Kiel 'tigh An Easbuig'

Tigh an Easbuig, Keil. NM 667 454

The turf-covered footings of this structure, situated in Forestry Commission woodland some 260m W of Keil farmhouse, indicate a rectangular building measuring 11m by 5.8m over 0.9m walls, with an adjacent enclosure measuring 16.8m by 15.5m. The enclosure wall formerly contained many sycamore trees, of which only one remained standing at the date of visit.

The local name means 'the Bishop's House'(information from Mr I Thornber, Ardtornish), a term which probably derives from Mr Hector MacLean, minister of Morvern from 1639 to 1679 and bishop of Argyll from 1680 to 1687 (Scott, Fasti, iv, 116; vii, 333-4). A member of the family that occupied the adjacent farm of Knock, he is on record in 1671 as tacksman of Keil (Highland Papers, i , 287). In the middle of the 19th century the parish minister commented on the trees planted by his Episcopalian predecessor to adorn his residence (NSS, vii (Argyll), 177. Cf. MacLeod, N, Reminiscences of a Highland Parish (1867), 422-3).

RCAHMS 1980, visited May 1974.

NM 6676 4536 A programme of archaeological work was undertaken, 15–25 February 2015, at the Bishop’s House, Lochaline, following woodland clearance. The work consisted of survey (topographic and combined magnetometry, resistivity and electrical resistance tomography), and the hand excavation of a series of evaluation trenches. It was intended that the position of the trenches would be decided on the basis of the survey results. The results of the work will be used to inform future mitigation and management of the site.

The first map of the area, which dates to the mid-18th century, shows the area as open cultivated ground with no structures. An estate plan from towards the end of the 18th century (George Langlands, 1788) indicates the presence of a number of buildings, with three associated (possible) enclosures. The subsequent estate plan (George Langlands, 1815) shows a similar number of structures but no enclosures. By the time of the 1st Edition OS map (1862–8) a farmstead comprising two unroofed buildings, one of which has two compartments, and a short length of wall is shown. This is not shown on the current OS map.

The survey work was only partially successful and produced limited results to help with the siting of the evaluation trenches. The topographic survey was restricted by dense vegetation which made it difficult to identify the remains of buildings and enclosures. The dense ground cover, as well as the bedrock (which was magnetic), also limited the success of the geophysical survey. The depth and nature of the dense surface vegetation also made resistivity, magnetometry and ERT all problematic as the probes could not reach the ground, and the ground surface was unsafe for continuous walking to record the

traverses.

Given the limited results of the survey, the structures that were evaluated were determined more by what was visible to the naked eye through the brash, rather than the findings of the survey. A total of four structures were evaluated: a former house (Structure 1); an outbuilding/ barn used for storage (Structure 2); a possible corn kiln/ barn (Structure 3) and a probable earlier (late 18th century) dwelling (Structure 4). The findings demonstrated that with the exception of Structure 4, which had a cobbled floor (in the S end), use appears to have been made of the fact that the natural subsoil is fairly compact and bedrock is close to the surface. The finds that were recovered, mainly found in Structure 1, all appeared to date to the late 18th/19th centuries and the floor deposits were fairly shallow and clean.

Archive: National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE)

Report: Forestry Commission Scotland

Funder: Forestry Commission Scotland

Rebecca Shaw, Ben Edwards and Ros Francis – Rebecca Shaw

Archaeological Services and Archaeological Survey and Consulting

(Source: DES, Volume 16)

NM 6676 4536 Ground penetrating radar survey.

Archive: National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE)

Report: Forestry Commission Scotland

Funder: Forestry Commission Scotland

Rebecca Shaw, Ben Edwards and Ros Francis – Rebecca Shaw

Archaeological Services and Archaeological Survey and Consulting

(Source: DES, Volume 16)

NM 6676 4536 Resistivity survey.

Archive: National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE)

Report: Forestry Commission Scotland

Funder: Forestry Commission Scotland

Rebecca Shaw, Ben Edwards and Ros Francis – Rebecca Shaw

Archaeological Services and Archaeological Survey and Consulting

(Source: DES, Volume 16)

NM 6676 4536 Magnetometry survey.

Archive: National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE)

Report: Forestry Commission Scotland

Funder: Forestry Commission Scotland

Rebecca Shaw, Ben Edwards and Ros Francis – Rebecca Shaw

Archaeological Services and Archaeological Survey and Consulting

(Source: DES, Volume 16)

NM 67694 45473 A desk-based assessment, watching brief and walkover survey was carried out during the construction of new waste water treatment works at Lochaline. Three small pits with charcoal and possible iron slag were identified and excavated. A walkover survey was conducted of the surrounding area, including the route of a proposed new pipeline. Twelve sites associated with the post-medieval Knock Township were recorded, including the remains of several turf and stone structures and dykes. Many of these correlate with structures shown on the 1st Edition OS map.

Information from L Stirling – West Coast Archaeological Services

(Source: DES, Volume 18)

OASIS ID: westcoas1-279261

A farmstead comprising two unroofed buildings, one of which has two compartments, and a short length of wall are depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Argyllshire, Island of Mull 1880, sheet lxx), but it is not shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1974).

Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 27 October 1999