Easdale, An Toll Mar Luaty, Quarry

This now flooded quarry is one of eight main abandoned quarries on the island of Easdale. This quarry is not depicted on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey 25-inch map (Argyllshire and Buteshire, surveyed 1871, published 1872, sheet CXXI.7). It is depicted and named 'Old Quarry' and shown as flooded by 1899 (2nd edition Ordnance Survey 25-inch map (Argyllshire, surveyed 1898, published 1899, sheet CXXI.7)).

By 1869 it was noted that ‘railway inclines were constructed in all the quarries. These were at first worked by horses but for a number of years past steam power has been employed’ (Bremner, 1869). There may have been a lifting gantry or an incline plane to enable the slate to be brought up to tramway level for dispatch to the harbour (at NM7387 1709), but no visible evidence was noted on the date of visit. The 1899 map, however, shows a detail at NM73508 17150 of a turntable for wagons and two short lengths of tramway lines suggesting some kind of lifting gantry.

The waste from this quarry, and possibly NM71NW 117, could have been dumped along the waterline immediately to the north-of the quarries. The extensive waste slate shown on the 1871 map has eroded away exposing the quarried slate shore below. A significant amount of slate waste overlies the north west portion of the quarry and over the site of the tramway route depicted on the 1899 map, suggesting later quarrying activity to the north.

Visited by HES, Survey and Recording Section, (MMD) 8/9 September 2015.

Bremner (1869)