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Loch Tay, Dall Farm South
Crannog (Iron Age)
Site Name Loch Tay, Dall Farm South
Classification Crannog (Iron Age)
Canmore ID 24463
Site Number NN63NE 19
NGR NN 6744 3623
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/24463
- Council Stirling
- Parish Kenmore (Stirling)
- Former Region Central
- Former District Stirling
- Former County Perthshire
NN63NE 19 6744 3623.
According to the farmer at Dall, this 'cairn', possibly a crannog can only be seen when the water level is exceptionally low.
Visited by OS 25 August 1969.
This crannog is situated about 150m SE of NN63NE 26 and is of similar size but the sloping top varies between 0.7m and 1.5m below the surface and the lowest point is at a depth of 3.8m. In 1979 examination revealed projecting timbers and a scatter of burnt bone in a deposit of bracken and moss.
This is probably the second of the two 'cairns' noted by Gillies near Ardeonaig, either that 'to the west of the spot where the Alltvin Burn enters the loch' or that 'in the little bay below Dall farmhouse'.
See also NN63NE 26.
W A Gillies 1938; T N Dixon 1983; I Morrison 1985
As part of the Scottish Crannog Survey a number of sites in Loch Tay, originally surveyed in 1979 (PSAS 1982, 17-38), were resurveyed in August 2000.
NN 674 362 Dall Farm (South). Part of a rotary quern, not previously recorded, was observed on the NW edge of the site (NN63NE 19). The relationship of the Dall Bay crannogs offers the possibility of investigating a sequence of occupation, moving from one crannog to the next, since Dall (North) lies deeper in the loch and suggests that it may relate to an earlier and lower loch level. Both sites have visible structural timbers that would be suitable for sampling for radiocarbon dating.
Sponsors: Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology, University of Edinburgh - Dept of Archaeology.
N Dixon and G Cavers 2000
A summary of the work carried out by the Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology in 2004 is included in The University of Edinburgh's 50th Annual Report, 2004.
N Dixon 2004
Underwater Archaeology (13 August 2017 - 25 August 2017)
NN 6744 3623 (NN63NE 19) This work, undertaken 13–25 August 2017, formed part of the Living on Water investigation of Early Iron Age crannog-dwellers in Loch Tay. The project is excavating a range of crannogs with known EIA phases to collect structural timber samples for dendrochronology and wiggle-match 14C dating.
Dall Bay South crannog had two 14C samples return Early Iron Age dates, one of which came from an exposed pile near the base of the mound and the other from an exposed timber on top of the mound. These two areas were targeted for the 2017 field season.
Two 2 x 2m trenches were opened over each area. The trenches were drawn by hand, photogrammetrically recorded and surveyed by dGPS. Trench 1 was located on the E side of the crannog mound, near where the rubble capping of the crannog meets the natural soft loch bed sediment, while Trench 2 was located on the top of the crannog mound towards the E side of the site.
In Trench 1, at the bottom of the mound, 22 timber features were identified, the majority upright piles. The timber features emerged through a layer of organic material, mostly ash, bracken, sedge and fragments of charred wood remains. This organic layer was under a layer of fine sand gravel, which in turn was below a layer of cobbles and boulders (the exposed rubble capping of the crannog). Three of the wood uprights were of much greater diameter than the rest and these are likely oak, compared to alder for the rest. Ten alder piles were sampled.
Trench 2 revealed a virtually identical stratigraphic sequence with large cobbles and boulders on top, with finer material below. This sat above the structural timbers. In Trench 2 however, the timbers were predominantly horizontally laid, but again mostly alder. The horizontal timbers formed at least four (but up to as many six) layers, perpendicular to each other. Four upright stakes were also identified, running in a near straight line across the trench.
Amongst the horizontal timbers, deposits of ash, charcoal, bracken and sedges were identified. Eight horizontal timbers were sampled in this trench. No artefacts were recovered from either trench.
Timber sampling was carried out by sawing the top off vertical timbers, and slices requiring two cuts were used on horizontal timbers where necessary. These samples will be subject to dendrochronological analysis and wiggle-match 14C dating over the course of the project.
Archive: NRHE and ADS (intended)
Funder: Historic Environment Scotland
Michael J Stratigos – Scottish Univerisities Environmental Research Centre
(Source: DES, Volume 18)
Excavation (July 2018)
NN 6744 3623 This work formed part of the Living on Water
investigation of Early Iron Age crannog-dwellers in Loch
Tay. The project is excavating a range of crannogs with
known EIA phases to collect structural timber samples for
dendrochronology and wiggle-match radiocarbon dating.
In 2017 a 2 x 2m trench was located on the E side of
the crannog where the stone capping met the natural
loch sediments. This trench, Trench 1, revealed 26 timber
elements, both piles and horizontals, of which 10 piles were
sampled. In July 2018 this trench was reopened and four
further piles were sampled. Dendrochronological analysis
will be undertaken on the four new samples.
Archive: ADS and NRHE (intended)
Funder: Historic Environment Scotland
Michael J Stratigos – Scottish Universities Environmental
Research Centre (SUERC)
(Source DES Volume 19)
