Archaeology Notes

Event ID 740646

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/740646

NS06SW 22 03542 61230.

Recorded during survey of deserted settlements; records are held in the Bute Museum.

Sponsor: Bute Antiq Natur Hist Soc; St Andrews Heritage Services.

Hannah and Proudfoot 1994.

NS 0354 6126 Site 105 White House

Also known as the fish-curing house, most of the walls of this much altered early 19th century building still stand to eaves height. It was the first building on modern times on St Ninian’s Point.

Proudfoot and Hannah 2000

NS 0352 6132 Derelict building: Located on St Ninian's Point. There is the wall of a lime-mortared cottage built early 19th century and much altered. It is 2-celled with addition on N end. Once used as a creel store. A fireplace was formerly in N gable. It had several windows; some are now blocked in. There is a platform at NE corner and a small yard to NW. No record of occupation on promontory in 18th century.

Information from Bute Natural History Society Deserted Settlement Survey (1991-9)

(RCAHMS WP000273)

This cottage is situated on St Ninian's Point, 60m SE of St Ninian’s Chapel (NS06SW 4) and only a few metres W from a ruinous pier on the S side of a small inlet. Rectangular on plan, the cottage measures 14.4m from NNE to SSW by 4.65m transversely over walls that survive to wall-head height on the ESE and WNW, but have largely collapsed at both ends. The walls, which are of coursed rubble with some split boulders, are sneck-harled, and there is some evidence for the wall-heads having been raised. An outshot at the NNE end of the building extends its length by 2.9m and there may have also been an outshot attached to the SSW end. A roughly-built platform at the NE corner may have been a cart-loading area. The cottage may have been altered for fish-curing (Proudfoot and Hannah, 2000).

The cottage is depicted roofed on both the 1st and 2nd editions of OS 6-inch map (Argyllshire and Buteshire 1869 and 1897, Sheet CCIII), with a track leading towards two other cottages some 60m to the N. The contemporary Name Book (No.5, p.54) notes that there were 'three small cottages occupied by fisherman' on St Ninian's Point.

Visited by RCAHMS (GFG, JMH) 6 May 2009.