ARTIFICIAL ISLAND SE HIGHLAN INTH 7 25 D AREA.

II. FURTHER ARTIFICIAE NOTETH N SO L ISLAND HIGHE TH N -SI LAND AREA REVY B . OD.F O BLUNDELL, F.S.A.Scoi. previoun I s years several artificial islands have been describey db me in papers to this Society: thus the Proceedings for the year 1908 contain the description of Eilean Muireach in Ness ; notices of e islande Beaulth th n i sy n Loci , h Bruiach, Loch Moy, Loch Garry, Loch Lundi, , Locd an , h Trei cone gar - tained in the volume for 1909 ; while that for 1910 includes a notice of the island in Loch nan Eala, . At this date, in order to continue and extend the investigation, e Britisth h Association appointe a dCommitte e wit0 hgrana £1 f o t to defray incidental expenses. With a view to ascertaining what islands were thought to be artificial by persons dwelling in the near neighbourhood, this Committee issued a circular, of which 450 copies were sen t e replieoutTh . s were both numerou d interestingan s , thoug somn hi e cases informatio supplies wa n d whic d alreadha h y been publishe n Di dr Stuart's admirable article publishe y thib d s Society in 1865, or in other occasional papers published since that date. The present paper will, I trust, be found to contain only original information, though som bees eha n incorporate abridgen a n di d form in the Report of the British Association. It seems, however, especially fitting that all the information available should be placed before the Society of Antiquaries of . I may mention that I have generally been glad includo t papee th n rei islands, partlr yo wholly natural, whe artifician na l causeway proved that ta thed yha some time been adapte r habitationfo d . Such causeways seemo t prove the island-dwelling propensities of the inhabitants almost as much as do the completely artificial islands. 7 1 VOL. XLVII. 8 25 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , FEBRUAR , 191310 Y .

PERTHSHIRE. Loch Moulin.—Of this and the following examples Mr Hugh Mitchell, F.S.A.Scot., sends very full reports writee H . s: " Loch Moulin, Moy- luine poole plaie th ,th f n,o from whic presene hth t parish get names sit . The loch adjoine e villag s abouth d wa f Moulie easteo td th an n , no 600 yarddraines widewa 0 s t lon40 I d .y abougb lake t 1770eTh . was shallow—probabl t exceedinyno fee g7 r less—wit o t a hpeat y bottom. A or artificial island occupied the centre of the lake. About 132larga 0 e castl buils thin ewa o t s cranno r NeiSi ly gb Campbell of Lochow. The has been a ruin since about 1550, but its walls, six feet thick, still stand about 30 feet high. The ground shows that the crannog was formed of small stones from ten to forty Ibs. in weight, probably resting on wood, to prevent them sinking int foundatione peate oth Th . e castlth f eo s see mo res t woon o t d peate lyinth n g.i Ther slopina s ei g causewas i shoret e i th t n ybu ,o only about 30 feet in length, and is probably where the boats landed fro e castlemth . Ther weea s e i r earth-housmo e banth kn i e near e lake th e sit f th .eo Ther alss olargea wa e , whics hwa blasted about eighty years ago for building-stone. There are several standing-stones, remains of circles, and numerous forts in the neigh- bourhood addee . b e e abovstatemen...y th th d o ma e T "n i t Statisticald Ol e th Account, writte 1793n ni , tha t e vestige"th a f o s causeway leading fro e buildin mth e neares th o gt t rising grounda , distance of 110 yards, are quite distinct." This evidently refers to e causewa opposite th f th o d thao yt een t mentione Mitchellr M y db , and establishes the fact of its existence fairly well. Of the larger island on Loch lay Mr Mitchell writes : " The Isle of Loch Tay is wholly formed of stones about 30 to 50 Ibs. in weight. Ther lona s ei g ban gravef ko l abou fee3 t t undee watere th th r d an , islan s beeha d n forme y conveyinb d g stones froe shormth d an e placin ge gravel theth e channe n mTh o . l betwee islane nth d an d AETIFICIAL ISLANDS IN THE AREA. 259 the shore is 12 feet deep except in one place, where the depth is only 4 feet, and this is causewayed all the way from the shore to the island." Mr Mitchell then gives the later history of the island, and adds regard- ing Loc thay hTa t ther smala s ei l island opposite Fernan anothed an , r near Ardeonaig, whilst in Dr Stuart's paper (Proc. Soc. Ant. of Scot., 1865) mentio mads ni f " smalea o f lo isle y tBa nea e shore th th r n ei

Fig . Loc 1 .Island y hTa .

Kenmore e S.Eth .n shoro , Locf eo h Tay, withiheae th fee0 df no 10 t of the loch." Regarding these islands Rev. J. B. Mackenzie, for forty years the much-respected minister of Kenmore, writes as follows : Loc n "I thery fulle hTa ear y hal dozea f artificiaf no l islands known to me. I have roughly investigated all of these, sufficiently to satisfy myself that the e artificialyar . f verTheo e y yvaryinar g size, down to simply a of stones only visible at very low lake." Mr Mitchel recena n i l t letter summarise e Loc islandy sth hTa s a s 260 PROCEEDINGS OP THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 10, 1913.

follows : " The artificial islands in Loch Tay, so far as I caa ascertain, ar follows ea s : " 1. The Priory Island or ' Y ' of Loch Tay (fig. 1). " 2. Cuigeal-Mairi or Mary's Distaff, about 200 yards west from the Priory Island, whic s submergei h ds normait when t e laka th ,s l i e height markes i t bu , d wit hpolea . . "Islan3 Fernan i d n Bay waterw d lo ,seee b whican n ,i n n ca h which is marked by a pole to prevent the steamer or boats striking it. " 4. Eilean nan Breaban, which is quite complete. It is almost wholly formed of stones of from 10 to 40 Ibs. " 5. In Finlarig Bay, to the west of Killin Pier. This island is marke treea y db . " 6. There is also a small island in good preservation on the west side of Acharn Bay. It has no name. ... I hope the above infor- mation will prove of interest." In Mr Mitchell investigated two islands. Of the larger (fig. 2), which measures 50 yards by 35 yards, he writes : " This island stand aboun si fee 7 tf water o t t ther deea bu , s ei p channel between it and the shore. . . . The island is formed of stones, which • see mo res t treesn o t . What looked like end eth f tree o s s coule db seen below the stones. The stones seem to have been carefully laid— almos f buili s courses—ann a tti d average abou foo1 t t square.e H " also describes a smaller island, 25 feet in diameter, where " the stones placee ar d closely togethe presend ran appearance th t beinf eo g almost built into their present position loce Th h . having rise feeo n ni tw t the last eighty years, has reduced the surface of the island." In Loch Rannoch also Mr Mitchell investigated two islands. Of these he writes : "In the centre of the loch at that part there is a bank of sand 200 feet in length, and about 3 feet below the surface. At the S. end of this bank, and just where the loch deepens, an island s beeha (fig n) 3 forme. f stoneo d s evidently taken fro e shoremth s a , sand-banke stoneo therth n e n s o e. ar Rannoc . e . .par th s f o htwa ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS IN THE HIGHLAND AEEA. 261

old paris f Killiechronanho , whic s mergewa h Fortingaln i d e th t a l Reformation. The church of Killiechronan has disappeared, but e burial-grounth theres di insidd an e ,burial-groun eth dn a ther s ewa ancient burial cairn about 30 feet long by 6 feet high. There are no stone circleRannoce th n si h district t severabu , l single standing- stones."

Fig. 2. Loch Tummel Island.

LocJi .—Mr David MacRitchie draws my attention to the very circumstantial account of the island in this loch published as early as 1793 in the Old Statistical Account of Scotland, and supplied s relativebhi y , Rev. W. MacRitchie, parish ministe f thao r t date: " The island itself may be ranked among the antiquities of the parish. It is mostly artificial, if not altogether so. It must have been formed 262 PROCEEDING SE SOCIETYOTH F , FEBRUARY 10, 1913.

with great labour, and in some very distant period too, as there is neither record nor tradition with respect to its formation. In papers dated 300 years ago (i.e. circa 1500) it is termed the island of the Loch of Clunie people Th .e here affir moncs thawa e t S.Ejoinee i t th .n do side to the continent; but this is not at all probable, as the land there

Fig. 3. Loch Rannoch Island. lies at a very considerable distance, with deep water intervening. It is about 200 yards from its western shore, and as this is much the nearest point woule on , d expec a causewat n froru m o t ythi s side. It is about 400 yards from the S.E. shore. Its surface is a circular plain abouf o , t hal acren a f , raisefeew tfe abovda ordinare eth y level e loch od surroundeth f an , d wit ha stron g barrier of.stones, thrown ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS IN THE HIGHLAND AREA. 263

carelessly together slopind an , g into deep wate l roundal r , like th e frustu cone. a Tha f . mo . .t this islan s beedha n formed principally by human art seems demonstrable from this, that the ground of which it is composed is evidently factitious ; and in lately digging to the dept feet7 f ho , nea e centre islandth rth f eo , nothing lik enaturaa l stratum of earth appeared. The foundation of the castle wall is

Kg. 4. Loch Earn Island. several feet below the surface of the water, and in all probability rest pilen so s of. oak." Loch Earn presents an interesting example (fig. 4) of how woodwork, persoe know on e foundationo exisy nt th b n n i t islandn a y f o s ma , escape the attention of another. In fact, Dr Munro in his Ancient Scottish Lake Dwellings places the Loch Earn island amongst those in which no woodwork is discernible ; and Mr Alexander Porteous, the autho severaf o r l districte workth n o s , knowe writeh s a ssr thafa s a t there is no woodwork in the construction of the island. Dr Richardson, M.D., North Berwick, however, sends me the follow- 264 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 10, 1913.

ing extract fro ma rar e pamphle Anguy b t s M'Diarmid, printen di in 1816. The English is probably some of the most extra- ordinary issued from any press whatever : " An island, on that part of the said lake (Loch Earn) near Edinaple, which island, according to some affirmation, has been erected dexterous modelling; its foundations were lai timben do whicn ro h they execute operatioe dth n so emphatically, tha t weri t e specious habitation e primarth , y idea of operating the said island for place of refuge to some of the inhabi- tants, to protect their precious goods from the insult of multitude of inhuman transactions. " Another island at the fit end, of the aforesaid lake, in anciently notoriously assaulters inhabited, wherein they were beheaded, in consequence of felonious conduct, by a valiant gentleman of Macnab, e executioth wh n o f thano t purpose s contributha , e assistanceth e of other thre bearinn ei gboaa t distancr frofa ma thein eo r shoulder, over mountainous ground n deai , d tim f night o ey whic B . h intel- islandlectuae th forthwit d o t an ,l n plani t hgo , finishe ravishee dth d inhabitants." . JohnstonN . DT r , . assistanMurra J e Lakr th Si e n y i o t Survet y of Scotland, suggested tha islande th t Locn si h Hoil, Loch Derculich, and Loch Essan are artificial, and added: " In the majority of the lochs whic hI hav e visited, artificial islands exist, eithe ' island s a r s' or more ofte ' , s a n ' mor r leseo s submerged existence Th . f eo causeway frequents si generallyd an , knowy yos a , uma , they havea bend or turn in them, so that strangers or enemies would probably step off into deep water. These islands havvera l eyal similar struc- ture and formation as far as surface inspection goes, and no doubt if examineu yo d the myoun i r diving-dres woulu yo s d find them much same th construction ei Cherrs na y Islan Locn di h Ness." Mr Alex. Porteous think e islandsth thaf o Locn t leasi sa te hon t Ochtertyre is artificial, and this is corroborated by the following extracts froLake mth e Survey Notebook s: " Loch Ochtertyre near ARTIFICIAL ISLANDE HIGHLANTH N I S5 26 D • AREA.

Criefi: last island said to be natural; second island just S. of first s artificialf i stoneio s d an s submergea , d causewae th y o runt . E s shore; third island, ' Narrows,W f o . ' also artificial, buil pilesn o t , said havo t e been useprison.a s da . JohnstonN " . T (Lette r D , f 24to r h Aug. 1912.) . offers examples very similar to Loch Tay, though at e tim th f writineo g sufficient informatio s scarceli n y availabler M . Henry Lamond, secretary of the Loch Lomond Angling Association, suggests that Insh Galbraith s worthi f investigatioo y s havina n g apparentl e samyth e general formatio s Eileaa n n Muireach Locn i , h Ness. He adds : " There are many of the smaller islets in Loch Lomond worthy of investigation in this connection. Boatmen speak of certain spots being ' sunken cairns,' which is also suggestive of artificiality." t wilI f courso l rememberee eb onlds e lowerinthawa yth e t i tth f go water of some of the lakes in Switzerland which brought the whole subjec f lako t e dwellings into prominence thao t thad p tan u ,t dat e these Swiss examples were mere " sunken cairns." inquiryy n replI m o r Robertsonyt M , e Inversnaith f o , d Hotel, undertoo o examint k ee cairnssomth f o e, whic e situatear h d five miles distant. In order to facilitate his work I sent him a water- telescope. On June 10th last he wrote : " I have now been able to examine the cairns, which can well be seen in the present low state lochofthe . Thewherbay y eI occuhav the ein r marke crosred dsa on the map enclosed, and immediately to the S. of the point called Rowchoish . The . composee . y.ar largf o d e boulders laie ar d t bu , with such regularity that they appea artificial.e b o t r " Other example e suggestear sr M'Gregor M y b d , farmer, Garabal, who reports one near the mouth of the river Falloch on the N. or Ardleish side. It is about 50 yards from the shore, and is only visible when the loch is very low. Mr Isaac Lynn, who has great experience 6 26 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , FEBRUAR , 191310 Y .

of the S. end of the loch, remembers seeing a large cairn of stones under the water just opposite Auchenheglish House. Quite recently I received a most valuable piece of informatory evidence regarding one of the islands on Loch Lomond. Mr David MacBitchie, F.S.A.Scot., in company with Dr Munro, F.S.A.Scot., visited in 1901 an island on the S. side of Cashell Point. As the water was low at the time, they were able to stand on the woodwork of which the island is partly composed, the rest of it consisting of stones. At present it measures about 15 feet by 20 feet, and is distant 25 yards from the shore. On the shore, close to the island, are the ruins of a -like structure, called Caiseal na Fian, the Giant's Castle. The small promonotor n whico y e castlhth e stoo s formerlwa d y known alternately as Ru na Fian, Eu na Caiseal. On modern Ordnance map t appearsi "s sa Strathcashel l Point." Mr Walter Macdiarmaid s fortha yo yearswh , ' experienc f fishineo g on Loch Lomond f whico , knowe hh inletd s everan ,y stateyba s that there is a large cairn of stones in the loch just south of Doune, and another opposite Rowchoish—th investigatee eon Robertsonr M y db , Inversnaid. The Mill Cairn in Ross Bay he is sure is artificial. On the west side of the loch Mr Macdiarmaid mentions a large cairn in Lusjusy Ba st north 'of the pie ; ranothe r betweepointo tw n e si nth Stradda ;y witnBa thirha d just sout thif ho s Henrlastr M . y Lamont, who first suggested Insh Galbrait artificials ha , confirm e abovth l eal s suggestions. Mr Macdiarmaid further suggests an example in Rossdhu Bay, and another south of this midway between Auchintullich House and the burn. He agrees with Mr Lynn in suggesting the cairn opposite Auchenheglish, and also the one opposite Camero'n Point. South of Inshcruin he suggests another, while he well remembers the occasion when the example opposite Strathcashell Point was examined by Dr Munro and Mr MacRitchie. These, together with the one above mentioned at the head of t-he loch, would make fourteen—a large number doubto n , , but face vien ,th i t f ws beethao ha t leas na te on t ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS IN THE HIGHLAND AREA. ^ 267

certified as artificial by such competent authorities as the above, who were able to stand on the woodwork of which the island is constructed, there would e everseeb o myt probabilit f severae o yother th f o sl proving eventually to be in the same category. '

ABERDEENSHIRE. Aberdeenshir r addefa freso o s dn s h eha exampl e fouth r o et men - tioner MunroD y db whicf , o t onl presena e s hyi on islann a t d (fig, .5) the other examples being now dry land, owing to drainage operations. islando tw smallee e Locn sTh i th f ho r Kinnord measure yard5 s2 y sb 21, and is situated 250 yards from the nearest shore. The following note as to its construction is given by Rev. J. G. Michie in his work Loch K,innord: "The essential structural feature of this island is the oak piling e pile e arrangeTh ar s. n thredi e rows e withion e , th n other, and planted at the distance of 2| feet apart, with a framework of horizontal beams interlacing them. They are set almost perpen- dicularly, except on one side, that fronting the largest reach of water, where they incline slightly betteinwarde th f resisi o rt s shoce sa th t k wavese horizontae . oMosth fth . f . o .t l beams have been carried ofE or washed away, but three are to be seen in position, covered in great part with stones, and a few more are lying about." Mr Diack, in his re-edition of Mr Michie's work published last year, gives a very full description of both islands, and arrives at the conclusion that the larger island may eventually be proved to be artificial, as well as the smaller one. Mr Diack in a recent letter mentions that an ancient canoe can be seen under the water, apparently filled with stones, and lying 30 yards S.E. of the crannog.

INVERNESS-SHIRE. The islan Lochn o d Meiklie s describei r WilliaM y b dm Mackay, autho f Urquharto r d Glenmoriston,an a well-know d an n authority

ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS IN THE HIGHLAND ABEA. 269

on Celtic antiquities e visiteH .e islan th d d abous t 1876wa d ,an informed " tha a causewat somknows n ru ywa e o nt distanc e from the shore, and then turn at right angles in order to deceive strangers." This island, which I visited last year, is now submerged, partly no doubt owing to the soft nature of the ground on which it is built, and

Fig. 6. Loch Ruthven Island.

partly owinoutleloce e th th hthuf d o gt o siltint an s . raisingup e gth e waterleveth f o l . Loch Lundama was suggested by Dr Miller and Mr Ewen-Watson, F.S.A.Scot. The latter accompanied me to inspect the island in October of last year, but the day proved most unfavourable, a regular gale blowing on the loch, which is very exposed. The island has no doubt been inhabited traditioe th , n being that Macbet slais t hwa na stronghols hi thin do s island. Loch Ruthwn.—A careful survey of the island in this loch (fig. 6) 270 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 10, 1913.

was made by Mr Roderick M'Lean, C.A., who also took excellent photographs e islanTh s almos.i d t circular, wit a hdiamete 7 5 f o r feetd standan , s abou fee4 t t abov e averagth e ee loch leveth f .o l Thoug causewao hn visibles y wa e nativeth , s stated cleaa tha n o tr coule seeon e db y n da leadin peculiaa o gt r hil mounr shoree o l th n do , south of the island.

Fig. 7. Island.

Loch Arkaiq.—The island her s partli e y natural (fig, thoug7) . h evidently adapted for habitation. The west end is solid rock, but the south side seems to show signs of being artificially enlarged, and there is a well-preserved causeway going zigzag to the shore. The most interesting featur thiof e s islanlargthe eis d masse vitrifiesof d materia piece l on (fig e, originas stilit 8) . n i l l position bein gfee8 t long b feey2 inche6 t s high I woul. d like especiall calo yt l attentioo nt ARTIFICIAL ISLANDHIGHLANE TH N I S1 27 D ABEA. circulao thetw r constructions, composed entirel vitrifief yo d material, and possibly ancient smelting-furnaces. Loch Phitiulais (Ord. Sur.).—Besides Mr Angus Grant, who first suggested this example, Rev. Mr Macrae. The Manse, Edderton, write islane s: " Th Loc n di h Pityoulis hI ofte n visite boya s d da , an

Fig. 8. Vitrifaction on Loch Arkaig Island.

I remember it was always spoken of as artificial. Mr Angus Grant learned from a shepherd who had been there forty years—a very in- telligent man, but in poor health—that the island was rarely now above water, but can be seen a foot or so under water at the east end of the loch near Pityoulish House, and in a line from two fir trees on the north side of the loch and a large rock on the face of the hill on the opposite side. The same correspondent gave the interesting informa- 2 27 PROCEEDING SE SOCIETY OTH F , FEBRUAR , 191310 Y .

tion that ' the Water of Druie at one time reached the Spey by Guslich and through Loch Pityoulish,' but the outlet is now almost completely o d siltef Jul . en Bein e thadyup n i th t tg a district accepte,I d e invitatioth r JohSi f nno Macpherson Grant, Bart f Ballindallocho , , to motor to the loch and inspect it with him. Captain Dunbar, the. tenant of Pityoulish House, kindly placed his boat at our disposal, and we found the ' island ' just in the position given above, but covere inche8 1 y f water b o dse stone Th . s wer f vereo y even size, islane slope th th f ed o fiveaboun an i e , -thton e dept e watef ho th t a r island's edge being about 8 feet. On the north-east side we came upon wood madd an , e every effor meany e ancho b securo th t tg f o slo rea and bring it to the surface. But in this we were not successful. From information gained on the spot, we learned that a causeway led fro islane north-ease loche mpoina thath d th th o df an n t ,t o o t y ba t beed blacha beed n k founha n koa d takedan n awa curiositya s ya . Loch Knockie.—I visited the islands in the loch in June. The smaller island is certainly artificial, and measures 30 feet by 12 feet, but the purpose of its construction 50 yards from the larger one, which measures 219 feet by 242, is difficult to explain. I trust on a future occasion to examine the larger island more carefully. Loch Asalaich, Glenurquhart, and Loch Farraline, Boleskine.— These islands, which were suggeste s artificialda t bee, ye hav nt eno examined ;.- the latter presents some difficulty, as it is now part of the reservoir for the British Aluminium Works at Foyers. Loch Vaa.—Mr Angus Grant, Drumallen, Glenurquhart d sugha , - geste islane dth Locn do h Vaa, near Aviemore t latebu , r wrote thae h t doubted whether it was artificial or not. From a cursory view of the island in passing, I judged that it would prove not to be artificial, and accordingly I omitted it from the list which was compiled for the British Association. The omission was at once noticed by Mr Grant, who again wrote : " Please do not strike Loch Vaa out of your list. I was down there lately, and was told—too late for personal observa- ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS IN THE HIGHLAND AREA. 273

tion—that ther s anotheei r I exploredislan e additioon n di e th , o nt which only shows above water in very dry weather, and my informant says that since I made inquiry and attention has been directed to the matter, wooden beams have been seed lookean n r roundfo edge dth e e stonoth f f whiceo islane hth s composed.di " Kev Macrar M . e also drew attentio e omissionth o n t d kindl an , locao y tw senl e guidem t - books, published many years ago, both of which spoke of the island as artificial. The county of includes some of the , but the examples which these afford will be best considered later.

CKOMARTYEosD AN s . Loch Kinellan.—This affords an interesting example of proof as to the island (fig. 9) being artificial, even by an unwilling witness. Mr . CorbettH tenane th , t of. Kinellan t firsa s t moswa , t scepticao t s a l there being anything abou islane th tt pureldno s thay wa tnatural . After some correspondence, however, Mr Corbett consented to seek for wood amongst the foundations of the island, and on October 15th he wrot brothe y e: I firs" M d t an rtrie d wher d I ethough ha u yo t foun timberse dth herd foune an ,e w paveda d causeway, just beneath the water, extending some yards from the island. We also thought we touched timber t abousa fee7 t t belo e water-leveo wt th 0 1 d an l 12 feet fro e shore—almth e south-easl th thi n o s t angle speako t o s , , of the island. Our sounding pole clung so hard to the mud that we coul t wordno k properly triee w do s ,alon e soutgth h side nearee th r stones. Her e founw e d wit n irod a hfou nro r beams abou fee6 t t apar rathen i t r less tha feen 4 f water o thee t W n. e moveth o t d south-west angle, where we found four more, much more irregularly place s regardda e islande radith th sd mucf o ian , h nearer together, not more than 3 feet apart. There are also the stumps of the oak posts above water-level that loo thougs ka h they might have formed VOL. XLVII. 18 4 27 PROCEEDING SSOCIETY E OTH F , FEBRUAR , 1913Y10 .

a pier at one time." Mr Corbett also stated that the Ordnance Map showed the island to measure -558 of an acre. A fortnight later he wrot e: " Taking advantag e facth t f thao e sno th t w prevented gardene islane wor th oveth n n ko i d t rme I too , thie kth s morning diameten i hol a o g s feefeee 5 6 r fro d du o o t t r an d deepm l 4 an Al . beed littl d mades soie ha nwas'fulan d th ed wa lpileg an an ,bi , f din o l

Fig . Loc9 . h Kinellan Island.

boulders; none larger than coul mancarriee e db on I selectey . db da spot nea e middl e soutth r th f heo side wher occurp kinea ga f n do si the stone wall of the island, and about 20 feet from the water-line. t abouA fee3 t r les cam e o layeta sw o sandf et o r , consisting mainly of white sand and broken pottery, or what looks like it, forming a sort of beach to a smaller island inside the present wall. Piercing the sand layer vertically, and also at an angle of about 30 degrees, we found shar d long-pointepan d stakes driven in groups, evidently wite hth ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS IN THE HIGHLAND AKEA. 275

intentio ' containin f o n earlien a g ' r island than existing thaw no t , d thian s e probablpresene basith th f o s s t wa yisland e founW .d bones, sticks, and pottery of sorts (much broken), at all levels below

M

Fig. Pla10 .f Loc no h Kinellan Island, showing Woodwork.

18 inches from the surface. I have left the hole open, so that if you yourselfr fo cat nI havpi com.e eth liftee d ovese dan n r ca soo u nyo preserve stakese dth havd an ' potter,e sampla e kept th you f t o e san d' int o which they were driven." 276 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 10, 1913.

The samples of " pottery sand " were submitted to the Committee Britise oth f h Associatio t theina r meetin ,gn i when Prof. Boyd Dawkins, F.E.S., Prof. Bryce d Profan , . Myres agrees d thawa t i t composed of fragments of pottery and of clay in process of manu- facture into pottery, intermixed with bones of animals, all pointing to the neighbourhood of the refuse heap, and giving promise of inter- esting remains being found if the hole were further investigated. A plan of the island compiled from several plans by Mr Corbett is given . fign i 10 . Here the investigation ended for the year, and I can only hope that Mr Corbett's report may arouse sufficient enthusiasm for the island completele b o t y investigated consequencn I . loce th hf eo bein g used e watea sHotelth a Sp r supple , th Strathpeffer r yfo s leve it bees , ha l n lowered at least 3 feet, so that this island offers very favourable con- ditions, thoug t perhaphno s ideal, sinc ea goo d deal of sois beeha l n conveye islane th recenn o di t t time foro st mgardena . Loch Ailst.—Mr D. Macdonald, for many years commissioner to Sir Charles Eoss of Balnagown, writes : " I may mention that 1 was always of opinion that a small island in Loch Ailst, which is on the course of the river Oykel, the boundary between Ross and Suther- land, is artificial; it seems to me to be constructed of rough unhewn stones regularly piled." Loch Tollie.—Mr Donald Mackenzie, Inland Revenue, , writes : " Therislen a Locn i ts ei h Tollie, situate roae - th dbe n do tween and Poolewe. This islet, which is said to be a crannog, was occupied by M'Leod of Gairloch towards the close of the fifteenth century." Bartholomew' markp sma s thi "s e s a Crannog, th t no d "an following one. Loch Kernsary.—Of this loch, three miles east of the former, the same correspondent writes : " There is a nice island called ' The Crannog n Loci ' h Kernsary, about 1 |e eastwar mileth o t f s o d Poolewe. When last I saw it there was a rookery on it. I know ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS IN THE HIGHLAND AREA. 277

nothin history.s it f g o furthe e H " r states : " Therislen a ts e i sai o dt b crannoea Locgn i h Mhic Ille Riabhaich, 4| miles eas Poolewe.f to " Loch Achnahinneach in is the same loch as that mentioned by Mr Mackenzie as Loch Aoh-an-darrach. It has been carefully investigate Georgr M y db e Forbes. Fernaig, Strome Ferry aflordd an , s on f mano e y instance f incorreco s t information e supplieth o t s a d recent date of an island, later found to be of much earlier date. The

. FigLoc11 . h Achnahinneaoh Island.

following are extracts from Mr Forbes's letters : " I have been trying oldese some th se f eo to t inhabitant tols estatee dwa th thaI f s so a t, islane Alexander buils th Si dn wa i t r Matheson' se correc timeth t bu ,t histor yI onl y obtained to-day whe nI visite islane loche th dTh d. (fig. 11) is in Loch Achnahinneach, about four miles from here, in the paris f Lochalshho , count s quitf i Rossyo t I diss e . smallwa - d an , appearing altogether when they raised the level of the loch, and it was then thar AlexandeSi t s bee somd ha ndi rt I e repair . it o t s inhabitehouse th timebees e d e ha on piles nk an , t builda l oa al n ; o t s nothini w thano gte mormeetey e e th stha npila f stoneeo s where 278 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , FEBRUAR , 1913Y10 .

about thirty or forty sea-gulls have their nests every year. . . . The island is round, and not more than 30 feet in diameter, but I expect it had been much larger before the level of the loch was raised." In a later lette Forber M r s write s: " havI otheo etw r lochs here which I intend to visit whenever I can find time; they are a considerable distance away, but I hope to be able to inspect the islands on them

. LocFig12 . h Aohilty Island.

durin monte gth sur Junef m ha o e I ther. plente ear othersf yo d an , I will try and find out about them from keepers, and then visit them wit camera.e hth " In close proximity to Loch Kinellan, mentioned above, occur Loch Ussie and Loch Achilty, as to both of which reports have been sent in r HugM y hb Eraser, M.A., Dingwall e islande formeth Th .n i sr appear to be natural, but a. causeway exists between the shore and the larger of the islands ; the causeway is said to go zigzag. The Loch ARTIFICIAL. ISLANDHIGHLANE TH N I 9 S 27 D AEEA.

Achilty island (fig. 12) was found to show wood projecting from the rubblsouth-wese th n enorth-westo e th alsd n oan to , easwhile th tt ea enislane dth d appear havo st e been damage watey db e r wearth d an , timbers are to be seen in numbers. The island measures 60 feet by 4 2distans i feetd an , t full yard0 y8 s fro shore watee mth th e; dees ri p l roundal , nowhere apparently less tha feet5 1 n . Regarding these

Fig. 13. Loch Glass Island.

three islands it is worthy of note that the district is rich in other pre- historic remains stona ; e circle existeastere th t sa n extremit Locf yo h Achilty (Slat. Acct., p. 237). Mr Hugh Fraser also sent me details of the island on Loch Glass (fig. 13), which he says appears from the shore to be a heap or cairn of stones in fairly deep water. In this case also he mentions the existence in the neighbourhood of cup-and-ring marked stone ruind an sf circula o s r dwellings s descriptioHi . d nan photograp islane th f Locn hdo i h Mori f vero e y b provsimila o t t ei r construction. The late Mr J. Meiklejohn, factor for Mr Munro 280 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 10, 1913.

Ferguson of Novar, writes in similar terms, and gives the size of the Loch Morie island as 10 yards by 7. Loch Beannachan.—Mr Hugh Eraser undertoo visio kt t this island from Dingwall, but his experience was a not unusual one : "I spent a day," he writes, " in going to Loch Beannachan, only to find the island entirely under water, and, what was worse, to be misdirected s location.it ao st f thiO s" islan Johr dM n MacLennan write s: " I do not know of a crannog on Loch Luichart, but I have strong reasons for believin Locn i g e therh on Beannachan s ei I hav d ean e , filleth n di form with reference to it. This island is only visible at low water, and is 200 yards from the shore at the east end of the loch. About half a mile east of the crannog there appear to be the remains of an old Druid circle. The farmer's son at Carnoch dug inside the circle seve eighr no t years ago found ,an brasda possessions hi sn i ringw no , . About forty years ago a stone was unearthed in a small mound e brotheth y saif b o r d farmer." Loch Achall, Ullapool.—M y MackenzieHa r , National Banf o k Scotland, reports : " There is a small island or cairn of stones in Loch a Chal, Rhidarrock Forest mileo tw , s from Ullapool, whic sais hi o dt be artificial . Ther . patha covere . w s .ei no , d with water, leading t whic bu easiln , h ca it see e yb o t n whe watee nth clear.s i r " Loch Dhughaill, Achnashellach.—Mr Norman Reid, one of the judges of the Scottish Land Court, spoke at some length about the island in this loch. In filling up the schedule he added : " The island onls i y above water whe loce nth vers h i y abous i lowyard 0 t I 10 .t s from the shore. Some years ago oak sticks were washed ashore from it; they had been fastened together with large wooden pins." Achnacloich Loch.—Mr . MacleodJ , Alderman's House, Bishopsgate, , writes : " If I remember rightly, there used to be something of thi sAchnacloice kinth n di h Loch, Ardrossw visiblp lo to t e a e th , water." This is confirmed by Major Cuthbert, Achindunie, Alness, who states that "t givei impressioe sth huga f no e cair f stones.no ' ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS IN THE HIGHLAND AEEA. 281

compliancn I e wit latter'e hth s kind invitation I visite, loce dth n hi February 1913. The top of the island was then just covered with water, but our party coul thae dse t closeli t y resembled Locthosd an Lochn y ei hMo outee Garryth t rrubblA e edg.th f eo e buildin0 1 o t watee 8 gs th rwa feet deep, and the diameter of what appeared to be the top of the island was about 50 feet. With the boat-hook we could feel wood, and we could brin p fragmentgu f decayeo s d wood t coul bu t ,displac no d e e logsth f .o e largee Somth on f o er fragment f wooo s d whice w h brough showep u t d that some t leastbeame a , th f o , s wer oakf eo . The Gead Loch.—In this loch, which is just across the boundary between Ross-shir d Inverness-shirean e , Rev . MackayD . , Marydale, Strathglass, is confident that there are two entirely artificial islands, on thef eo m wit evidenn ha t causewa e shoreth o yt .

SuTHEKLANDSHIRE.

Loch Craggie.—The island in this loch was first suggested by Mr Alex . Curie0 . , secretar e Ancienth f yo t Monuments Commissiono wh , advised my applying to Mr John Campbell, the ground officer. In repl Campbelr yM l stated tha islande th tf o ease d , th whicen tt a s hi Loch Craggie everhas , y appearanc beineof g artificial measureIt . s 46 feet by 34 feet, and is 3 feet 6 inches above the average level of the loch. It is situated 110 yards from the shore, and is composed of stones of all sizes, without the appearance of any woodwork, nor can any causeway to the shore be traced. On the other hand, the floor of loce th quits hi e clea stonesf o r , beyon islande limie th d th f thao o t s , t there is little doubt but that it is artificial. Of Loch Clibrig, Rev. Mr Macrae, Edderton, writes : " Here there is an island with a distinct causeway to the shore." In Loch Shin r CuriM ) (fige 14 suggest. s four island s possibla s y artificialf o o tw , seee b whicpictur n ni y hma e postcard e lochth f .o s They certainly 282 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , FEBRUAR , 191310 Y . have every appearance of being artificial, and are considered as such by other correspondents, viz., Rev. Mr Macrae. Mr M'Neil, post- master, Lairg. islane Th f Lochdo Migdale, also suggeste Curier M y similarls i d,b y reported by Rev. Mr Macrae; whilst Mr Donald Mackenzie, Inland Revenue, Lairg ,e followin sendth e m s g quotation regarding thit sse

1 Fig. 14. Loch Shin Island, Lairg. of islands from the History of the Earldom of , by Sir Robert Gordon, who wrote in 1630 : "In sundrie of these laikes ther ar ilands with habitations, as in Lochshin, Lochbroray, Loch Migdale, Loch Buy, Loch Dolay othersd an , . Ther foue ear r island Lochn i s - shin ... all pleasant dwellings in summer." Dr T. N. Johnston sends me the following extract from the notebooks of the Scottish Lake Survey : " Loch Migdale, near Bonar Bridge : island at west end of loc composes hi largf do smald ean l stoneartificias i d scrossan a ; l - ARTIFICIAL ISLAND SHIGHLANE INTH 3 28 D AREA.

ing passes from west shore to the island, and was covered by 1 foot of wate 24tn o r h September 1902." Mr Donald Mackenzie also suggests the island in Loch Laro, on the confine e parisheth f o sf Creico s Lairgd han , whic hgentlemaa o nwh had see t ni recentl y considere artificiale b Mackenzio dr t M . e wrote, after readin e Britisgth h Association Report, tha e locath t l keepers thatolm hi dt " therwhas wa e t e remainappeareth n a e f b o s o dt island in Loch Crogail, which is two miles north of Loch Laro. This island consist a cair f f o sstoneo nf throwi s a s n together loosely. islane Oth f Lochn di Buie, whic inhabites hwa 1630n di , onl ypila e of loose stones remained." e Lochinveth n I r district Rev. Angus Maclntyre n thinkca e h s identify several island artificials sa Maclntyrr M . collaborated eha d with Dr Erskine Beveridge in the latter's excellent topographical works on Coll and Tiree and on , and he has thus had excep- tional opportunities of observing the construction of these islands. He writes : "I have not yet been able to verify several islands that have come under my notice, but feel quite or almost quite sure that Locf o genuine wese d hth theth Assynten e t a yar e s i article , on e; t Inchnadamphona n Loce i e e lochAw th hn i immediatel e on , n yi front of Aultnacealgach Hotel, and two in Loch Cama at Elphin—five in all. I propose on or after 12th July to make an exhaustive examina- l thesetio al repord f no an , t directly thereafter." Loch Tigh Choimhead.—In referenc thio Morrisont ew s He loc r hD , LL.D., writes : " In my native parish of Tongue, Sutherlandshire, ther a loc s ei h abou o miletw t s from Torrisdale, called Loch Tigh Choimhead, that is, the Loch of the Watch House. In that loch there igreesa n island, whic becoms hha e mor mord ean e submergey m n di own memory strona brothery s m i o d g ,an swimmerwh , ,e wenth o t t suggestioislany m t da n some years agowitd an ,lonh a g stick sounded e variouth s part thoughd f itan o s, vers t thawa y t likeli t y founded on piles or some kind of wood. ... It might also be worth while 284 PROCEEDINGS OP THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 10, 1913.

examining northere manloche th th f n syi o ncountye part th f o tNo . far from this loch which I have referred to there are brochs, and in the near neighbourhood are two large boulders with cup-marks on them." Loch na Hacon, Tongue.—Mr Evander Mackay, Parr Schoolhouse, Thurso, suggested that the island in this loch was artificial. He had visite t dmani y year noticed s ha ago d causewada , an y leadint i o gt from the shore. At Mr Mackay! s suggestion I wrote to the neigh- bouring farmer r JameM , s Mitchell, whose t considerinreasono r nfo g e islanth d artificia n scarcelca l e deemeb y d conclusive, while th e existenc e cup-marketh f o e d stonf considerablo s ei e intereste Th . followin extracn a s gi t fro Mitchell'r mM st remembe letteno o d r: " I r Mr Mackay being here, and I think that it was most likely a brother of mine who showed him the island. I do not think the island is artificial; there is no story locally that it is. ... There is a rock with cup-markings on the shore just opposite the island, but I fancy this is of much older date than the building (on the island)." In a lette f lateo r r date Rev. David Lundie, Mans f Tongueeo , writes that he does not think the island itself artificial, but that he has noticed the causeway, also some prehistoric tumuli about a mile distant, and the " prominent cupped stone on the shore about 20 yards distant."

CAITHNESS. On application being made to Mr Robert M'Clements. Schoolhouse, Keiss, this gentleman communicated wit Johr hM n Nicolson, Nybster, who is greatly interested in antiquarian matters, and, being thoroughly acquainted with all parts of the county, Mr M'Clements reported : " In Loch Alterwall there is an artificial island. The loch was drained about fifty years ago by Sir John Sinclair, who led a burn from the loch and so left the island dry. On the island is a small dry-built structure, whose walls are 5 feet thick, with five steps leading down. ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS IN THE HIGHLAND AKEA. 285

A jug was found in parts, which Mr Nicolson pieced together, and of hin i s g housewhicju e sende hth h . s sketchsa ha e H . f Locho e easd th en Watten tt "A ther smala s ei l island rouna , d heap of stones about 4 feet above water, and 200 yards from the shore. The Loch ofStemster has a small island planted with trees. An island in Loch Rangag has a broch built on it. Loch Colder has a natural islan t circlhu d ea whic s buil it.n ha ho t " Other correspondents consider thae islanth t n Loci d h Calde y provma r e artificiale Th . Ordnanc showp Ma ee shores th tha f n Loco o st h Watten there ar e two houses e shore d closth an ,f o Loc t eso h Rangag there ear standing-stones e invitatioth r Joht Si A n.f o nSinclai I rarrange d visio t t these lochs, which promisef unusuao e b o dlt interes vien i t w of the large number of other antiquarian remains in the district. Mr spenNicolsod investigatione meeo an e weet th e dth s n m tki n wa . On arriving at Barrock House on the Monday evening I found a tele- gram ordering my attendance as naval chaplain at the funeral of a marine belonging to H.M.S. Indomitable. The funeral was to take plac t Cromartea e Wednesdayth n yo thao s , t only Tuesda lefs tywa for our work. The weather proved most unfavourable, heavy rain falling the whole afternoon. We visited the island on Loch Watten, which certainly bears every appearance of being artificial. We also visited the site of Loch Alterwall. Sir John Sinclair later made a short repor s followa t : s" Loch Alterwall: This islan s inveswa d - tigated by Sir Francis Barry in 1900, when a square building and staircase were found. Lake dwellin t a Stemsterg :n a Thi s i s island in the Loch of Scarmlett, in the Stemster district of Bower parish, and not in the Loch Stemster in the parish of Latheron. It has now trees growing upon it, but before the trees were planted there were indications both of a building and of a staircase. . . . The dwelling in the island in the Loch of Rangag is an ordinary small broch of about 20 feet diameter, and it is always quite easy to wade out fro island.e shore mth th o et " 286 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 10, 1913. o Mr John Davidson, West Watten, suggest islann sa Lochn di Tofl- ingall as possibly artificial. In the near neighbourhood of this loch are standing-stones, and at least four Picts houses.

ORKNEY AND . Mr James Murray, of the Lake Survey, suggested the island on Loch SJcaill. He also in his letter corroborated the views of Dr T. N. Johnston given above: " Certainly we came across very many such islands, but at this distance of time my memory fails me when I seek for details. There are many islands in North Uist connected by causeways wit e mainlandhth somd doubtlese an , ear s artificial," etc. Mr James Johnston, Orphir House, , further suggests, among the numerous islands on the lochs of Orkney, one on LochWasdale, with sit f chapeleo ; Loch Glumly, e islanth f whicbroca do s itn hha o ; Loch Sabiston, where there are stepping-stones leading to the island; Loch Isbister, islane th whicf brocd. a o it s n hhha o Shetland.—Mr 3. D. Mackintosh, Lerwick, replied to the circular : "understanI d that ther some ear e such (artificial islands Shetlandn )i , and I think if you sent me half a dozen of the circulars I could get some information from various islande partth f so Shetlandf so t . A . ". . the time of writing these forms had not yet been returned. Dr T. N. Johnston reports that "the Loch o fislann Cliffa Unsn i s d ha t cairn, causewao n t bu y observed."

ARGYLLSHIR E WESTERTH D AN EN ISLANDS. On the mainland of Argyllshire there have been suggested three islands in Loch Nell, one called Loch a Mhuilinn at Oban, one or perhaps two in Loch Awe, and one in Loch Ternate, .1 Those n Lochi Nell (fig. 15), briefly mentione r MunroD y db , -were visited

larga t e1 No numbe extensivo s r fo r districtea rathee e th t thidu o s bu t r,si want of correspondents interested in the subject than to the absence of examples. ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS IN THE HIGHLAND AREA. 287 and photographed by Dr W. D. Anderson, Oban. Dr Anderson reported that there were two artificial islands still above water, and two others submerged, and mentioned that his photo " showed the serpent mound on the mainland behind the island and a little to the leit of the picture." This item is recorded in view of the question

Fig. Loc15 . h Nell Island.

which was added to the original circular by one of the members of the Committee as to whether there are any artificial mounds or other structures in the alluvium on the shores of the loch. The " serpent moun visiteds "examined wa dan r Phenee D founo on y t db wh ,a d en a prehistorid c burial I must. , however d thar Josepad D ,t h Anderson consider e mounth s a dnatura l one. r RMurraD .M . y Allan, of Glenfeo'chan, kindly sent a tracing of the loch showing the 8 28 PROCEEDING SE SOCIETY OTH F , FEBRUAR , 191310 Y .

o visibltw positio e e th islands f no d als an ,oe submerge th tha f o t d ones. The island in "Loch a Mhuilinn," Oban, was suggested by Mr D. M'lsaac, who exhibited a photo of the crannog being dug, and, in additio e workmenth o nt e photograpth , h showed Professor Heddle of St Andrews and several members of the Council of that day. Mr M'lsaac also showed a piece of one of the logs. The crannog, which was first discovered by Mr Campbell, then burgh surveyor, was about 85 feet long by 53 feet broad. Dr J. A. Harvie-Brown, LL.D., on whose yacht Professor Heddle was staying, sent me a copy e photooth f , along wit e followinhth g extract fro s noteboomhi k: " 15th May 1888.—We inspected, along with Provost Drummond r MunroM d ,an Oban a new-discovere, d lake dwelling buil pilen o t s in the middle of Loch a Mhuilinn, which lies close to the town and railway embankment, and which, lately a loch, is now a deep d decayean d dmu e vegetationwholstinkinf o Th g . e . bo g . . crannog is some 84 feet long by 56 feet wide—one of the largest discovered." Lock Awe.—Mr Donald Macdonald; Taynuilt Hotel, writes : "I have come across an old man of seventy-nine, John M'Gregor, who know sendo t artificia n Loc frotelle e a d H f .ms o en hAw l islann do the loch opposite Ardnassaig House. In the old days Ardnassaig was calle Inverawew dNe . When M'Grego rememe yearn h te d s sol -wa r bers quite well seeing men building this small island, which is about 12 yard r Campbell M sInverawe w longd Ne Ol f . o , , y noticeda e don whe loce vers somnw th hwa ylo e stones appearing unde surface th r e of the water. He then got a lot of men to gather stones and earth to mak thip u e s mound. When finished somha ee h dtree s planted." t woulI d thus appear thar CampbellM t , perceiving thae islanth t d was being submerged, heightened it on this occasion. All experience goe shoo t s w that these islands were constantly sinking under their own weight, and that even at the time when they were being inhabited ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS IN THE HIGHLAND AREA. 289

layer after layer of material was added, so that frequently three or four hearths are found one above the other. Mr Francis Darwin suggested the island opposite Inverliever. In e circularreplth o yt r H. Bury E .M , , present tenan f Inverlievero t , wrote : " West of the Inverliever Burn there is a wooded promontory, whic vern hi y high floodislandn a s i s . Round this promontora s yi nexe wesy islane th thi f ba th tn o ti s question sn i di d bay s an i , t I . compose masa f dstonesf o so otherwise th n ,i e sandy abous bayi d ,tan yard0 5 s ordinare fro shoree th f mt th o A p .y to loce levee th hth f o l watere I shoul th abous d i f t o an i , d t fee3 t certainlou t (any ysa o ds does my friend Mr J. B. Hill, who was Geological Surveyor for many years for that part of Scotland) that the island is artificial. I think there are signs of a causeway to the shore." Loch Ternate.—This island was suggested as artificial by Mr A. Nicholson of Arisaig; and Mr John Ross, keeper, sent the following interesting informatio d traditionan n s about it : e islan"Th s i d nearly circular, measurin water-line th n go fee0 diametere7 n i t s It . surfac s aboui e 5 feet t abov e summeth e re loch s leveth It f .o l diamete e loc e flooth hth f o wilrn aboue o r b lwate e feet5 9 Th t s .ri about 12 feet deep, though the island seems to be on the edge of a ban f clako y ove f sof o deea r t d o mudbouldere pbe tw f Th o . e sar kinds, granite and whinstone, and have been ferried from each side of the loch, as these boulders occur on the opposite sides—the granite on the north and the whinstone on the south. No boulder is heavier n handle ca e timbe n Th . ma r tha e foundatioon n f oako d s i n, an appears to have its logs laid from the centre to the circumference. A sycamore pasw tno , maturity ,attaines islandgrowe ha th d n so dan , girta fee9 t breasf a tho t height loce pear-shapeds hTh i . , probably abou peare acre0 heare th th e islan10 extentt f n .si n o th t i d s di an , The remain eac n pierse o traced e th he lochb e f sidso on n th , f eca ,o . " This small island once had a retaining wall round it, except in two places wher a eboa t coul e drawb d n up—a necessary thinn gi 9 1 VOL. XLVII. 0 29 PROCEEDING SOCIETYE TH F O S , FEBRUAR , 191310 Y .

times of storm. On the island there was said to have been formerly a building or shelter for any who had to live on it. Those accused of crimes from Lismore or Mull or neighbouring places, if they got per- mission fro e Chiefm th f Ardtornis o o residht e forty-eight hourn o s the island, were free from any liability to punishment. The island was thu a sanctuary—hencs e name Tearnai r Tearnaeco t h Inaid, ' plac safety.f eo ' islanWhile th fugitivee n deo th sfuarag n wero d efe — meal and cream. On the north side of the island there is a place called Roinn-na-bannaraich, that is, point or place of the dairymaid. The meal was made by quern. In fleeing the fugitives often landed with boats at back of Ardtornish Castle, and till recently there were rings there in stones for holding boats. These were removed by tramps, e iroon n t rinbu g still remains e fugitiveTh . s were often pursued from Ardtornis hile Tearnaito th lt p hu somd an , e hold that Ardtornish mean s' har d pursuihill. e f thosI th ' p eu t pursuing managet ge o dt between the fugitives and Tearnait Loch, the poor fugitives had to go Eigneig way .a har This d wa spligh r them fo td Eignei an , s gi suppose meao dt n' plac f hardship.o e e fugitiveth f I ' s were caught ere reachin islande gth , they were take Cnoc-nan-Tighearnano nt , that is, the Hillock of the Chiefs, where they were tried. This hillock is in sight of the island. If condemned, the criminals were taken to Savary, and executed there on Tom-na-Croich, the Hillock of Hanging. The place bear e namth s o thit e s day above Th . e tradition about e islan th s beedha n currenoftes wa r longn d fo ttol an Dugaly , db d M'Gregor, who died twenty years ago at Knock, and whose ancestors wer Morvern ei hundre o tw r fiftd nfo r thre dan o y e hundred years." Isle f Mull.—o My lette o Messrt r s Lindsay s forwa ,- . HowCo & e warded to the Duke of , who kindly answered it himself: " March 12th, 1912.—I received last night a typed letter with your signature asking about artificial islands. That on Loch Baa, Salen, is opposit r Melles M ea cair s i f e loch n'o d sidth y house f m an ,eo n o , stones. There are one or two under water off this low shore at foot ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS IN THE HIGHLAND AREA. 291

of Glen Clachai e samth n egi mere loch b t thes y ebu , moundema f so stone at the foot of some old glacier. The island opposite Mr Melles' house must be at all events largely artificial. It is small." Mr M'Cormick write s: e "informatio th Mos f papey o t m n ri n ' Broch( Crannogd san takes wa n) s' fro r Munro'mD s Lake Dwellings, t includebu othero dtw Muln si whicf o l hI thin k ther o littls ei n r eo a stone-buil s i record e On . t lake dwellin n Lochgi Assopol, Bosf o s Mull, but as it is a long time since I saw it I can give no measurements or distance from the shore. Another is what I take to be an artificial f Potteee o nortislan th d t hen da Loch, nea father'y m r s housed an , about hal mila f e fro Soune mth lonaf accumun d o a t seem I e .b o st - latio f boulderno s very slightly abov e surface watereth th d f o ean , overgrown with brush, etc. ... I might at some future time lecture Gaelin i thesn co e broch crannogsd an s d youan , r slides would serve well as illustrations." Tiree.—Miss Elspeth Campbell writes from Inveraray Castle : " I would sugges islando tw t Lochn si Bhasapol Tireen i . The withe yar - out doubt artificial, and should be of interest; both islands are fairly e shoreclos th t trac ther o causewaya o n et bu , f s eo i factn I e . th , botto e loc th s san hi d f mudm o d an , thoug e islandhth buile ar sf o t large stones. No one knows their origin. The two islands are at different ends of the loch, half to a quarter mile apart. One is very small e otheth , r slightly bigger—almos enougg bi smalta r hfo l fort." Eegarding these island r PeteM s r Anderson, gamekeeper, Scarinish, sends the following details : " As regards the islands on Loch Bhasa- polI hav, e bee then no m hundred f timeo s s while duck-shooting. Eilean Mhic Conuill is entirely artificial, and there are a few stones, remaine th causewaya f so , toward north-weste sth . Ther entirn a s ei e absenc stonef eo loce sflooe th bot hth f o r(whicn ho sands hi outd )an - side the limits of the island. The island is about 18 yards across, partly under water. Eilean Aird na Brathan hav o t appear e em o st bee nmuca h more important partls placei t I y. artificial stonee th , s 292 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 10, 1913.

are very much larger, and they must have had great difficulty in getting them there. It is 50 yards from the shore, and the water e Th . fee4 .. . o rountt deepe islan5 yard10 3 1 s dTh i y s b .i ds other islet that is partly artificial is in Loch na Gile, and is just as Mr Beveridge mention s boohi kn i s(Coll d Tiree),an page 115." Mr Anderson also consider islane th s Lochn do Buailea n probabls a y artificial. Coll.—Besides Tiree, the islands of Coll and North Uist have been describe y Erskineb d Beveridge, LL.D., whose careful investigation and excellent illustrations make one wish that other districts in these distant parts could find as able an historian. It is unnecessary here givo t e more tha nbriea f summar accouns islane hi th f y o f do t . statee H s that the somewhae yar t numerou Colln thasi d havl an ,al t e evidently possessed " clachans " or causeways for approach. The island in Loch Fada is 20 yards from the shore, with a causeway from the north. Half a mile south of this is Loch Ghille Caluim, the island in which can be reached in a dry summer by wading. It measures about 20 fee diametern i t islande Th Loch.n so Rathilt, Loch Urbhaig,d an Loch an Duin all have causeways to the shore. In Loch Cliad there are two natural islands, eac thef ho m approache causewaya y db . About 15 yards south-wes thesf o t esmallea "s i r isle stones,f o t appearl al o ,t - ance entirely artificial, connected an " largee th df o r wit e islandhon s a causeway y b e Upper d LowerTh an . Mill Lochs, markee th n o d Ordnance Map s Loch sa n Cinneachanna d Loch an (fig ) Anlaimh,.16 both contain islands, evidently artificial, " with well-preserved cause- ways through rather deep water." Isle of .—Just foregoine nortth f ho g island smale th s si l islf eo Eigg, measuring three miles by four. In it is the little Loch na Mna Moire, wit distinctlha y artificial island. Rev. F. M'Clymont write: s "thoughI t mighi t t interesknoo t u w yo ttha f theso t e there on s ei island g loca Bi n hs i e e hereLoce namth t th th goeI f f ho .y eo b s Woman. There is a funny tradition of its being inhabited by abnor- ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS IN THE HIGHLAND AREA. 293

mally big women, who used stepping-stones so far apart that none else could use them." The island is 50 yards from the shore, and measures 35 feet by 15. .—Although artificial island commoo s Outee e sar th n i r Hebrides e onlreportee th , yon d from Sky probabls ea s thaei t men- tioned by Major Kenneth Macdonald of Skeabost, in the old Loch of Monkstadt, now drained. There are the remains of an old monastic

Fig. 16. Island in Loch nan Cinneachan.

building there, on what was an island in the loch. The loch was drained about eighty years ago, and now gives a wonderful crop of hay. Hon. Godfrey Macdonald, Armadale Castle, and MacLeod of MacLeod both write that they artificiaknoo n f wo l island thein o s r properties, which e greatecompristh r fa r y pareb Skyef o t . n singulaI r contras e precedingth o t t , artificial islands occua n i r continuous line throughout the Long Island. In there is one in Loch Duin,n a e roa closth do t efro m Castleba Norto yt h Bayn I . South Uist they occur almost exactly every e threb y e milesma d an , 294 PROCEEDING SOCIETYTHE OP S , FEBRUARY 10, 1913. seen fro highroae mth d which runs throug e e centrislandhth th f o e . That on Loch. DunnaMllie has the remains of buildings upon it, and ifairlsa y large island Lochn I . na Faoillen (fig. 17) smala , l loch only a quarte a mil f o er across, n excellenthera s i e t specimen, witha causewa e shoreth o yt . When stayin n Soutgi h Uis 190n d i t ha 9 I

Fig. 17. Loch na Faoillen Island. this island for six weeks just opposite my house, though it was with some difficulty that I had a tiny boat put on the loch and landed on the island. It is 50 feet in diameter, and is certainly artificial. The causewa shoree th o yt , though quite distinct unpassablw no s ,i e except as a trial of skill. Three miles further north, and again alongside the highroad, there is another similar island with causeway in Loch a Mhuilinn (fig. 18). To these, which I frequently saw myself, Rev. Alex. Macdougall add islande sth Lochn si Bornish,d Ar Loch Ceann a' ARTIFICIAL ISLANDE HIGHLANTH N I S D AEEA. 295

Bhaigh Oimaclate th n i e distiict ,Stoneybridge Briac a Loch th t n Al i e district, and in Loch Druidibeg in the Stillingarry district. These^are quite independent of the great number of natural islets with which most of the lochs abound, and which make the presence of so many of the artificial islands all the more surprising.

. FigLoc18 . hMhuilina n Island, South Hist.

Benbecula.—Regarding e exampleth n Benbeculi s I ahav e th e promise of a full report from Eric Gardner, M.D., who writes : " Ther e herar e e several duns, three very good ones t mosbu , t have been use r buildindfo g material. remaine Therstono th e tw ear f so circles; of one only a single stone remains erect, the rest having been used for building material; the other, very perfect till a short time s blasteagowa , d dow r buildinnfo g materia schoolw l ne t fo a bu r, 6 29 PROCEEDING E SOCIETYTH F O S , FEBRUAR , 191310 Y .

ther stils ei gooa l d deal left. Ther othee ear r sites which shoule db investigated, which I shall mention when I write again." Fortunately, the artificial islands are not so easily reached. North Uist.—As already mentioned, North Uiss beeha tn fulld yan most ably describe r ErskinD y db e Beveridg s worhi kn ei published as recently as last year. The following notes and illustrations are taken from this work by kind permission of the author. Treating of island forts saye h lisr , s: "t Ou include feweo sn r than seventy island forts, eacrula s hea provided wit hcausewaa y fro neighbourine mth g shore, whilst in exceptional cases it would seem that the only access was by means of a boat. The causeways show considerable divergence in type, and most of them have evidently been submerged to the inches8 1 r o exten,2 thoug1 f o t h others stan t abouda e normath t l surface of the loch. It was of special interest to find seven of these approaches interrupte structuray db l gaps, obviously arranges a o s d o givt e additional security. o doubn Again d t an ,wit a hsimila r purpose causewaye ,th s display much irregularit outlinef yo generan i , l taking a curvilinear form, but sometimes that of zigzag, or of a double curve, shaped like the letter S." Treating of prehistoric forts in chapter vi., the author adds a footnote: " To all appearance several of the minor island forts have been built upon foundations at least partly artificial, thoug t hseemi s obvious tha eacn i t h cas s site eeth wa tako choset s ea advantago ns naturaf eo l conditions already existing." lettea n Augusf I o r t last Beveridgr D , ablew o ewrott no m ea : " I senparticularu dyo apparentle th f so y artificial island Nortn si h Uist. I have classed seven as such, numbering them 1 to 7, and five other doubtfule sar other,w whilsfe a s whice tb therlese y har s ema obviou charactero t twelvs e sa th f eO I hav . e only photographed six, and send copies herewith." No. 1 (fig. 19) is the island in Loch an Duin, Portnain, known as Dun Nighean righ Lochlainn. It is about 30 feet diameten i yard0 3 d s an distanr t fro e shoremth , with well-marked causeway. Stone circlea chambere d an s d cair ne nea th exis rn i t

298 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 10, 1913.

neighbourhood. No. 2, Loch an Duin, Breinish (fig. 20), also known n NigheaDu s a n righ Lochlainn. This measure , is 32 fee8 y 2 sb t distant 25 yards from the shore, and has a distinct causeway. The two islets in Loch Obisary Dr Beveridge considers doubtful; the one measure fee8 1 diametersn i t e othe th , feet 0 y t neithe6 ran bu , s ha r causeway visible. The two islets in Loch Mor, Baleshare, are classed as certainly artificial; one measures 40 feet in diameter, the other less. eacn I h case ther causewaa s ei y abou isletfeeo 5 t ttw n si widee Th . Loch nan Gearrachan are also certainly artificial; one measures 32 feet across, the other 29 feet by 41 feet. They are distant respectively 35 and 25 yards from the shore, and each has its causeway. The island in Loch e "Eashader th certai f o s ni " class t I measure. fee2 5 s t across distans i , yard0 4 t s e causewafro e shoreth mth t bu , thin yi s cas doubtfuls ei Loche Th .Aonghuis islan "s di doubtful, alss i os a " that in Loch Oban Trumisgarry, but this latter has a causeway to the shore, a distance of 30 yards. In Loch nan Clachan (fig. 21) occurs a very typical example. It measures 83 feet by 92 feet, and stands about 3 feet above the ordinary water level. Surface indications s beinpoinit t leaso gt a t t partly, if not altogether, of artificial origin. The causeway is 50 yard yard2 a poin lengthf n i st o a s d tshowp abouan ga , a s0 2 t yards from the island. Harris.—Mr J. Wedderspoon, C.E., a prominent member of the Inverness Field Club, sends particular o islandtw n f Harrii o ss s: e islan th firs e f Scalpay,n "o di Th t s finwa d near Tarbetd ha I . occasion to visit the island in connection with a water supply to the school proposed to be taken from a small loch near the centre of the island, bearin commoe gth n nam Locf eo Duin.n h a Wedderspoo r M " n mentioned tha islando t thertw e s ear abou yard0 2 t s apart thad an ,t both hav e appearancth e f beino e g artificial, althoug s mori e eon h strikingly so. There is a causeway from the shore, and this appears continuee b o t d betweeislandso tw e n.th

300 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 10, ,1913.

The other example is on the island of Taransay, off the west coast of Harris, which also contains a Loch an Duin (fig. 22). There is a causeway from the shore a distance of about 40 yards, and the island measure fee5 s3 t across Wedderspoor M . n made exact measurements e buildin oth e fisland th n go , which, however e considerh , f muco s h later date than the island itself. Lewis.—Mr James Fraser suggests the island on Loch an Duin, near Loch Carloway loca thad n an h,o t near Bragar, seven miles further north on the west coast of Lewis. Mr 0. G. Mackenzie, Procurator- Fiscal, Stornoway, suggests the islands on Loch Arnish and Loch Ghlathamir : "I firse nthesf th o t foundatione eth islee th tf o ssee mo t formee b f rubble-worko d e samth ed remaran , k appliee twith no t s island Locn so h Chlathamir severan O . l little islane lochth e f dso th common seen.broche b o t dunr " so e sar Mr K. RossJ . , Ban f Scotlando k , Stornoway, write s: " Quite recently another instanc artifician a f eo l island, which doe t appeasno r liste s beeonth ha , n brough noticey s situatei m t I o t tLoch.n do Orisay, which appear reducee th n so d LocSurves a p h EileayMa n Mor, about seven miles from Stornoway in a westerly direction. I do not think there can be any doubt about its being artificial, for the person who notic y brough m neved o eha t rt i t see r hearno d that artificial islands of the kind existed, yet he was quite positive that it had been hane buil th man.f do y b t " One of the most interesting examples of the whole series is that at Tolsta, first suggested by Rev. W. Morrison, M.A., F.S.A.Scot., who writes : " At Tolsta, some 12 miles north of Stornoway, on the croft M'lverr M oa f smala , l shopkeeper laka w e sa botto I , thin mo s croft. He had drained the loch with a view to adding it to his croft. He was astonished that, wit exceptioe hth smala f no l mounotherwise th n do e arid area, he could get no crops to grow. I suggested that the mound was a lake dwelling. He at once agreed that it must be so, for he found stakes stuck all round the mound. He added that he found ARTIFICIAL ISLANDHIGHLANE TH N I 1 S 30 D AEEA.

fragment claf o s y pottery, whic three hh valuwo n asidf himo o et s ea . This took place several year M'lver s M lifn wilago e i f eh I s ri l. assist you with good-will. Lake dwellings shoul e founb d l oveal e d th r interior of the island of Lewis." Mr C. G. Mackenzie, Procurator-Fiscal, writes from Stornoway : " Whil Nortn ei neae hloca th e Tolstrn w hi on vicinit sa e aI th f yo under notice whicn o , islen ha situateds ti . Fro generae mth l appear- ance of the island I do not doubt that it is a built one. At Aird, in the Bye Peninsula, I examined an island in Loch an Duin. A causeway of stones leads fro islandshore e m th th thi d o et s an , islan regarI o dto d as artificially formed. Whether the stones forming the island are the e actuath remain e a ldunar foundationsf r easilw o so , no y t no s i , determined, but I incline to the view just stated. " In addition to those mentioned in my former letter, there appears to be an artificial island on Loch Orisay (spelt phonetically), between Grimsheder and Loch Chlathamir, in the parish of Lochs. The road surveyor r MacleodM , , inform tha e e islanm sth t s undoubtedldi ya f intereso ' buile b knoo t y t island.wma t thaI ' t some years ago, when alterations in the water-supply system to Stornoway were rendered necessary, the loch from which the town's water is drawn (Loch Aird-na-lice) had to be partially drained. At the north-west corner of the loch, some yards from the shore, a perfectly formed islan exposeds dwa , consequen drainine th n o t g operations t stili d l an , f courso w eexists no totall t bu , y covere watery I db remembe f I . r rightly, some stakes were found about it." Interes thin ti s subject appear growing e hope b bees th o s t e ha d n an , expresse dwilp drawe thab lma showinp a tnu e distributiogth f no these islands, not only in the Highland district, but over the whole of Scotland. Before that can be done, however, each district must be surveyed fairly carefully I shal co-operae d onl e glao b th lan ,yf to d o - tion of members of the Society in ascertaining whether there are not still many unrecorded examples. In west and south-west Argyllshire 302 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 10, 1913.

especially there would appear to be need of further investigation, and a great wili e b l t assistanc y memberan e Societf ei th f o sf Anti yo - quaries will make inquiries in those districts, and forward the results of their inquirie. me o st The recently published volume on the Glastonbury Lake Village affords much informatio e greatesth f o n te sizd interesth an e o t s a t constructio f lako n e settlements e wholTh e. settlement consisted of ninety huts, probabl e growtyth f manho y generationst hu e On . measures 32 feet across, and had five complete floors, and no fewer than fourteen hearths above on e other, eth . The small size of some of the examples in our Highland lochs, their tendency to sink below the surface, the varying amount of wood foundation e onlar , y e pointsomth f o es which see mo characterist e both sets of lake dwellings. Much of the information disclosed during the careful work at Glastonbury corresponds with that afforded by e excavationth r Munr e SoutD th f so Scotlandf n oi ho alsd an o, with what has so far been ascertained of those in the Highland area as describe foregoine th n d i previou d gan s papers.