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Field Visit

Date 9 September 1993

Event ID 742892

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/742892

NR36NE 36 centred 3930 6805.

For a general description of lead mining on Islay, see NR36NE 21.

The remains of Portnealon Mine are situated at the NE end of Loch Finlaggan, to either side of the stone dyke which separates the farms of Finlaggan and Kepolls. They comprise a drift mine, or adit, two shafts and several linear opencast quarries. Here, the veins of lead, exposed on the surface, have been mined, and have left several deep scars in the limestone outcrop. The drift mine, or adit, is straddled by the wall, and comprises a broad trench driven into the slope, with banks of spoil to either side. It opens NW towards the loch and the surrounding ground is very boggy (NR 3932 6813). On the line of this trench, 16m to the SE, there is a shaft encircled by its spoil dump (NR 3935 6811). The spoil appears to overlie a small patch of lazy-bed cultivation lying immediately to the W. A second shaft and its attendant spoil dump, located some 60m to the S, lie within an area of rig-and-furrow cultivation (See NR36NE 70). In all instances where a relationship could be observed, the mining appears to belong to the most recent phase of activity in the area.

Visited by RCAHMS (ARW/SPH), 9 September 1993.

R M Callender and J Macaulay 1984.

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References