Bute, Loch Quien North

There is a conical pile of stones, like a cairn, 9 to 10 feet in diameter at water level, which is there 5ft deep, in the north end of Loch Quien.

At the published site is a level tree-covered island apparently composed mainly of large stones and measuring 15 metres in diameter and 0.5 metres in height. There is no trace of a causeway nor of any other artificial work.

Visited by OS (B S) 11 November 1976.

NS 0656 5988 The crannogs in Loch Quien were surveyed in October 2003. The crannog close to the N shore of the loch consists of a boulder mound measuring 30m N-S by 35m, and over 2m vertically from base to tip; the site should now be confidently identified as a crannog. The mound is ovoid, with the long axis oriented NNE-SSW, while the dry area is roughly circular, with a diameter of 20m. This area of the site is covered by alder trees and grasses. The submerged area of the site, accounting for 75% of the mound, is composed of large boulders, up to 1.5m but averaging 0.5m in diameter. The upper stone of a rotary quern was found on the surface of the site beneath the water level, at NS 06557 59888.

Sponsor: Dr J N Marshall (Isle of Bute) Memorial Trust.

M G Cavers 2003.

NS05NE 12 06564 59896

This reed- and alder-grown crannog is as described by Cavers (2003).

Visited by RCAHMS (AGCH) 7 May 2009.