Excavation of Bloomeries in Rannoch, Perthshire, and elsewhere by W. G. Aitken s somi t I e considerable time sinc attempy ean bees ha t n mad investigato et anciene eth t iron industry in Scotland. This in part has been caused by the difficulty in finding and identifying slag heaps and hearths, and in part to the fact that these can be found now only in the more remote and uncultivated areas. Undernoted is a report on various excavations of bloomeries carried out over the past six years, and of work which is still being undertaken in certain areas. DESCRIPTION OF THE RANNOCH AREA wile limite desolatd th dan Th f o s e area knowMooe th f Rannocs o nra difficule har o t t define but might fairly be said to enclose an area stretching from Mamore Forest to the north, to Glencoe in the west, Strathfillan to the south and Loch Rannoch in the east. The surface is varied with stream eved san n rivers drainin mountain, git s enclosin lochans, git , moraine mounds and peat bogs spreading over the flatter stretches. The most striking feature, one which draws attentio immense itselfo nt th s i , e quantit f glaciao y l drift boulders, nearl l graniteyal , which lies in disordered masses almost everywhere the eye can reach. These rocks can reach the dimen- sions of a small cottage and there are many perched on top of each other, tribute to the slow meltin whice gic h brought the mtheio t r resting place. Moss, grass, heath, heathe stunted an r d bushes clothe the ground. Up to about 10 years ago trees were few but the work of the Forestry Commission is rapidly changing the face of the Moor. In twenty years time the Moor of Rannoch will again appea onlookee th o t r r muc must i s ha t hav eironworker e donth o et t theia s r hearths. e prooTh f that trees once grew abundantly lies just unde presene th r t surface e ForestrTh . y ploughs tear up and expose the roots and stumps of earlier forests - the raison d'etre of the iron industry in the area. The large proportion of pine charcoal in the slag heaps is supported by the fact that the majority of these roots are of pine trees. That the Moor was not always the desolate and deserted place it is now is proved by the ruins of ancient 'clachans' which are to be found in many secluded and lonely spots in the heart of this amazing place. I am quite certain - bloomeriee th s a concerner e asfa ar s Rannocn di h- ther mane ear y uncoveredmore b o et d an , fifteente thatth n i , h century t least'gooa a are s e th d,awa going concern'. SITEE TH S Bridge1. Gaur,of No. Rannoch My attention was first directed to a dispersed slag heap at Bridge of Gaur at the western en Locf do h Rannoc Perthshiren hi Misy b , s Alison Cameron) 2. g fi . Tabld (Non o an 1 .1 e AITKEN: EXCAVATIO BLOOMERIEF NO RANNOCHN SI , PERTHSHIRE ELSEWHERD AN , E 189 flat-toppea n site o s ei Th d knoll wit largha e stream flowing past int Loce oth h which lies about | ml to the E. On the N face of the knoll and very close to the right bank of the stream, I uncovere dlarga e well-built kiln. This structur lates ei r tha bloomere nth slas ya g froe mth site above it was found at the base of the kiln among the infill, and a quantity of the same material beed ha n use 'backinge filo dt th l ' aroun . Thisidee it dth f so s mads kil subjece nwa eth a f o t separate report. e actuaTh l heart difficuls hwa o find t t tgreatl bu , y assiste advicy db e fro r TylecotmD e I eventually uncovere surroundine th bowe d th an l g extremeln stonesa s i t I . y good example s kinoit f d wit hconsiderabla e amoun f slao t g adherin hearthe sidee basd th th f an so eo gt , particularly westere thicth t wherd ka largno en etw e stones marke positioe dtuyereth e th f no , wherd an heae eth t woul greateste db hearte Th . r 'bowlho rectangulas i ' r rather than circular and, by the position of the stones surrounding it and the shape of the slag adhesions, had been t originallou t cu than yi t shape doublA . e lin f stoneeo s extende dhearthe westh f o t , opening out in a fan or funnel shape and having a rough paving or cobbling of small stones within the area thus enclosed (fig 1). Althoug moune th covere s f whole o dh wa th p eto d wit hthia n laye f slago r , disintegrated Plan Section on AB PRESENT SURFACE RED EARTH 'OLD GROUND LEVEL 0 1 Inches. Feet FI G1 Smeltin g heart t Bridgha Gaurf e1 o . no , 190 | PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1969-70 charcoal and patches of dark red earth, no sign remained of the usual heap of slag. It could be assumed that the kiln builders had used the material and had probably scattered the rest in order to flatten the top of the mound for ease of walking. No. 2. The Duncms, Bridge of Gaur The Staff of the Forestry Commission, on whose ground many of the sites lie, having seen site no. 1 uncovered, recollected certain areas where the large Forestry ploughs had passed over heaps of slag. As far as was possible I examined and excavated the sites indicated. Many were 10 0123 • —•• MILES RANNOCH BALQUIDDER 21 TROSSACHS LUSS, L.FYNE MILES FI G2 Distribution map somf so e sites mentioneI I Tablen di d an sI AITKEN: EXCAVATION OF BLOOMERIES IN RANNOCH, PERTHSHIRE, AND ELSEWHERE 191 irretrievably damage greae th y td b ploughs onld an ,y find stonef o s s with slag adhering provided proof tha furnaca t vicinity e beecasa d th s pointeha n en i i wa .2 Sit.. Betweeeno streamo ntw s smala n i l sheltere droae valleth Rannoc o dt f o y N som e yard0 hth eStatio30 o st 1d ^n an mi s from Bridge of Gaur, the plough had torn right through the long axis of a very large slag heap. This heap, some 32 ft long and 22 ft wide, was the largest found in the Rannoch area. Composed of a vast quantity of reduced charcoal and slag, I had hoped that it would produce a good example ohearth a f spitn i f carefut eo bu , l digging onl slap som d aren ta yg a an f eao large stones were found, the plough having gone right through the hearth itself. No. 3. The Barracks Forestre Th y Commission course th n openinf i ,e o Moo e th Rannochf p rgo u , have driven severa thesf o e el on somroad f o esd fou int en 'wildernesse re oth mileth t a sd wesan ' f Gauo t r a complex of five heaps close together was found. Again the ploughs had scattered and broken up the mounds but part of a hearth was found intact at one point, while a fine piece of adhesion - sla granit founn s go wa d e- amon 'scattere gth anothef o ' r heap t mighI . fai e assumo b tt r e that ther beed eha t leas na t five hearth thin si s area part-hearte Th . flaa td 'slabbedhha ' area formed by two large flat stones with a wall of large boulders at the east end. Behind this wall was an area of solid tap slag. A quantity of charcoal was found nearby and some pieces were sent away for identification. The west end of the hearth had been cut across by the plough. No. 4. Upper Dall (fig 3) Dall lies some five miles E of Gaur, down Loch Rannoch and on its S bank. To date five slag heaps have bee thesf no arefoune d Uppee4 th afiv. an n di e no r Dal lgreaf proveo e tb o dt interest. The main feature was a platform of four large flat stones roughly 3 ft wide and d\ ft long, endin rouga n gi h semicircl f boulderso e , double bankee southerth t da n end. Beyond this wall lay areas of almost unbroken tap slag. No less than seven different layers could be distinguished. A number of large stones at both sides of the platform - disturbed by the plough - might indicate that the wall had been continued for a short distance northward. At the northern largeno dtw e stones were sunk int earte oth h wit hsmallea r oblong ston littlefroa y e meth wa Stone 8 10 12 14 Feet FIG 3 Smelting hearth at Upper Dall, Rannoch, no. 4 192 | PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 1969-70 'platforme th f o d centre 'en depressioth a ther S s n ee o elinet th wa t bu betwee.A p o nga tw e nth semicircle th side y on eb walle n f largo eo n di e stones .are n Ther a f adhesio as o ewa n within depressione th . Several patche f slaso g adhesio nlarge werth f eo e surface o noteth tw n f do o e flat platform-stones.