Mull, Aros, Old Bridge

This bridge spans the Aros River immediately below the existing road-bridge at Aros. It is a plain segmental-arched structure of rubble with slab voussoirs, the span being 12.2 m and the height of the arch above the water 3.8 m. The roadway has a width of 2.9 m within parapets 0.5 m in thickness. The bridge, described by Mrs Murray in 1803 as 'the only one of consideration in Mull' was probably constructed about 1790, when the road from Grass Point to Aros was first made (1).

RCAHMS 1980, visited May 1974.

(1) Murray, Guide, ii, 35; Stat. Acct., iii (1792), 268; Cregeen, Estate Instructions, 158.

NM 55292 43801 A pre-afforestation walkover survey was conducted, in July 2021, over c750 hectares of land on the Glenaros Estate, Isle of Mull. During the walkover, 128 sites of archaeological or historical interest were recorded within or adjacent to the boundaries of the area surveyed. The sites comprised: cup- marked rocks; a dun; various findspots; walls/banks/enclosures and field systems; clearance cairns; rig cultivation; way marker cairns; structures; shielings; a kiln; footbridges; tracks and fords; quarries; areas of peat cutting; a sheep fank, and a well.

During the survey several sites previously discovered and recorded on Canmore were visited. These included a kiln site (Canmore ID: 76251) and two shieling sites (Canmore IDs: 73966, 73965) none of which could be relocated during the present survey.

NM 5543 7449 The lade (Canmore ID: 22280) was recorded, where the weir crosses the Aros River, diverting the water into a very broad lade, now cut by the embankment of the road to Tobermory.

NM 55652 44795 This bridge (Canmore ID: 22279) spans the Aros River immediately below the existing road-bridge at Aros. It is a plain segmental-arched structure of rubble with slab voussoirs, the span being 12.2m and the height of the arch above the water 3.8m. The roadway has a width of 2.9m within parapets 0.5m in thickness.

NM 5599 4455 The Aros UP church (Canmore ID: 159093) is also within the survey area, and is marked on the 1st Edition of the OS 6-inch map of 1882. The presence of findspots of flint arrowheads (Canmore IDs: 22278 and 22287) as well as a findspot for a bronze blade (22290) further attest to the archaeological richness of the area.

Among the finds from the survey were:

NM 56520 43910 An old field boundary depicted on 1st and 2nd Edition OS maps. Field survey identified a rough dry stone wall in poor to fair condition surviving to 1.5m high, extremely tumbled in places, and 0.5m thick. Surviving to eight courses high in some places. Follows the alignment depicted on 1st Edition OS map.

NM 55552 44681 A ruined structure, 5 x 12m, mortared stone walls, gable ended dwelling, central door in N wall, with open window to the E and blocked window to the W. Another off central entrance in S facing wall. Oriented E/W, with W gable surviving, eastern end wall collapsed. Stone lintels to entrances and windows.

NM 55101 44189 Low stone built enclosure c30m broad and 25m wide, within which is a possible enclosure/structure 12 x 5m comprising low stone and earthen banks. To the S is another possible structure 6 x 6m. To the S, again, of this enclosure is another possible structure 6 x 11m, sub-rectangular stone and earthen walls. Hard to define, but walls appear to be curved at corners.

NM 55135 43867 Possible cup-marked rock, near horizontal slab, 1.7 x 1m with two possible cup marks at S end.

NM 53172 44984 Basin or large cup 0.1 x 0.1m and 0.1m deep cut into natural bedrock outcrop.

These, and the full details from other sites discovered, will be added to Canmore.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: Mark Hamilton Landscape Services

Clare Ellis – Argyll Archaeology

(Source: DES Vol 22)