Illus 1 Castle Island in the Loch of Clunie. Perthshire Crannog Survey 2004 Nick Dixon and Matthew Shelley
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Illus 1 Castle Island in the Loch of Clunie. Perthshire Crannog Survey 2004 Nick Dixon and Matthew Shelley Introduction and project background time in some depth. The sites produced a range of dates from the Early Iron Age up to the recent past. In 2004, a new initiative was set up under the auspices A key part of the project was to look at the extent of the Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology and value of historical data for the use of loch dwell- (STUA) to examine crannogs in Perthshire. This paper ings in Perthshire. Seven of the sites selected were indi- is a preliminary report of the first stages of the cated on Pont’s chorographical survey as loch dwellings Perthshire Crannog Survey that is planned to continue that may have been in use during the 1580s–90s. Early in future with more comprehensive study of the sites re- maps are valuable sources of information but were cre- ported here and of other sites in the area. In-depth in- ated with basic resources and underpinned by different terpretation of the sites is not appropriate here and is aims and objectives to modern examples. Further docu- the subject of a PhD thesis being prepared by Matthew mentary evidence is needed before they can be inter- Shelley as a student at the University of Edinburgh. The preted with confidence so a variety of contemporary combination of field survey and historical data is an ef- and early sources were used to try to build up further fort to present as much information relating to the sites information about the sites. as possible. Radiocarbon dates noted in the text are calibrated to 2 sigma and have a 95.4% probability of being within the range shown. Further information re- The sites garding the radiocarbon dates is included in the table. No effort has been made to identify the type of timber Loch Clunie (NO113440) (Illus1) that was sampled, except to differentiate between oak and other types, as the species makes no difference to The island and possible crannog in Loch Clunie are the radiocarbon dating process. scheduled ancient monuments. Both were examined in The survey strategy was to acquire radiocarbon the past by the STUA (Dixon and Andrian, 1991) but dates with as little disturbance as possible to the sites during this survey the main island was only observed examined in an effort to relate them to archaeological briefly. It is an important site and would repay consider- and historical periods. It is not possible with single able efforts but it is dangerous to examine underwater dates to say whether they represent the original con- as it is surrounded by fallen and falling trees. The ear- struction of a site or a repair/maintenance event but lier short STUA survey indicated that the sides of the they do indicate times when the site was occupied. Data island do not look natural and may be the remains of from early maps and historical literature adds a new di- an earlier crannog on which the extant castle stands. It mension to some of the sites and may help to explain may be possible in the future to take useful timber features evident in later phases of occupation but it is samples for radiocarbon dating but the later build-up not usually clear how that information relates directly of material to create a foundation strong enough to to the evidence on the ground and this is an aspect un- support the castle may mean that such samples are der consideration by Shelley in his thesis. deeply embedded under the site. The historical infor- The county of Perthshire has a wide range of geo- mation included here points to the significant impor- logical conditions and the diversity in types of lochs tance of the site in later periods. reflects this. Some are shallow, surrounded by farmland and natural woodlands, while others are deeper and are Historical evidence often situated in more barren areas. The range is likely to produce crannogs of different forms, according to Pont’s map (Pont c1580s–90s, 23(2)) shows an island, the building resources available, and possibly different trees and a tower named as ‘Peel of Kluny’ in Loch functions, depending upon the proximity or lack of Clunie. There is a substantial body of historical data good agricultural land. One of the motivations for the referring to the island and the area around the loch. new survey was the 350th anniversary of Joan Blaeu’s Pont’s depiction corresponds to the site at NO 1132 Atlas Novus which is often regarded as the first atlas of 4401 which the RCAHMS describes as a well-preserved Scotland. The Scottish maps were largely based on sur- 16th to 17th century L-shaped tower house with 18th vey work by Timothy Pont. The surviving fragments of century restorations. his manuscript maps can be accessed through the In 1466 (RGSS Vol II, 183) King James III awarded website of the National Library of Scotland. These Andree Gray of Kinnef the lands, lake, castle mount, maps indicate that certain islands in freshwater lochs meadow and superiority of the house of Clunie. In the were occupied. The sites are of considerable interest last quarter of the 15th century there was complex and they are being examined by Shelley for the first series of legal disputes over the island and its lands Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal vol 12 2006, 70–80 72 Nick Dixon and Matthew Shelley involving the Herings, the crown and the diocese of After James was killed in Italy in 1581, aged 22, Dunkeld (RGSS Vol II, 419). In his biography of the Clunie reverted to his father whose will (Tytler 1819, bishops of Dunkeld (Hannay 1915, 310) Alexander 278) gives two years’ profits from the Clunie lands to Myln refers to the Herings, and the bitter nature of the his daughters Marie and Grissell as tocher. Clunie dispute at length. He also alleged that in the time of and Eliock passed to the younger son, Robert who had Bishop Thomas Lauder (1452–75) the island was occu- a violent and ultimately disastrous career, despite pied by robbers. James Hering and his son Andrew being knighted. were eventually ordered to refund the rents and profits By 1593 there was a charter of Sir Robert to Jacobo from the isle, loch and meadow of Clunie (ALCPA Vol Stewart de Stwikes, lord of Ballachane, for the lands II. p493). and barony of Clunie and Drummelie (RGSS Vol VI, 6) Bishop George Brown (1483–1515) made good Sir Robert’s lands were eventually forfeited when he Dunkeld’s claim. Around 1505, Brown made the island failed to answer a summons in 1602 following an as- the centre of one of four rural deaneries, overseeing lo- sault committed in the king’s presence. cal church affairs, the collection of rents and fines and By 1623 Joanni Stewart de Dowallie held the mains the settlement of debts. He also built a tower house, of Clunie, island and lake. In 1653 Kathrin Nairn and great barn and houses on the island. Myln says all but her husband James Ogilvie of Muirtoune had the the vaults were new. Other projects included a new pier Mains of Clunie with the new dovecote, loch, fishings, and a large boat plus construction of the chapel of St old castle and island. A year afterwards the Blaeu atlas Catherine. Brown used Clunie as a retreat from the text (Blaeu 1654, 89ff) refers to the tower on the loch. cares of Edinburgh and Dunkeld but was sometimes James Stobie’s map of Perthshire, dated 1783, shows absent for more than a year. One attraction of the is- the castle intact (Stobie 1783). In the Old Statistical Ac- land was its relative security. Brown took refuge there count of 1791–99 Rev Mr William McRitchie (OSA Vol during his final illness and following the abduction of IX, 231) writes of ‘a small but pleasant island, near the his niece Matilda Johnesoun by John Stewart. Brown centre of which stands an old castle, in good repair, an died at Clunie on 14 January 1514, in his 76th year occasional summer residence of the Earl or Airly …’ By (Hannay 1915, 320). this time the chapel was a ruin, replaced by a kitchen. Clunie ran autonomously and accounts refer to a substantial household and staff. The steward’s Drumellie Loch (NN141442) (Illus 2) accounts show that in 1505–06 Clunie’s ordinary expenses were’£43 8s 6d, compared to Dunkeld’s £196 Loch Drumellie lies along the Lunan Burn to the east of 10s 5d. Loch Clunie. It is about the same size as Clunie and it In the ensuing decades the island mostly remained has an island in it that is noted on Pont’s map with a in the hands of the diocese. Among its possessors was symbol for a building. The island is substantially earth Bishop George Crichton (1526–44) who, according to covered with alignments of stones running out from the Spottiswood (Tytler 1819, p7) was a man ’nobly dis- edge. The only timbers noted that might indicate posed, very hospitable, and a magnificent housekeeper; artificial construction were an oak pile and a small al- but in matters of religion not much skilled’. der pile beside it. The oak was sampled and gave a date Control of Clunie is not always clear as the bishop- of 1490±50 BP (GU-12345, cal AD430–660) which is ric and its lands were disputed for parts of the 16th surprising as both timbers were in very shallow water century.