Benbecula, Ob Saile

The ‘Islands of Stone: Neolithic Crannogs in the Outer Hebrides’ project aims to further investigate the character, extent and potential early prehistoric dates for artificial islets – or crannogs – in the Outer Hebrides. Crannogs are commonly thought to date from the Early Iron Age onwards. However, discoveries made since 2012 have provided compelling evidence that some are much earlier in date and belong to the first farming communities of the Neolithic period. These new discoveries have revealed amazingly well-preserved ceramic pots and waterlogged worked timbers and present a different story about life on these islands.

The project will run for three and a half years from April 2020, building on a pilot survey and excavation work undertaken in 2016 and 2017. It will combine desk-based research with fieldwork and excavation on land as well as underwater. The fieldwork and excavation planned for July 2020 did not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions placed on travel, however both went ahead as scheduled in July 2021.

The project is funded by a research grant from the Arts and Humanities Research Council and is led by Fraser Sturt (University of Southampton), Duncan Garrow (University of Reading) and Angela Gannon (Historic Environment Scotland). Stephanie Blankshein (Southampton University) supports the project as the Post-Doctoral Research Associate.

NF 76629 35289–NF 83628 39348 In association with the Islands of Stone Project (see above), UCAG were asked to make some preliminary searches for potential crannog sites to investigate during the team’s summer visit. Preliminary map and satellite searches of South Uist and Benbecula were carried out, followed up by field visits to check provisional unrecorded sites, which appeared to fulfil the search criteria for anthropogenic prehistoric crannogs, as defined by the IOS team. Similar analysis and fieldwork was carried out for North Uist by other UCAG members. More than 45 lochs were visited and islets assessed (including sites already listed by Canmore). Seven previously unrecognised crannogs were identified on South Uist and Benbecula during the field visits, most of which were subsequently visited by the IOS

team in the summer.

The newly identified crannog sites are located at:-

NF 76629 35289 Loch a’ Chnoic Bhuidhe, S. Uist

NF 83628 39348 ‘Big Fish Loch’ (East Gerinish), S. Uist

NF 81178 48478 Loch na Creige Glaise, Benbecula

NF 81128 48688 Òb Sàile, Benbecula

NF 79884 49040 Gunisary Bay, Benbecula

NF 80605 49375 Loch na Craobhe Mòire, Benbecula NF 80406 49984 Loch Bhradain, Benbecula

The ‘Big Fish Loch’ is so named on the Loch Skipport Admiralty Chart (surveyed by Captain HC Otter, 1863) but is nameless on all OS maps.

The short causeway at Loch Bhradain has silted up since 1st Edition OS maps and now presents as a small peninsula.

Simon Davies – Uist Community Archaeology Group (UCAG)/ ACFA/Islands of Stone (IOS)

(Source: DES Volume 23)

This island was confirmed as a crannog during diving inspection undertaken in July 2022. Sherds of Iron Age pottery were retrieved from the loch bed.

Information from HES Archaeological Survey (A. Gannon) 11 August 2022

NF 8726 7470–NF 7463 1688 The 2022 field season for the Islands of Stone project set out to investigate a number of archaeological islets located in North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist in the Outer Hebrides. The primary aim of this fieldwork was to identify datable material culture associated with crannogs (or artificial islands), with a particular focus on the Neolithic. The target sites were identified from a database of archaeological islets generated through a variety of means: evaluation of existing NRHE/HER records, data mining, machine learning and preliminary ground surveys carried out by the Uist Community Archaeology Group (UCAG). Most of the sites investigated were already recorded in the National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) and/or Historic Environment Record (HER), but few had previously been surveyed in detail, with the majority having received only cursory investigation from the loch shore.

The 2022 field season managed to redress this limited knowledge by investigating 37 islets in 23 lochs. Twenty-five were previously known sites recorded in the NRHE/HER; the other 12 were ‘sites with potential’ newly identified through computer-based analysis of aerial imagery (machine learning).

Survey of all sites involved two primary aspects: above water and below water investigations. The primary means of investigation was in-water inspection. This was done on snorkel for shallower sites and on SCUBA for deeper sites by a team of five divers. When deemed useful and feasible, aerial (UAV) photogrammetry and LiDAR surveys, as well as on-islet in-person inspections, were conducted to provide further information regarding the nature and construction of each islet (and perhaps indications of period, if the surface supported structures). In total, Neolithic pottery was recovered from three lochs, and one new site (which produced Iron Age pottery) was identified. Numerous additional sites produced pottery (and other material culture) and/or organics that are still being analysed. More detailed reporting will be available once analysis is completed.

Previously-known sites visited (Grid Reference, Site Name,

Canmore ID):

NF 74696 75332, Eilean Domhnuill, 10069

NF 76612 74375, Loch nan Gearrachun, 10087

NF 76752 74189, Loch nan Gearrachun, 10076

NF 7678 7382, Loch nan Clachan, 10094

NF 8075 7266, Dun Eashader, 10375

NF 8726 7470, Oban Trumisgarry, 10353

NF 89076 74551, Dunan Dubh, 10367

NF 89309 74168, Loch an Duin, 10351

NF 89612 73914, Loch Bru, 10369

NF 8075 6450, Clachan, 10256

NF 8456 5757, Loch An Fhaing, 10191

NF 7985 4916, Gunisary Bay, 9922

NF 7969 4592, Loch an Daill, 9921

NF 76707 35686, Tobha Bheag, 270754

NF 76800 35678, Tobha Bheag, 270753

NF 76 30, Ormiclate, 9894

NF 74486 31154, Ormacleit, 270831

NF 7445 2723, Kildonan, 9846

NF 74824 25883, Loch Cnoc a’ Buidhe, 9826

NF 7427 1919, Eilean Chreamh, 9794

NF 7462 1907, Dun na Cille, 9788

NF 7468 1692, Loch an Eilean, 270796

NF 7463 1688, Loch an Eilean, 270812

NF 88885 73730, Dun Torcuill, 10364

NF 8430 6090, Dun Ban, 10261

Newly identified site (Grid Reference, Site Name, Canmore ID): NF 81130 48686, Ob Saile, 373291

Stephanie Blankshein, Duncan Garrow and Fraser Sturt – University of Southampton and University of Reading

(Source: DES Volume 23)