Milton Loch

NX87SW 5 8428 7120

See also NX87SW 4 and NX87SW 15.

(NX 842 712) A crannog was revealed near the SE end of Milton Loch in 1953, when the level of the loch was lowered. It only shows as a few piles sticking out of the water.

C M Piggott 1955.

Deer jaw, plank and post in Dumfries Museum (1972/108 and /110)

Trans Dumfriesshire Galloway Natur Hist Antiq Soc 1972.

At present the level of Milton Loch is unusually low, exposing this crannog some 20.0m from the shoreline. At normal winter level, however, only the clump of bushes in the middle is visible above the water. The crannog consists of an oval platform of stones, 20.0m E-W by 14.0m.

In all thirty-two vertical posts protrude from the platform whilst several horizontal timbers are visible below the water. About ten of the upright posts possibly represent the causeway to the shore on the east. On the south-west side the platform is delineated by a line of slabs visible just below the surface of the water. On the westerly tip there are several large flat boulders representing a raised platform. A few large stones can be seen in the water to the north of the crannog. In the centre are two parallel vertical slabs which may be the remains of a hearth.

Surveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (BS) 6 November 1973

Listed among a number of crannogs examined, and from which timber samples were taken on behalf of, and funded by SDD (HBM).

T N Dixon 1989.

As the underwater component of Phase 2 of the South West Crannog Survey, the state of preservation of 14 crannog sites was evaluated in 12 lochs throughout Dumfries and Galloway as part of the Scottish Wetland Archaeology Programme (SWAP).

NX 8428 7120 Milton Loch II (NX87SW 5). Algal bloom in the loch and heavy silting prevented close inspection of the site, which comprises a low stony mound c 20m in diameter. Only one oak pile was noted despite reports of many on the site; it is likely that silting has obscured these timbers. A similar degree of degradation to that noted on Milton Loch I was observed on several horizontal timbers.

Sponsors: HS, Scottish Trust for Archaeological Research, AOC Archaeology Group, University of Nottingham

M G Cavers and J C Henderson 2002.

Milton Loch 2 (Urr catchment): location cited as NX 8428 7120.

In 1953, this crannog was revealed near the SE end of the loch, when the level of the loch was lowered. The site was dived in 1989; a pile sampled for radiocarbon dating yielded a determination of 2060 +/- 50 bc [110 bc] (GU-2647).

The remains of this crannog were surveyed in July 2002 during the 2nd phase of the South-West Scotland Crannog Survey, with the intention of establishing an effective system of monitoring the rate of organic decay. Given the level of biological activity noted, it was recommended for continued monitoring.

This crannog survives as a tree-covered island in just 0.5m depth of water about 20m from the SE shoreline; it is choked by reeds on the SE. As now apparent, it measures just 8m in diameter, but can be felt to be much larger. Stones and horizontal timbers can be felt under the silt in an oval (measuring about 20m in diameter) around the island. Only one vertical oak pile was observed, the plethora of piles noted in 1973 not being apparent. These may be buried beneath silt which has accumulated due to the situation of the monument near the Milton Burn outlet from the loch.

Extensive biological degradation in the forms of boring organisms, algae and aquatic plants was noted on the surfaces of all the exposed timbers; boring worms were abundant.

J C Henderson, B A Crone and M G Cavers 2003.