FIRAT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES Established 1992 Hillcroft, Station Road, Rhu, By Helensburgh, G84 8LW, Argyll, Scotland Upper Cormonachan Loch Goil, Argyll Archaeological Survey for July 2020 Director: Fiona M.C. Baker BA, FSAScot. Tel: 01436 820 334 Email: [email protected] Registered in Scotland. Company Number SC337432 Upper Cormonachan, Carrick Castle, Loch Goil, Argyll Contents Page Figure 1. Site location and plan 2 Figure 2. Plan of Cormonachan Woodlands path route. 3 Introduction 4 Planning Consent 4 Scope and Objectives of the Archaeological Work 5 Map Evidence 6 Figure 3. Timothy Pont map c. 1590 6 Figure 4. Roy Military Survey of Scotland 1747-55 7 Figure 5. First Edition Ordnance Survey map 1860 8 Figure 6. Second Edition Ordnance Survey map 1899 9 Figure 7. First and Second Edition Ordnance Survey maps 10 Documentary Evidence 11 Archaeological Background (Historic Environment Records) 16 Site Conditions and Impact of Development 23 Tree Felling 24 Figure 8: Site plan showing location of felled trees, path route and sign location 25 Site Description (includes condition assessment and mitigation) 26 Summary Conclusion 78 Recommendations 79 Interpretation board 79 Paths 80 Discovery and Excavation in Scotland entry 81 Photograph List 82 Drawing List 86 Bibliography and Map List 86 Reporting and Contents and Location of the Archive 87 Acknowledgements 87 Contact Addresses 88 Interpretation board figures Figure 9: Site plan showing path route and sign location 89 Figure 10: Site plan (no annotation) 90 Photographs with captions are present throughout the report. Firat Archaeological Services for Cormonachan Community Woodlands 1 Upper Cormonachan, Loch Goil, Argyll. North Sea 5 km Inverness Aberdeen see below Loch Goil Glasgow Edinburgh 100 km Loch Long Gare Loch Helensburgh Loch Goil Upper Cormonachan Cormonachan 1km Reproduced from the 1:25000 Explorer (2010) FIRAT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES Ordnance Survey map with the permission of HMSO © Hillcroft, Station Road Crown copyright Rhu, byHelensburgh, G84 8LW Figure No. 1: Site Location Map OS Licence 100016476 Firat Archaeological Services 2 Upper Cormonachan, Carrick Castle, Loch Goil, Argyll Figure 2. Plan of Cormonachan Woodlands path route. (courtesy Cormonachan Community Woodlands Ltd) Firat Archaeological Services for Cormonachan Community Woodlands 3 Upper Cormonachan, Carrick Castle, Loch Goil, Argyll Introduction Cormonachan Community Woodlands Ltd (formerly known as Cormonachan Woodlands Association until 1 April 2020) have been granted planning permission by Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park (LLTTNP) for the ‘Upper Cormonachan Paths Project’ (Planning Reference: 2019/0001/DET, approved 11 July 2019). The objective of the work is to improve access and interpretation and ensure the longer-term preservation of the settlement site. The Upper Cormonachan Paths Project is part of the Argyll Forest Park Landscape Heritage Scheme. The project aims to improve access to the heritage asset of Upper Cormonachan township (NS 19026 96745) by the construction of new walking paths and to enhance the heritage resources by undertaking clearance of vegetation, any necessary consolidation works and installing interpretation panels. Cormonachan Community Woodlands Ltd is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee with a Memorandum of Understanding and lease from Forestry and Land Scotland (the landowners) and permission to undertake the path project. Firat Archaeological Services were commissioned by Cormonachan Community Woodlands to undertake the archaeological work required to discharge the planning conditions and assist with the interpretation of the archaeological remains. The archaeological recording and monitoring work were carried out by Fiona Baker and took place on 29 September and 23 October 2019 and 14 and 25 February and 9 March 2020. Planning Consent Planning Reference: 2019/0001/DET Condition 1 Archaeological Investigation: Prior to the commencement of the development hereby approved a programme of archaeological work in accordance with a written scheme of investigation (WSI) shall be submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Planning Authority in consultation with the West of Scotland Archaeology Service. Thereafter the approved WSI shall be implemented in full. Reason: To safeguard the archaeological value of the site A Written Scheme of Investigation for Archaeological Work at Cormonachan Woodlands, Loch Goil, Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. Planning Reference: 2019/0001/DET. Prepared on behalf of Cormonachan Woodlands Association by Firat Archaeological Services, 24 September 2019 was agreed by the West of Scotland Archaeology Service on 26 September 2019 and approved by Loch Lomond and The Trossachs Panning Authority on 27 September 2019. Firat Archaeological Services for Cormonachan Community Woodlands 4 Upper Cormonachan, Carrick Castle, Loch Goil, Argyll Scope and Objectives of the Archaeological Work The development required archaeological mitigation in the form of an archaeological survey and assessment of the township of Upper Cormonachan and the proposed path network through and in the immediate vicinity of the settlement along with the proposed locations of interpretation boards. This was to ensure that the tree felling and clearance works necessary to make the site accessible and safe for visitors did not damage the archaeological remains. Further, that the location of the path and interpretation sign board did not cause any damage to the archaeological remains. The first stage of the archaeological work was an initial archaeological appraisal of the site in its present condition to ensure all archaeological remains were identified, determine the threats to archaeological preservation posed by existing trees and propose a felling strategy that would ensure improved longer term preservation of the site and improve accessibility and interpretation for visitors. Following on from the initial survey in September and October 2019, an interim report was produced - Upper Cormonachan, Loch Goil. Cormonachan Woodlands Association. Update on archaeological survey. 26 October 2019. Fiona Baker, Firat Archaeological Services. Based on this initial assessment the trees that required felling, in order to reduce and remove the threat they were causing and posed to the archaeological remains, were agreed with the West of Scotland Archaeology Service. Further site recording work to complete the measured site plan and written and photographic records of all archaeological features, reported here, was undertaken in February 2020 and monitoring of the tree felling was undertaken in March 2020. A further stage of monitoring work will take place during the actual path construction and installation of the interpretation board later in 2020 (perhaps in 2021 due to Covid 19 imposed delays). The archaeological consultation and mitigation work also includes assessment of, and recommendations on, the access and interpretation improvement measures. In addition to the felling of trees the path route has been amended to ensure the archaeological remains are not damaged and reflect the ‘path of least resistance’ visitors are most likely to take; the use of floating causeways over boggy areas; location of drainage features; minor consolidation works and siting of the interpretation board.. Firat Archaeological Services for Cormonachan Community Woodlands 5 Upper Cormonachan, Carrick Castle, Loch Goil, Argyll Map Evidence The earliest map evidence for the existence of Upper Cormonachan is Pont’s map of c. 1590. The settlement is also shown on General Roy’s Military Map on 1747-55. However, it is the nineteenth century First and Second Edition Ordnance Survey maps that provide the most detailed evidence of the site in its final years of occupation. Figure 3. Timothy Pont map c. 1590 Timothy Pont c. 1583-96, Map 16 Gare Loch, Loch Long and Holy Loch. ©National Library of Scotland. Pont’s map shows ‘CoryVon’ at the site of Cormonachan and it shows the burn and also, possibly, the enclosing dyke or extent of the tenancy. Firat Archaeological Services for Cormonachan Community Woodlands 6 Upper Cormonachan, Carrick Castle, Loch Goil, Argyll Figure 4. Roy Military Survey of Scotland 1747-55 General William Roy Military Survey of Scotland 1747-55. ©The British Library. The Roy map shows a cluster of buildings (red) at Upper Currymonachan and also a settlement at Currymonachan on the shore of Loch Goil. The hillside above the tree line is shown as cultivated land. Figure 5. First Edition Ordnance Survey map 1869 Argyllshire and Buteshire CLIII.6 (Lochgoilhead) - Ordnance Survey 25-inch 1st edition, Scotland, 1855-1882 Firat Archaeological Services for Cormonachan Community Woodlands 7 Upper Cormonachan, Carrick Castle, Loch Goil, Argyll Upper Cormonachan is shown as being in a ruinous condition on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1869 with what have been interpreted as four unroofed buildings and two enclosures and a head-dyke. The archaeological fieldwork suggests there are actually three unroofed buildings and three enclosures along with the head dyke. Figure 6. Second Edition Ordnance Survey map 1899 Argyllshire CLIII.6 (Lochgoilhead and Kilmorich) Ordnance Survey 25inch 2nd edition, Publication date: 1899 Revised: 1898 The core settlement remains and dykes on the Second Edition OS map, surveyed some thirty years later, remain the same as the First Edition map showing unroofed buildings and enclosures. However, there have been a number