Leim Farm Road, Isle of Gigha, Argyll

CONTENTS PAGE No.

Figure 1: Site Location Map and Plan 2

Introduction 3

Background information on the Isle of Gigha 3

Figure 2: Site Plan 6

Report on the Archaeological Evaluation 7

Conclusion 9

Figure 3: Photograph of the house plot prior to excavations 10

Figure 4: Photograph of house plot on completion of excavations 10

Discovery and Excavation in Scotland entry 11

Acknowledgements 12

Bibliography 12

Photograph Lists 12

Contents and Location of the Archive 13

Report Distribution 13

Contact Addresses 14

Firat Archaeological Services 1 Leim Farm Road, Isle of Gigha, Argyll

Firat Archaeological Services 2 Leim Farm Road, Isle of Gigha, Argyll

Introduction

Planning permission for the development of a single dwelling house at Leim Farm Road, Isle of Gigha ( NGR: NR 6394 4690) required that an archaeological evaluation was conducted in advance of the determination of the planning application. The archaeological evaluation was carried out by Fiona Baker of Firat Archaeological Services on 18 November 2003 on an extremely wet, windy and dark day.

The archaeological policy of the West of Scotland Archaeology Service, who advise Argyll and Bute Council on archaeological matters, and Historic Scotland is that all excavation and ground disturbance on the Isle of Gigha requires an archaeological response. The reason for this blanket archaeological requirement for the island is due to the range and density of archaeological sites known on the island, its geographic location and suitability of the island for settlement. It is very likely that there are as many buried archaeological remains on the island as there are visible archaeological sites. Indeed it is likely that more archaeological sites are buried and invisible from the surface then have so far been identified on the island

The Isle of Gigha

The Isle of Gigha is a low lying and fertile island measuring 6 miles long north-south (NNE-SSW) and about 1 mile wide with the highest point, Creag Bhan (white or sacred rock) rising to 100m. It is located three miles off the west coast of Kintyre and it is in a key position on the coastal route down Kintyre and it lies between Kintyre and Islay, seat of the Lords of the Isles. Gigha is generally taken to mean God’s Island or Isle of the Gods or, less often, as Good Island. The difference in meaning between God’s Isle and Isle of Gods is considerable and there is archaeological evidence to support both interpretation. Folklore and pagan beliefs are well documented for the Isle of Gigha and a great many of the prehistoric sites are imbued with legend, folklore and traditional pagan Celtic customs, notably those which were adopted into the early Celtic church. Early Christian sites also indicate the importance of the island in the Christianisation of the Atlantic Sea Province in the 5th and 6th centuries and Irish connections are attested in both archaeological remains and folklore. The population of Gigha has decreased steadily from 514 inhabitants on Gigha and Cara, the island off the south end, in 1755 to about 140 inhabitants today.

The island has a long spinal ridge of outcrops of epidiortie with basalt inclusions and there is quartzite and grit in the south and east of the island. Some of the best examples of glaciated rock in Scotland are to be found on Creag Bhan, the summit of which appears to have not been coverd with ice during the Ice Age. The island is fertile and has particularly fine dairy pasture over about one quarter of its area. There is a story that the potatoes grown on Gigha were of such excellent quality that Irish potato farmers used to buy them to place on the top of their own potatoes at the market. The two largest lochs, Mill Loch and Upper Loch, are both thought to be artificial lochs and the small islands in Upper Loch may be crannogs. There are a number of caves around the coastline of the island.

There are some 200 recorded archaeological sites on Gigha including Bronze Age burial cairns and cists, standing stones such as the famous Bodach and Cailleach at Achamore and cup marked stones. There are at least ten, possibly as many as thirteen Firat Archaeological Services 3 Leim Farm Road, Isle of Gigha, Argyll duns or fort sites, most of which probably date to the ‘Dark Ages’ of the first millennium AD. Early Christian cross sites such as Kilchattan (cross missing since the 19th century), Ruidh’a a’ Chaibeal and the altar like Holy Stone indicate Gigha was amongst the first Christian communities of Scotland. The remains of a 13th century chapel at Kilchattan to the south of Ardminish, the main settlement, is dedicated to a 6th century Irish missionary St Catan. The octagonal stone font from the old chapel is now in the new church at Ardminish. A former minister on the island, Rev. Dr Kenneth Macleod, (born 1872) wrote the famous song The Road to the Isles amongst other songs and he is commemorated in a stained glass window in the church at Ardminish. A standing stone carved with ogham script along its NW edge is located close to the ruins of the old chapel. Translation of Ogham is still being researched and refined but it appears the inscription, which is in Irish type ogham, contains the ‘maq’ (son) element suggesting the inscription is a commemoration of ‘x son of y’ and one suggestion has been ‘the son of Coiceile’. There are also a number of medieval graveslabs in the old kirkyard, some of which date back to the 14th century and which largely commemorate the MacNeills. The remains of a 15th century chapel are present at Findlugan on the small island Isle of Cara off the south coast of Gigha. There are also abundant traces of medieval and post-medieval settlement, agriculture and fishing.

One of the first historical events recorded for the Isle of Gigha dates to 1263 when King Haakon of Norway anchored his fleet of over 100 ships in the Gigalum Sound at the SE corner of the island before the battle of Largs. While King Haakon was on Gigha he received the allegiance of Murdoch and Angus of Kintyre, the Lairds of Gigha. King Haakon also anchored his fleet at Gigalum Sound after his defeat at Largs by King Alexander before returning to Norway.

In 1309 King Robert the Bruce granted the ‘Island of Gug’ to the Earl of Mar. In 1335 Edward Balliol formally granted Gigha to John, Lord of the Isles and Chief of the MacDonalds and this grant was confirmed by Edward III when he occupied Scotland in 1336 and again in 1343 by King David II when the Scottish kings had regained their position. The island remained in the hands of the MacDonald Lords of the Isles until 1449 when Alexander, Earl of Ross and Lord of the Isles died having granted part of the island to Torquil MacNeill of Taynish and ‘two merklands’ to the monks of Paisley. In 1493 the whole island became the possession of the MacNeills of Taynish. In 1530 the island was plundered by the pirate Allan McLean (Allan-na- Sop) who killed Neil MacNeill of Taynish and a large number of the inhabitants. However, James V again conferred the title to Gigha on the murdered MacNeill’s son, also called Neil, and elevated Gigha to a Barony. Just a few years later in 1542 eleven gentlemen of Gigha were slain by unknown assailants and the title deeds were ‘lost’ before they reappeared in MacDonald (Clan Ranald) hands in 1554. The following year, 1555, Neil MacNeill was restored as Lord of Gigha by Mary Queen of Scots but he then sold the island to the MacDonalds of Islay. The MacDonalds then sold Gigha to Sir John Campbell of Calder but it was repurchased by McNeill of Taynish in 1590 for 3000 merks (£170 sterling).

The island then belonged to the MacNeills of Taynish until the later 18th century. In 1689 William of Orange had landed on Gigha on his way to Ireland and he was supported by MacNeill of Gigha. The MacNeills also remained loyal to the Crown during the 1745 Rising, which was not surprising as the Duke of Argyll was MacNeill’s overlord. In 1779 MacNeill of Taynish sold his part of the island to John

Firat Archaeological Services 4 Leim Farm Road, Isle of Gigha, Argyll

MacNeil of Colonsay who became the first resident owner and the rest of the island was owned by another family member of the MacNeills of Taynish.

In 1865 the island was sold to J Williams Scarlett of Thryberg in Yorkshire for the sum of £49,000. This was the first time the entire island had been under single ownership and it remained in the Scarlett family until 1919 when it was sold to Major John Allen. Allen sold the island to RJA Hamer in 1939 and his son-in-law, Somerset de Chair, sold it to Sir James Horlick, who created the famous gardens at Achamore, in 1944. The Horlick family, (as in the drink Horlicks) owned the island until 1973 when it was sold to David W Landale. The Horlick Family made considerable efforts to improve the island and stop depopulation and they modernised all of the farms and increased dairy production up to 250,000 gallons of milk a year. Landale sold the island, including all of the islands main businesses and a fish farm, to the English property developer Malcolm Potier’s company Tanap Investments for £5.4 million in 1989. In 1992 it was attached by Interallianz Bank of Zurich and it was then bought by David Holt of Holt Leisure Parks (owners of Inverkip Marina) for over £2m. On 15 March 2002 the island was bought by the inhabitants for the sum of £4,000,025 who now own and manage the islands resources as the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust.

Firat Archaeological Services 5 Leim Farm Road, Isle of Gigha, Argyll

Firat Archaeological Services 6 Leim Farm Road, Isle of Gigha, Argyll

Report on the Archaeological Evaluation

The proposed development site is located immediately adjacent to Leim Farm Road in the South of the Island of Gigha (NGR NR 6394 4690). The site was level ground under grass pasture with a prominent rocky knoll located at the NW corner of the site. The site is bounded by the farm road along its S side and by fields to the N, W and E. The rocky knoll was not disturbed by any excavation and it is to be used as a garden for the new house. The field had been used for potato crops in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The archaeological evaluation of the site included a walk over assessment prior to excavation of the evaluation trenches. No archaeological features were visible in the flat grass pasture. The bedrock outcrops on the rocky knoll were examined for cup and ring marks but none were found. A small clearance cairn was present on the rocky knoll, which was overgrown with bracken and brambles. This clearance cairn was obviously a dump of loose stones, presumably cleared from the adjacent field. The stones were water rounded cobbles measuring 0.20m x 0.15m x 0.12m on average. The stones formed a sub rectangular arrangement measuring 6m E-W by 5m N-S and appear to be a trailer full of stones dumped on the knoll. The applicant for the new development, Ian Wilson, farms at South Drumachro Farm and he has ploughed this field and spoken with the previous farmer and he was able to confirm that these stones are field clearance stones.

On arrival at the site the passing place on Leim Farm Road for access to the plot had already been excavated and backfilled with old concrete. The topsoil from the excavations was beside the excavated area and this was inspected for finds and none were found.

Three trenches were excavated on the site by machine, which was operated by Ian Wilson. Trench A extended from the S side of the rocky knoll to the gate at Leim Farm Road along the W side of the plot and crosses the proposed location of the septic tank; Trench B extended E-W over the proposed house location and Trench C ran N-S across the centre of Trench B forming a cruciform over the proposed house site.

The topsoil across the site was a homogeneous mid-brown sandy loam plough soil (sand 60%, silt 20%, clay 20%), between 0.35m and 0l40m deep. Small water rounded pebbles and sub angular stones up to 0.07m maximum in size comprised about 15% of the topsoil matrix. Once the subsoil was exposed the percentage of stone inclusions in the topsoil was noted to be remarkably small. This reflects the use of the field for potato crops and the stones would have been cleared by hand during the use of the field for potatoes. The topsoil contained very few inclusions and the only artefact recovered was a white earthenware cup foot ring of late 19th – early 20th century date. The topsoil was very heavily rooted with bracken roots in the vicinity of the rocky knoll.

The subsoil was two quite distinct deposits, one of which represents the old beach. The subsoil over the northern part of the site was composed of 50% stones in a matrix of fine slightly silty orange sand. All of the stones were water rounded cobbles and pebbles with occasional small boulders. The cobbles were most frequent and measured 0.15m x 0.20m x 0.10m on average and the boulders measured up to 0.30m Firat Archaeological Services 7 Leim Farm Road, Isle of Gigha, Argyll x 0.25m x 0.20m. The stones were of a mixed nature and included schist, epidiorite, mud stone, quartz, one flint pebble, quartzite, sandstone, mudstone and an iron rich stone. The British Geological Survey map indicates the geology is metamorphic comprising epidiorite, horneblende-schist and allied types and quartzite, grit, and interstratified quartzose-mica-schist.

Over the southern part of the site the subsoil was of a quite different nature and was a white gritty sand and peagrit with a 50:50 ration of gritty sand to small shingle pebbles less than 0.01m in size. The clean homogeneous white sand indicates that the southern part of the site is an old beach. Ian Wilson was also able to confirm that all of the lower lying and flat fields to the S of the site down to the shoreline have a white sand subsoil, which again confirms that the sand represents the old beach and coast line.

Trench A measured 17m N-S, was 1.60m wide and was excavated to an average depth of 0.40m to the subsoil with an area of deeper excavation to a depth of 0.90m at 6m S of the N end of the trench where a stone filled drain, F1, was located. The stone filled drain is a field drain and consists of a U shaped ditch 1.10m wide and 0.60m deep and filled with water rounded cobbles. The uppermost fill of the drain is topsoil, which seals the stone fill and this suggests that either the top of the drain has been ploughed out or that the uppermost part of the drain was deliberately backfilled with topsoil to the same depth as the topsoil. The drain enters Trench A at 6m S of the N end of the trench and then turns to run S in the remainder of Trench A. It was also located in Trench B and Trench C and its line could be seen as an open ditch continuing to the S on the S side of Leim Farm Road. Apart from this stone filled field drain no other archaeological features were present in Trench A.

Trench B measured 22m long E-W and was 1.60m wide. It was excavated to a depth of 0.40m to the subsoil. It was excavated in a slight curve and covers the full extent of the house plot. The stone filled drain, F1, which was located in Trench A was present in the W end of Trench B running NE-SW. The drain was not excavated in Trench B as the necessary information to characterise the feature had been gathered in Trench A. A ceramic tile drain was also present in Trench B located 4.5m E of the W end of the trench. This ceramic tile drain was later in date than the stone filled drain F1, which it overlies. The topsoil and subsoil in Trench B were as described for trench A. At the E end of Trench B the clean white sand that represents the old beach line was present.

Trench C was excavated N-S across Trench B to form a cruciform shape and ensure the entire house plot had been assessed. Trench C measured 16m N-S and was 1.60m wide, it was excavated to a depth of 0.40m to the subsoil. The topsoil and subsoil in Trench C were as seen elsewhere on the site and as described for Trench A. In the S end of Trench C the clean white sand that represents the old beach line was present. The stone filled field drain, F1, was also present in trench C running in a NE-SW direction.

Firat Archaeological Services 8 Leim Farm Road, Isle of Gigha, Argyll

Conclusion

No archaeological features of significance were located during the archaeological evaluation of the site. The stone filled field drain and ceramic tile drain are of fairly modern date and are agricultural features.

The discovery of the old beach line is of archaeological significance as it indicates the former topography of this part of the island and confirms that this lower lying land at the SE end of the island was originally a coastal bay. Although the timescale for the infill of this bay and the recession of the sea is not known or understood in detail from this evaluation it is likely that the former beach and bay became land at the end of the last glaciation c. 10,000 years ago, when the coastlines changed as the ice melted.

There is no archaeological issue at this site and there is no requirement for any further archaeological work.

Firat Archaeological Services 9 Leim Farm Road, Isle of Gigha, Argyll

Figure 3: Photograph of the house plot prior to excavations. View to the north- west.

Figure 4: Photograph of house plot on completion of excavations. View to the east.

Firat Archaeological Services 10 Leim Farm Road, Isle of Gigha, Argyll

Discovery and Excavation in Scotland

LOCAL AUTHORITY: Argyll and Bute

PROJECT TITLE: Leim Farm Road, Gigha

PARISH: Gigha and Cara

NAME OF CONTRIBUTOR: Fiona Baker

NAME OF ORGANISATION: Firat Archaeological Services

TYPE OF PROJECT: Evaluation

NMRS NOs: n/a

SITE / MONUMENT TYPE: greenfield, single house development

SIGNIFICANT FINDS: none

NGR: NR 6394 4690

START DATE: 18 November 2003 END DATE: 18 November 2003

PREVIOUS WORK: none

PROPOSED FUTURE WORK: none

MAIN DESCRIPTION:

An archaeological evaluation of a proposed house plot comprising three excavation trenches giving even coverage of the site. No archaeological features were located with the exception of two field drains and a modern clearance cairn. However, the evaluation did reveal the line of the former coastline at the southern end of the development site and indicates that the SE part of the island, at least in this area where it is low lying flat ground, was formerly a coastal environment.

PROJECT CODE: LFG03

SPONSOR: Mr and Mrs I Wilson

ADDRESS OF MAIN CONTRIBUTOR: Hillcroft, Station Road, Rhu, G84 8LW, Argyll

ARCHIVE LOCATION: With Firat Archaeological Services and to be deposited in the NMRS. Report lodged with WoSAS.

Firat Archaeological Services 11 Leim Farm Road, Isle of Gigha, Argyll

Acknowledgements

The watching brief and reporting was undertaken by Fiona Baker, Director, Firat Archaeological Services. The requirements of the archaeological work were specified and monitored by the West of Scotland Archaeology Service. The project was funded by Mr and Mrs Ian Wilson and the machine excavation was carried out by Ian Wilson.

Bibliography

British Geological Survey Geological Survey Ten Mile Map, North Britain, 1:625,000, 3rd Edition 1979.

Fisher I 2001 Early Medieval Sculpture in the West Highlands and Islands RCAHMS / Society if Antiquaries of Scotland. Monograph Series 1, Edinburgh.

Haswell-Smith H 1996 The Scottish Islands Canongate, Edinburgh (2001 edition)

West Highlands and Islands of Argyll Tourist Board 1992 Exploring Historic Kintyre Booklet No. 7 of the West Highland Series, Harlequin Press, Oban.

Ordnance Survey 2001 Kintyre North, Map Series: Explorer 357, 1:25,000

Photograph Lists

Colour Print Roll 1

Number Direction (To) Description 2+3 NW General site view prior to excavation 4 W General site view prior to excavation 5 E General site view prior to excavation 6 S General site view prior to excavation 7 E Clearance cairn on top of knoll 8+9 SE Trench A as excavated, F1 drain in section 10 NW Trench A as excavated, F1 drain in section 11 NNE Trench A as excavated, F1 drain in section 12+13 E Trench B as excavated 14 S Trench C as excavated 15 ESE General site view post excavation 16 E General site view post excavation

Firat Archaeological Services 12 Leim Farm Road, Isle of Gigha, Argyll

Contents and Location of the Archive

The project archive contains the following items: • One copy of this report • Field notes and sketches • Photographs as listed

The archive is currently held by Firat Archaeological Services and will be deposited in the National Monuments Record of Scotland in due course.

Report Distribution

Five copies of this report have been produced and distributed to: • Mr and Mrs I Wilson • West of Scotland Archaeology Service (2 copies and including digital copy) • National Monuments Record of Scotland (including digital copy and project archive) • Firat Archaeological Services

Firat Archaeological Services 13 Leim Farm Road, Isle of Gigha, Argyll

Contact Addresses

Firat Archaeological Services Hillcroft Station Road Rhu By Helensburgh G84 8LW

Contact: Fiona Baker Telephone: 01436 820 334 07710 400 748

Mr and Mrs Ian Wilson South Drumachro Farm Isle of Gigha Argyll PA41 7AD

Contact: Ian Wilson Telephone: 01583 502270

West of Scotland Archaeology Service Charing Cross Complex 20 India Street Glasgow G2 4PF

Contact: Hugh McBrien Telephone: 0141 287 8332

Firat Archaeological Services 14