Accessibility

Font Size

100% 150% 200%

Background Colour

Default Contrast
Close Reset

Pricing Change

New pricing for orders of material from this site will come into place shortly. Charges for supply of digital images, digitisation on demand, prints and licensing will be altered. 

 

Mull, Loch A' Chumhainn

Fish Trap (Period Unassigned)

Site Name Mull, Loch A' Chumhainn

Classification Fish Trap (Period Unassigned)

Alternative Name(s) Dervaig Church; Eilean Na Carraidh; Druim Na Carraidh

Canmore ID 22106

Site Number NM45SW 20

NGR NM 428 516

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/22106

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Bluesky International Limited 2025. Public Sector Viewing Terms

Toggle Aerial | View on large map

Digital Images

Administrative Areas

  • Council Argyll And Bute
  • Parish Kilninian And Kilmore
  • Former Region Strathclyde
  • Former District Argyll And Bute
  • Former County Argyll

Archaeology Notes

NM45SW 20 428 516

NM 428 516. Fish-trap, Loch a' Chumhainn: A tidal fish-trap of unusual form is preserved at the head of Loch a' Chumhainn, some 230m SW of Dervaig Church (NM45SW 11.00). The gap of about 85m between the tidal island of Eilean na Carraidh and the promontory called Druim na Carraidh on the SW shore is spanned by an irregular wall of dry-stone construction incorporating two V-shaped inlets, each about 6m in width at the mouth and 8m in length. The superstructure, which stands to a height of 1.8m and is composed of small boulders, evidently owes its excellant state of preservation to the continuous maintenance undertaken by successive generations of a local family. The lowest course of the wall, however, which is constructed of massive boulders and has an average width of about 1.9m, appears to be of considerable antiquity. At the head of the SW inlet a 'gate' filled with small stones is formed between two large squared blocks set 1.2m apart. This feature was evidently designed to allow fish into the trap at states of the tide when water did not reach the top of the wall.

It is worthy of mention that the names 'Eilean na Carraidh' and 'Druim na Carraidh' apparently contain a variant of the Gaelic 'cairidh' - a fish-trap, by which the structure is still known today.

RCAHMS 1980, visited 1977.

Scheduled as 'Eilean na Carraidh, fish trap'.

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 30 January 2003.

Activities

Field Visit (1977)

NM 428 516. Fish-trap, Loch a' Chumhainn: A tidal fish-trap of unusual form is preserved at the head of Loch a' Chumhainn, some 230m SW of Dervaig Church (NM45SW 11.00). The gap of about 85m between the tidal island of Eilean na Carraidh and the promontory called Druim na Carraidh on the SW shore is spanned by an irregular wall of dry-stone construction incorporating two V-shaped inlets, each about 6m in width at the mouth and 8m in length. The superstructure, which stands to a height of 1.8m and is composed of small boulders, evidently owes its excellant state of preservation to the continuous maintenance undertaken by successive generations of a local family. The lowest course of the wall, however, which is constructed of massive boulders and has an average width of about 1.9m, appears to be of considerable antiquity. At the head of the SW inlet a 'gate' filled with small stones is formed between two large squared blocks set 1.2m apart. This feature was evidently designed to allow fish into the trap at states of the tide when water did not reach the top of the wall.

It is worthy of mention that the names 'Eilean na Carraidh' and 'Druim na Carraidh' apparently contain a variant of the Gaelic 'cairidh' - a fish-trap, by which the structure is still known today.

RCAHMS 1980, visited 1977.

Note (2003)

Scheduled as 'Eilean na Carraidh, fish trap'.

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 30 January 2003.

References

MyCanmore Image Contributions


Contribute an Image

MyCanmore Text Contributions