DOCSLIB.ORG

BY PROFESSOR V. GORDON CHILDE, B.LITT., F.S.A.Scoi

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

NOTE SOMN O S 1 E8 DUN N ISLAYI S . III. NOTES ON SOME DUNS IN ISLAY. BY PROFESSOR V. GORDON CHILDE, B.LITT., F.S.A.Scoi. e twenty-seveOth f n fort dund an s s markee 6-incth n ho d O.Sp Ma . I visited sixteen on May 23—25, 1934. (a) East Coast. (1) Dun Bhoraraic broch, on a summit 550 feet above O.D. and -J of mila e from shore commandin gsupera bSoune vieth f Islap wdo u o yt Colonsay and Mull, across the island to Loch Indall, the Rhinns and Irelan dowd dSounan e nth Kintyreo dt entrance south-ease Th th . n eo t is well preserved e passagth , e being 13 fee tfee2 lon inched 4 t gan s wide t eaca h end t widenin cella e leftbu , t s centreth i a , t o entereT gou . d fro e door-passagemth corbelline Th rooe . th visibls fi f go e thouge hth capstones have fallen in and the floor is choked with stones; dimensions above these 8 feet by 4 feet 6 inches. The court is choked with fallen stones and exact diameter is uncertain. The outer face of the tower south-wese th wal n o l falles ha t n dow e precipicenth t elsewherbu , s eit base at least is well preserved. In the thickness of the wall on the left (south-west) sid staire tracee littleth ar A f .o s e further roun dpassaga e lead cell a corbellee o st th , d inner wal whicf o l exposes hi collapse th y db e e outeoth f r wall signaA . l station with concrete pile s beeha s n built ove e brocth r soute h th wal n ho l (left). certaio Thern e near tracef o s outworks. (2—6) Five duns in 3^ miles of coast between the east spur of Beinn Bheigeisouth-ease th d ran t corneislane th f dro for mgroupa . n Carraio r belon (2gMo Du )w Maol Ardtalla promontoryA . 0 10 , fee tfee0 5 lon t y widegb , rising sheer abou fee5 2 t t from water's edge with narrow coves or crevices on either side, is cut off by two well-built stone walls, 43 feet apart—traces of an intermediate wall. Above the neck the land rises quite steeply to the 200-foot contour. (3) Dun at Rudha Bhuidhe (north of Claggain Bay), 1-1 mile, south of (2), but not visible therefrom. A triangular promontory, rising 10 feet or so from the water and about 45 feet long, with a cove on the south a doubl y b f e o northof t a stonsand t sidy d cu e,ba yean wall, quite unmeasurable. Behind, the ground rises steeply to the 50-foot contour. 6 VOL. LXIX. 82 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , DECEMBE , 193410 R . (4) Dun, vitrified fort, Trudernish Point, just under 1 mile, south of No. (3) and visible therefrom. The rocky promontory, about 30 feet above the water's edge, is cut off by a strong wall now a mass of rubble in which several of the stones are partially fused and some form typical vitrified agglomerations. Outsid massivo etw thie ar es ' walls, double-faced with trace f gooo s d masonr n castlyi e style. They t strictlareno y paralle vitrifiee th o t l d havy ramparema beed an tn built on to it. (5) Dun, Mulloch e highesBanTh .f severao t l isolated rock peaks midway betwee lesd san Porr d thanan Mo Aront y -j sBa mil e from shore, is girt wit massivha e stone wall over-ale th , l area being abou fee0 t10 t feet3 8 .y b Doubtful trace foss a outed f so an e r rampar e slopth en o t at the north-east end. (6) Dun, Ardmore. Fro e flamth t rocke groune heath th f - do t a d girt bay of Port na Cille a mass of rock rises vertically about 12 feet e landwaroth n fee8 d1 t sidd fro e an waterem th massivA . e stone wall encircle s summiit s t wit n over-ala h feet0 3 lfee6 ,y 6 areb t f ao clefts in the rock being carefully blocked by well-preserved walls. At the north-east end a built stair leads from the land through a cleft into the interior. (7) Dun Fhinn, on wild moors above Kintour river, about 1^ mile from the shore at Aros or Claggain Bay and over 200 feet above O.D., wat visitedsno . (8) An Dun, in the grounds of Kildalton House. An isolated rock about 50 feet above O.D. and 25 yards from the shore of Loch a Chruic, has been girt with a well-built massive wall. The interior has been made into a garden lookout and the walls have been as a result too much disturbe r measurementdfo . T (b) South Coast. inlann (9A ) d "site," ovefee0 20 tr above O.Dd nearlan . y f mile from shore at Ard Beg, was not visited. (10) Borraniebill Mor, just a mile from the shore at Port Ellen. A bare rocky summit, 450 feet above O.D., is protected on the south and massiveasa y tb e double-faced wall, very well preserve fee8 d t thickdan , and on the other sides by precipitous cliffs. There is a small gate on the south-east certainly not more than 6 feet wide (only one face of the passage was exposed). The interior, very uneven and broken by tall rock outcrops, could not be measured, but probably comprises 1 to 3 acres. (11) Dun, Mull of Oa, cliff fort, not visited. NOTES ON SOME DUNS IN ISLAY. 83 (c) Central Islay. (12) Dun Nosebridge ? vitrified fort, Mulindry, overlooking upper Laggan valley. An isolated eminence rising above the cultivated lands, is crowned by a rectangular citadel (with rounded corners) 96 feet by 55 feet from cres e well-markeo cresth t t f o t d rampart entrance Th . e is in the middle of the north end. The rock falls away sheer on the east, but the slopes elsewhere are defended by two ditches with counterscarp e south-westh t banksa d an ,t corne stone foury b rTh e. ramparte ar s entirely grass-grown and no traces either of vitrification or of building were exposed, but the form of the citadel recalls Dunagoil, Carradale, etc. n Ghuaidre(13Du ) , Kilmeny isolaten A . d eminence risin juso gt t over 300 feet above O.D. from cultivated fields, is entirely encircled by a massive-built stone wall enclosin ovan g a subrectangular o l r arefee0 a11 t e centr th a squar feet 4 n s 5 I ei .y eb stone foundation abou fee0 1 tt e soutsquare th e roc n hth kO . falls awa ye othe th sheer n r O side. s there are two ditches cut in the rock defending the slope. The entrance is at the south-east corner where a narrow causeway has been left between the cliff and the ends of the ditches. (14) Dun Cheapasaidh Mor, Ballygrant, over 300 feet O.D., 1 mile visibld an 3 e1 therefrom. nortNo f ho , apparentl y"hill-toa p town" like t visitedno , No10 .. Bheinicheltunn (15Du ) t visitedno , . (16) Site on Borichill Mor, not visited. e moorth n (dsO ) between Loch Indal d Machaian l y (wesBa r t coast) five ar e duns, f whico hgroua f threpo e near Loch Gearach were alone visited. Grlan (17 Loin Du sa ) n severaGrhuirmf o e On l smal. l rocky eminences rising from a marsh, with its summit girt by a well-built but ruinous wall enclosing an over-all area 50 feet across. Vague suggestions of outworks at the foot. Mideirn (18Du ) , frocka mil, 17 ye . peanortfee0 No k30 tf h o O.D . of abou same tth gird e an dimensiont 7 wit1 . hsimilaa No s sa r wallt bu , with trace crosa f so s wall dividin witd an h t glatei r walls runnino t p gu the cliff's base. n Bhar-a-chlaom(19Du ) , f mile n north-north-wesA . 18 . No f o t isolated rock abov a eswam p with high ground behin , girit n do t top with well-built stone wall. Over-all area less than 35 feet across. 84 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , DECEMBE , 193410 R . (e) West Coast. (20) Dun an Nighean, not visited. Apparently a cliff fort. (21) Dun Chroisprig, perched on a spur about half-way down a 200-foot precipice d abou an ,yard 0 5 t s from sandy shore. e Mosth f o t stone wal falles ha l n dow precipicee nth . (22) Dun Bhoraraig, Rudha na Faoileige, north of Lossit Bay. The headland that rise sfee 0 precipitousl2 t o t 0 1 d fee0 an y t15 a abovse e eth above the swampy hinterland is cut off by a massive-built stone wall. soute th e cliff th n h o s sidn narroa I s ei w cove accessible dow nsteea p slope through a cleft outside the ramparts. (23) An Dun, Rhinns Point, evidently a cliff'fort, not visited. (f) West Shore of Loch Indall. (24n DunA ) , Octafad a roc, k girt with well-built stone wall, with over-all width of about 30 feet, rising sheer some 40 feet from water's edge.
Recommended publications
  • Kintour Landscape Survey Report

    Kintour Landscape Survey Report

    DUN FHINN KILDALTON, ISLAY AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY DATA STRUCTURE REPORT May 2017 Roderick Regan Summary The survey of Dun Fhinn and its associated landscape has revealed a picture of an area extensively settled and utilised in the past dating from at least the Iron Age and very likely before. In the survey area we see settlements developing across the area from at least the 15 th century with a particular concentration of occupation on or near the terraces of the Kintour River. Without excavation or historical documentation dating these settlements is fraught with difficulty but the distinct differences between the structures at Ballore and Creagfinn likely reflect a chronological development between the pre-improvement and post-improvement settlements, the former perhaps a relatively rare well preserved survival. Ballore Kilmartin Museum Argyll, PA31 8RQ Tel: 01546 510 278 [email protected] Scottish Charity SC022744 ii Contents 1. Introduction 1 2. Archaeological and Historical Background 2 2.1 Cartographic Evidence of Settlement 4 2.2 Some Settlement History 6 2.3 A Brief History of Landholding on Islay 10 3. Dun Fhinn 12 4. Walkover Survey Results 23 5. Discussion 47 6. References 48 Appendix 1: Canmore Extracts 50 The Survey Team iii 1. Introduction This report collates the results of the survey of Dun Fhinn and a walkover survey of the surrounding landscape. The survey work was undertaken as part of the Ardtalla Landscape Project a collaborative project between Kilmartin Museum and Reading University, which forms part of the wider Islay Heritage Project. The survey area is situated on the Ardtalla Estate within Kildalton parish in the south east of Islay (Figure 1) and survey work was undertaken in early April 2017.
  • Islay February 2019

    Islay February 2019

    Islay February 2019 February 20th : Sandwich Bay to Islay The group left the Observatory at 5 a.m. and had a straightforward run up to Gatwick with the ever-efficient Airport Connections. Our Easyjet flight to Glasgow was delayed by an hour but the flight itself was quicker than scheduled – did the pilot really put his foot on the accelerator? At Glasgow Airport we met with Peter and the mini-bus was then duly collected from a large company based about 20 minutes away in Clydeside. Peter and Ken came back to the airport to collect the group and then we were on our way in dreich conditions out of the city and north along the shores of Loch Lomond, then off through the sea lochs and mountains of Argyll. We stopped for lunch at the Loch Fyne Centre and again for a short stretch of the legs at historic Inveraray and, near the journey’s end, at Tarbert. Here we saw the first ‘good’ birds of the trip in the form of 5 Black Guillemots out in the harbour. From there it was a short journey to the ferry terminal at Kennacraig and, with night fast approaching, there were some rather nice sunset effects through the now-lifting clouds. A Red-throated Diver was swimming around the jetty as the M. V. Isle of Arran appeared from the south to take us across to Islay. A smooth crossing, landing at Port Askaig, and then across the dark island to the hotel at Port Charlotte for a decent night’s sleep in this very comfortable hotel set overlooking the outer reaches of Loch Indaal.
  • Argyll Bird Report with Sstematic List for the Year

    Argyll Bird Report with Sstematic List for the Year

    ARGYLL BIRD REPORT with Systematic List for the year 1998 Volume 15 (1999) PUBLISHED BY THE ARGYLL BIRD CLUB Cover picture: Barnacle Geese by Margaret Staley The Fifteenth ARGYLL BIRD REPORT with Systematic List for the year 1998 Edited by J.C.A. Craik Assisted by P.C. Daw Systematic List by P.C. Daw Published by the Argyll Bird Club (Scottish Charity Number SC008782) October 1999 Copyright: Argyll Bird Club Printed by Printworks Oban - ABOUT THE ARGYLL BIRD CLUB The Argyll Bird Club was formed in 19x5. Its main purpose is to play an active part in the promotion of ornithology in Argyll. It is recognised by the Inland Revenue as a charity in Scotland. The Club holds two one-day meetings each year, in spring and autumn. The venue of the spring meeting is rotated between different towns, including Dunoon, Oban. LochgilpheadandTarbert.Thc autumn meeting and AGM are usually held in Invenny or another conveniently central location. The Club organises field trips for members. It also publishes the annual Argyll Bird Report and a quarterly members’ newsletter, The Eider, which includes details of club activities, reports from meetings and field trips, and feature articles by members and others, Each year the subscription entitles you to the ArgyZl Bird Report, four issues of The Eider, and free admission to the two annual meetings. There are four kinds of membership: current rates (at 1 October 1999) are: Ordinary E10; Junior (under 17) E3; Family €15; Corporate E25 Subscriptions (by cheque or standing order) are due on 1 January. Anyonejoining after 1 Octoberis covered until the end of the following year.
  • Hand-Made Pottery in the Prehistoric and Roman Period in Northern England and Southern Scotland

    Hand-Made Pottery in the Prehistoric and Roman Period in Northern England and Southern Scotland

    Durham E-Theses Native Pottery: hand-made pottery in the prehistoric and Roman period in northern England and southern Scotland Plowright, Georgina How to cite: Plowright, Georgina (1978) Native Pottery: hand-made pottery in the prehistoric and Roman period in northern England and southern Scotland, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9824/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 NATIVE POTTERY: HAND-MADE POTTERY IN THE PREHISTORIC AND ROMAN PERIOD IN NORTHERN ENGLAND AND SOUTHERN SCOTLAND 'Thesis presented for the Degree of M.A. University of Durham Georgina Plowright October 1978 The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. Abstract The thesis is a survey and catalogue of most of the pottery found in the area between the Clyde and Solway and the southern boundaries of Cumbria and Durham, and to which previously the label of Iron Age or Roman native pottery had been assigned.
  • Eider December 2006 V3

    Eider December 2006 V3

    December 2006 The Eider is the quarterly newsletter of the Argyll Bird Club (http://www.argyllbirdclub.org) - Scottish Charity No. SC 008782 TheThe EiderEider December 2006 Number 79 AukAuk wreckwreck inin ArgyllArgyll ABC spring meeting programme Recent reports Sparrowhawk battles! Photos: Phillip Kirkham To receive the electronic version of The Eider (in colour), ABC members should send their e-mail address to the Editor Page 1 (contact details on page 2). Past issues (since June 2002) can be downloaded from the club’s website. The Eider Editor ABC indoor meetings in 2007 Steve Petty: Craigielea, Kames, Tighnabruaich, Argyll PA21 2AE Spring Meeting Phone: 01700 811235 Saturday 10th March at the Royal Marine Hotel, Hunter Quay, E-mail: [email protected] Dunoon (the programme is on page 21) Autumn Meeting Saturday 10th November at the Cainbaan Hotel, near Lochgiphead Editorial Inside this issue Editorial 2 Do you receive the electronic version of the Eider (the e-Eider)? If you don’t, and you have an internet connection, you should! All you need to do is let me have your e-mail address. Argyll Bird Report published 2 This saves the club quite a bit of money in postage and Bob Furness a lot of time in photo- copying and dispatching the black and white version. Photo caption competition 3 The e-Eider has been quite a success. From a slow start, it now goes out to 72 e-mail ad- Birds of Argyll update 3 dresses of club members, and the number is growing each month. The Argyll Bird Club has around 200 memberships.
  • New Light on Oblong Forts: Excavations at Dunnideer, Aberdeenshire

    New Light on Oblong Forts: Excavations at Dunnideer, Aberdeenshire

    Proc Soc Antiq Scot NEW140 (2010), LIGHT 79–91 ON OBLONG FORTS: EXCAVATIONS AT DUNNIDEER, ABERDEENSHIRE | 79 New light on oblong forts: excavations at Dunnideer, Aberdeenshire Murray Cook* with contributions by Hana Kdolska, Lindsay Dunbar, Rob Engl, Stefan Sagrott, Denise Druce and Gordon Cook ABSTRACT This paper presents the results of the excavation of a single keyhole trench at the oblong vitrified fort of Dunnideer, Aberdeenshire, along with a brief history of the study of oblong forts and vitrification. The excavation yielded two radiocarbon dates derived from destruction layers, which are discussed along with the results of a limited programme of archaeomagnetic dating at the same location. INTRODUCTION ramparts, it also has an entrance so may not be part of the oblong fort series. In addition, The series of oblong, gateless and often there has been significant debate over vitrified forts are one of the iconic type-sites of contradictory sets of dating evidence from the the Scottish Iron Age. Their study echoes the series (Alexander 2002). This article presents development of modern Scottish archaeology, the results and implications of the first new with its origins in the intellectual explosion excavation evidence for over 30 years. of the Scottish enlightenment; indeed, the earliest research (Williams 1777) just predates the founding of the Society of Antiquaries ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND of Scotland in 1781. However, despite over 200 years of study, their function and date The forts in question are rectangular, with remain uncertain. This is largely because only massive stone timber-laced ramparts, two examples have been subject to modern frequently vitrified, without obvious excavation: Finavon, Tayside (MacKie 1969a entrances, often on prominent hilltops, and and 1976) and Craig Phadrig, Inverness ranging widely in area by a factor of 10 from (Small & Cottam 1972).
  • ANTARES CHARTS 2020 Full List in Chart Number Order

    ANTARES CHARTS 2020 Full List in Chart Number Order

    ANTARES CHARTS 2020 Full list in chart number order. Key at end of list Chart name Number Status Sanda Roads, Sanda Island, edition 1 5517 Y U Pladda Anchorage, South Arran, edition 1 5525 Y N Sound of Pladda, South Arran, edition 1 5526 Y U Kingscross Anchorage, Lamlash Bay, Isle of Arran, editon 1 5530 Y N Holy Island Anchorage, Lamlash Bay, Isle of Arran, edition 1 5531 Y N Lamlash Anchorage, Lamlash Bay, Isle of Arran, edition 1 5532 Y N Port Righ, Carradale, Kilbrannan Sound, edition 1 5535 Y U Brodick Old Quay Anchorage, Isle of Arran,edition 1 5535 YA N Lagavulin Bay, Islay, edition 2 5537 A U Loch Laphroaig, Islay, edition 2 5537 B C Chapel Bay, Texa, edition 1 5537 C U Caolas an Eilein, Texa, edition 1 5537 D U Ardbeg & Loch an t-Sailein, edition 3 5538 A U Cara Reef Bay, Gigha, edition 2 5538 B C Loch an Chnuic, edition 3 5539 A C Port an Sgiathain, Gigha, edition 2 5539 B C Caolas Gigalum, Gigha, edition 1 5539 C N North Gigalum Anchorge, Gigha, edition 1 5539 D N Ardmore Islands, East Islay, edition 5 5540 A C Craro Bay, Gigha, edition 2 5540 B C Port Gallochoille, Gigha, edition 2 5540 C C Ardminish Bay, Gigha, edition 3 5540 D M Glas Uig, East Coast of Islay, edition 3 5541 A C Port Mor, East Islay, edition 2 5541 B C Aros Bay, East Islay, edition 2 5541 C C Ardminish Point Passage, Gigha, edition 2 5541 D C Druimyeon Bay, Gigha, edition 1 5541 E N West Tarbert Bay, South Anchorage, Gigha, edition 2 5542 A C East Tarbert Bay, Gigha, edition 2 5542 B C Loch Ranza, Isle of Arran, edition 2 5542 Y M Bagh Rubha Ruaidh, West Tarbert
  • Islay Wetenswaardigheden

    Islay Wetenswaardigheden

    Islay wetenswaardigheden ● Je spreekt Islay uit als Eye-la ● Islay’s koosnaampje is Queen of the Hebrides ● Islay meet slechts 40 bij 32 kilometer ● De ruim 3.000 bewoners worden Ileach genoemd ● Het hoogste punt is de Beinn Bheigeir met 491 meter ● Er zijn in totaal 8 werkende distilleerderijen ● In de rijke distilleer-geschiedenis zijn vele distilleerderijen verloren gegaan, zoals Ardenistiel, Ardmore, Daill, Lochindaal, Lossit, Malt Mill, Mulindry, Newton, Octomore, Scarrabus en Tallant ● De Port Ellen mouterij is direct naast de ontmantelde Port Ellen distilleerderij gebouwd ● Het eiland heeft een keur aan fauna vol diverse vogel- en vissoorten. In het juiste seizoen zijn soms dolfijnen en walvissen (zelfs orca’s!) te spotten ● De op twee na grootste draaikolk ter wereld, de Corryvreckan bevind zich ten noord-oosten van Islay ● Het eiland heeft een rijke geschiedenis van Kelten en Vikingen, waarvan tekenen nog overal op het eiland zichtbaar zijn ● Gaelic wordt door ca. 50% van de Ileach gesproken, door een deel van hen zelfs als eerste taal ● Naast de distilleerderijen zijn de grootste bezienswaardigheden het Keltische Kildalton Cross, de Viking ruïnes van de Ancient Seat of the Lord of the Isles, het American Monument, de Islay Woolen Mill en het gouden strand van Machir Bay Loch Finlaggan ● Loch Finlaggan is de locatie waar de Ancient Seat of the Lord of the Isles is gevestigd en waar de inauguratie plaats vond van vroegere leiders ● Deze Lords of the Isles hebben eeuwenlang de Hebriden en grotendeels de westkust van Schotland geregeerd nadat de Noren eeuwen ervoor al grote gebieden bezet hielden ● De ruïnes op de drie eilandjes in het inland Loch waren in de 14e en 15e eeuw onderdeel van een bruisend Gaelic centrum.
  • Man in Moray

    Man in Moray

    10 0 I w! Fig.2.1 Moray. MANIN MORAY 5,000 years of history Ian Keillar Synopsis The extent of Moray is defined and the physical conditions briefly described. Traces of Mesolithic man have been found in the Culbin, and later Neolithic peoples found Moray an attractive place to settle. As metal working became established, trades routes followed and Moray flourished. As the climate deteriorated, so, apparently, did the political situation and defensive sites became necessary. The Romans came and went and the Picts rose and fell. The Vikings did not linger on these shores and MacBeth never met any witches near Forres. The Kings of Scots divided and ruled until they themselves set a pattern, which still continues, that if you want to get on you must go south to London. In distant Moray, brave men like Montrose and foolish men like Prince Charles Edward, fought for their rightful king. The Stuarts, however, ill rewarded their followers. Road makers and bridge builders half tamed the rivers, and the railways com­ pleted the process. With wars came boom years for the farmers, but even feather beds wear out and Moray is once more in apparent decline. However, all declines are relative and the old adage still has relevance: 'Speak wee] o the Hielans but live in the Laich.' Physical The name Moray is now applied to a local authority administrative District extending from west of Forres and the Findhorn to Cullen and stretching down in an irregular triangle into the highlands of the Cairngorms (Fig.2. l ). In Medieval times, Moray reached as far as Lochalsh on the west coast and there has always been some difficulty in defining the bound­ aries of the province.
  • Ayrshire and Argyll

    Ayrshire and Argyll

    22_578626 ch15.qxd 3/14/05 10:03 AM Page 283 Chapter 15 Ayrshire and Argyll In This Chapter ᮣ Getting to Ayrshire and Argyll ᮣ Seeking out the best places to stay and eat ᮣ Discovering the Burns Heritage Trail, Culzean Castle, the Isle of Arran, and more ᮣ Hittin’ the links in Troon and Turnberry ᮣ Shopping for local goodies and finding the best pubs he region of Ayshire stretches from the southern and western Tfringes of Glasgow south to southwest along the Firth of Clyde. Argyll covers the southwestern islands and western peninsulas of Scotland. While Ayrshire boundaries are well marked, Argyll is a bit more amorphous, encompassing a region that historically stretches into the Highlands. One of Ayrshire’s primary attractions is “Burns Country,” because the area was the poet Robert Burns’s birthplace as well as his predominant stomping grounds for most of his life. But Ayrshire also offers golfers some of the best links courses in the world. If you take the train from Glasgow to Ayr, the main town of Ayrshire, you can see one course after another in the sandy dunes along the shoreline. Argyll, which means the “coast of the Gaels,” encompasses islands such as Bute and Arran as well as the more remote Kintyre Peninsula. Kintyre is so sufficiently isolated that ex-Beatle Paul McCartney has long owned a ranch there where he and his family can retreat from prying eyes. It takes the better part of the day just to reach Kintyre, however, so I don’t dwellCOPYRIGHTED on its charms for too long in this MATERIAL chapter.
  • Iron Age Scotland: Scarf Panel Report

    Iron Age Scotland: Scarf Panel Report

    Iron Age Scotland: ScARF Panel Report Images ©as noted in the text ScARF Summary Iron Age Panel Document September 2012 Iron Age Scotland: ScARF Panel Report Summary Iron Age Panel Report Fraser Hunter & Martin Carruthers (editors) With panel member contributions from Derek Alexander, Dave Cowley, Julia Cussans, Mairi Davies, Andrew Dunwell, Martin Goldberg, Strat Halliday, and Tessa Poller For contributions, images, feedback, critical comment and participation at workshops: Ian Armit, Julie Bond, David Breeze, Lindsey Büster, Ewan Campbell, Graeme Cavers, Anne Clarke, David Clarke, Murray Cook, Gemma Cruickshanks, John Cruse, Steve Dockrill, Jane Downes, Noel Fojut, Simon Gilmour, Dawn Gooney, Mark Hall, Dennis Harding, John Lawson, Stephanie Leith, Euan MacKie, Rod McCullagh, Dawn McLaren, Ann MacSween, Roger Mercer, Paul Murtagh, Brendan O’Connor, Rachel Pope, Rachel Reader, Tanja Romankiewicz, Daniel Sahlen, Niall Sharples, Gary Stratton, Richard Tipping, and Val Turner ii Iron Age Scotland: ScARF Panel Report Executive Summary Why research Iron Age Scotland? The Scottish Iron Age provides rich data of international quality to link into broader, European-wide research questions, such as that from wetlands and the well-preserved and deeply-stratified settlement sites of the Atlantic zone, from crannog sites and from burnt-down buildings. The nature of domestic architecture, the movement of people and resources, the spread of ideas and the impact of Rome are examples of topics that can be explored using Scottish evidence. The period is therefore important for understanding later prehistoric society, both in Scotland and across Europe. There is a long tradition of research on which to build, stretching back to antiquarian work, which represents a considerable archival resource.
  • Islay & Jura in Summer

    Islay & Jura in Summer

    Islay & Jura in Summer Naturetrek Tour Report 14 – 20 June 2021 Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries & Large Heath Corncrake Early Marsh Orchid Hen Harrier Report compiled by Jessica Turner Images by Brian Small Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf’s Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK Naturetrek T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report Islay & Jura in Summer Tour participants: Jessica Turner and Brian Small (leaders) with nine Naturetrek clients. Summary The Inner Hebridean islands of Islay and Jura are a joy to visit in any season, and our June visit was no exception. We enjoyed generally great weather, turquoise seas and white sand, colourful Yellow Irises and great bird and mammal sightings. Highlights included the fabulous views of Hen Harriers, White-tailed Eagles, Chough, Great Northern Divers and Corn Crake, Otter, Red Deer and Hares, Marsh Fritillary and Large Heath butterflies and the various orchid species, especially the Northern Marsh Orchids and the Greater and Lesser Butterfly Orchids. It was also a treat to be able to watch the sea from the rooms in the hotel, where we were made very welcome. Day 1 Monday 14th June Kennacraig – Port Askaig - Port Ellen Seven of the group members were picked up from by Glasgow Station and the other two from the Stonefield Hotel just outside Tarbert, nearer Kennacraig Ferry Terminal. We left Glasgow and drove up the side of Loch Lomond, the sun at times breaking through the grey cloud and occasional Swallows flying overhead. Verges were bright with buttercups (Ranunculus spp.) and Ox-eye Daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare), and bushes of Gorse (Ulex europaeus) and Common Broom (Cytisus scoparius).