Arisaig, Loch Nan Eala

NM68NE 2 6680 8585

See also NM68NE 4.

(NM 6680 8585) Lake Dwelling (NR) (Remains of).

OS 6" map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1902)

About 1856 a crannog was discovered in Loch nan Eala when the loch was drained. It was rectangular, measuring 43' by 41' by at least 8' deep, formed of layers of logs, with flagstones on its surface, which had marks of fire in three places; charcoal pieces of quartz and a small flint chip were also found. When the crannog first appeared, a rampart, about 18" higher than the floor level, was found, made of large trees, revetted by upright sharpened posts which projected above the logs. There was no trace of a causeway.

The logs were shaped in a similar manner to those found in the crannog at Loch Kielzibar (? Loch Coille-Bharr - NR 78 90).

R J Mapleton 1870; F O Blundell 1911.

The crannog is now silted up and obscured by turf, but most of the top layer of logs, several of the upright stakes, and one or two displaced 'flagstones' are still visible.

Surveyed at 1/10,000.

Visited by OS (NKB) 18 May 1970.

About 1856 a crannog was revealed by the drainage of Loch nan Eala, a freshwater loch situated about 1km SE of Arisaig village. The subsequent excavation of the crannog revealed a timber 'raft' measuring about 50' (15.2m) square and 4' (1.2m) thick. which was retained around the sides by two rows of sloping timber 'stays'. The upper layer comprised oak trunks laid side-by-side, the largest of them measuring 53' (16.2m) in length by 2'6" (0.76m) in circumference.

During this excavation there were found 'Two great logs...nicely rounded off at the end', which were apparently allowed to disintegrate. Each had a dugout hollow measuring about 2 or 3" (51 or 76mm) in depth and 4" (102mm) in breadth.

In the absence of a comprehensive description of these objects, their nature and function remain unclear. The restricted dimensions of the dugout hollows indicate that they were probably not logboats, although the possibility that they were unfinished examples cannot be entirely ruled out. The 'boat' from this area that is mentioned in an account of the Acharacle logboat (NM66NE 1) is most probably one of these logs.

R J Mapleton 1870, 518; F O Blundell 1911; R J C Mowat 1996; NMRS MS/47/1.

The Oban Times for 9 May 1868 has an interesting account of the discovery of a crannog in Arisaig 'about 12 years ago': this account is probably to be equated with NMRS NM68NE 2.

Information from Mr I G Thornber and RCAHMS (RJCM), 24 June 2002.