Loch Tay, Mary's Distaff

NN74SE 8 7578 4496

Formerly also entered as NN74NE 15 at cited location NN c. 764 453: location also cited as NN 7581 4500.

(Area: NN 764 453) Cuigeal - Mairi or Mary's or Mary's Distaff is an artificial island about 200 yds west from the Priory Island; it is submerged when the lake is at its normal height, but is marked with a pole.

F O Blundell 1913

The position of this island in the loch is not indicated and no evidence or knowledge of it could be found.

Visited by OS (RD) 2 November 1970

There is no local knowledge of this alleged island. There is a pole about 70m E of the Priory island which marks a wrecked boat, and at approximately NN 7581 4500 is an area of stones which protrude at low water, and which at one time was marked with an iron post, now gone.

Visited by OS (AA) 16 April 1975

NN 7578 4496. This crannog is exposed at times of low water level and is surmounted by a pole; it is irregular on plan and measures up to 30m in diameter. The observations on NMRS card NN74NE 15 regarding 'an area of stones' at NN c. 7581 4500 probably refer to this monument.

F O Blundell 1913; W A Gillies 1938; G E Oakley 1973; T N Dixon 1983; I Morrison 1985

As part of the Scottish Crannog Survey a number of sites in Loch Tay, originally surveyed in 1979 (PSAS 1982, 17-38), were resurveyed in August 2000.

NN 7581 4500 Mary's Distaff. The site appears to be sited at the outer end of a conspicuous natural ridge between the crannog and the shore. A marker pole with a fish on top, which was observed in the previous survey, is no longer present. Close to the crannog site, the remains of two possible log boats were noted. They are about 10m and 3m long and appear to be made of oak. The proximity to the crannog may suggest an association but this cannot be positively established.

Sponsors: Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology, University of Edinburgh - Dept of Archaeology.

N Dixon and G Cavers 2000.

A summary of the work carried out by the Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology in 2004 is included in The University of Edinburgh's 50th Annual Report, 2004.

N Dixon 2004