occupied by the remains of two conjoined

drystone buildings (A and B) which together form an overall L-plan bicameral structure, and there is a smaller detached

structure (C) in the SE sector. A 4m length of facing-block on the s side of the island may represent part of either :

fourth building or a perimeter wall. A slight depression in the NW sector appears to mark the position of the main entry.

Building A is oblong on plan measuring 7m axially from NE to SW by 3m transversely within round-angled walls 1m in average thickness. There is a 1.Om-wide doorway in the centre of the SE side-wall, and vestiges of another possible

opening in theSW end-wall.

Building B forms an oblong NW annexe, measuring approximately 5m along the same axis by 3m within round-angled walls varying in thickness between 1.0m and 1.5m. There is an entrance in the s angle.

Building C is a small oblong structure whose internal dimensions are 2.5m from E to W by 2m transversely; the round-angled wall are slightly less than 1m in thickness and there is a narrow entrance in the E wall.

The site has no recorded history, but these remains are of a general type that may tentatively be ascribed to the later medieval or sub-medieval period.

RCAHMS 1984, visited May 1978.

The crannog is land-locked on the west side of a partially drained loch and is visible as a peat and turf-covered stony mound measuring 19.5m WSW-ENE on the line of a causeway to the old shoreline by 21.0m transversely. The causeway, some 22.0m long by 1.5m wide, shows as a track of spaced stones protruding in the peat.

Protruding from beneath the stones of the causeway towards the crannog end, is a length of water-logged timber 0.4m wide and visible for 1.0m of its length. Its position in relation to the stones on the causeway suggest it is contemporary.

Surveyed at 1:10 000

Visited by OS (J M), 3 April 1979.

Located 30m SW of the present shoreline of Loch nan Deala and 26m NE of the loch's former shoreline. The site was accessed from the SW shore by a 3m wide causeway of large boulders, the tops of which were, on average, 0.5m below the upper platform of the artificial island. The water surrounding the site would have been roughly 1m in depth, with deeper 1.5-2m water located behind the site to the NE.

The 0.8m long and 40cm wide timber previously noted by the RCAHMS was rediscovered protruding from the top of the causeway, 3m from the edge of the islet. The timber was firmly embedded in the stone rubble and appeared to be part of the islet's structure. The timber was sampled and discovered to be oak and submitted for radiocarbon dating.

The artificial island is a roughly circular mound of stone, measuring 24.5m in diameter at its base, which has been largely covered by turf and peat. The visible stone appears to be well rounded and of this 80% is too large to be manoeuvred by a single man. The summit of the site is crowned by a fairly level oval platform measuring 20m N-S by 16.5m E-W, which stands 1m above the surrounding loch bed. The S edge of this platform is enclosed by a 10.2m long wall of large stones, 0.5m thick and 0.5m high. This walling degrades to tumble at either end and may be the remains of a perimeter wall. The E half of the upper platform is occupied by the foundation remains of three round-angled buildings previously described by the RCAHMS.

Sponsors: Edinburgh University Archaeology Department, Holley & Associates.

M W Holley 1996.