ANCIENT STRUCTURES IN SEIL AND LUING, ETC. 23 II. NOTES ON ANCIENT STRUCTURES IN THE ISLANDS OF SEIL AND E GARBTH HN I LUING ISLANDD AN , ; WITH PRELIMINARY NOTICE OF THE NORTH FORT OF LUING. BY W. IVISON MACADAM, F.S.A. SCOT. Erection Lochn i Seil.—Loch Seil a smal, l loch about -| mile long d abouan t ^ mile broad e eas th ,roae t lieth n dsido sf o ebetwee n Kilninver and Clachan of Tigh-an-truish. Near the south end of the loch thern artificiaa s i e l islan fee4 2 dt lon1d 8an g fee t s broadi t I . regularly buil f stoneso t , som e f weswhico eth e largetn ar hsidO .e there is a slip, as if for a narrow boat, and on the east side a square landing-stagea r fo placef i s a , . Therevidenco n s causewayea i f o e - ,un less these before-mentioned points represent the places from which a wooden gangway started. Tradition in the locality refers to this island as having at one time been inhabited. I made careful examination of the structure, but could find no trace of wooden beams, although I was told that at a comparatively recent period a beam had been removed frostructuree centre th mth f o e I mad. e soundings roun e islanddth , norte found th an hn d o sid fee6 e inche 2 t e f easwaterso th t n sido , e 8 feet 4 inches, on the south side 7 feet 6 inches, and on the west sid fee6 e 4 inchet e timf watero se on loc et Th a hextende . d much further south musd an ,t tha a t t time have been fro mmile2 Io t fs long. I made careful examination, without findin remainsy an gI propos t bu ; e to dredge tha bottom at an early date. Standing-Stones.—To the west of Loch Seil, and overlooking the Dubh loch, there are some very fine standing-stones, one of which is fully 10 feet high. At Kilninver, about a mile and a half nearer Oban than Loch Seil, there is one standing-stone. It is almost at the mouth e riveoth fshore e r th Euchar n f Loco so d h an ,Feochan . Eilean-an-Duin (The Island of the Heap).—The form of this island has probably led to the belief that a fort once existed. The word Duin, originally onl yusecomee w b "usea dfort,o r no t s dfo simpl "ha a r yfo "heap." There is an opening in the whin bar on the north-wsst end 4 2 PROCEEDING THF O SE SOCIETY, DECEMBE , 18959 R . of the island. Local tradition states that one of the giants of old pushe s thumhi d b throug e roc th hn hii k s endeavoue th o pict rp ku island. Ardfad Castle—(Ard Fad = the long height}.—This castle, once the e MacDougallshomth f o e well-buila s wa , t structur f stoneo limed ean . It occupies a prominent position on the shores of Ardincaple Bay, about 500 feet from Ardfad farm-house. The structure must have been a stronghold of no mean strength, occupying a situation on a crag and tail rock, not unlike Edinburgh Castle rock. The lower part of the buildin s beeha g n cleverly adapte e irregularitieth o t d e rockth f .o s There are two well-defined round corner towers, one on the east and one on the west side of the building, and there are the usual arrow slits. There is an outwork on the " tail" side, covering the only possible approach. The present mansion-house of the estate lies about 600 yards to the south-west. Ach-a-luachrach-—(The, field of_ the rushes),—About 500 yards south of Camuslaich farm-house situated hila an , ln do abou fee0 20 tt high, stand remaine sth larga f so e structure, locally know Caisteas na l Ach-a- luachrach. This structure mus e timt on have t beea e n very larges a , from 500 to 600 cartloads of stones have been removed within the last fifty years for building purposes. Many of the stones are of enormous size, and the ruins are yet of great extent. About fifty years ago a bar of gold was found within the ruins, as also a sword and other articles. It is not known .what became of these relics. The ruins appear to be very similar to those at the North Fort of Luing, as the divisional wall is visible. Sgeir Cam—(The rock with e heap f th stones).—o This rock lien i s the Sound of Seil, immediately below the schoolhouse to the south of the Tigh-an-truish inn. It is about 100 feet long and 30 feet broad. There are distinct traces of an irregularly built structure made of rough stones without lime. Dr Patrick Gillies, Dunmore, Easdale, possesses vera y fine ston founp cu e d e somth thief n o o year s s i o rock sag t I . usual type. Sgeir Liath-mhbr—(The greyg bi rock).—This roc ke Soun th lie n si d of Seil, in Balvicar Bay. It is about 250 feet long, and 75 feet broad at ANCIENT STRUCTUKES IN SEIL AND LUING, ETC. 25 its widest part. I found here very distinct evidence of a roughly built structure roce mucs i kTh . h expose stonee wavese th e th d ar so t d an , therefore being very quickly displaced. Eilean Tornal.—This island lies in Balvicar Bay. It is irregular in shape aboud an , t 1000 feet broa s greateslond it t dan ga t measurements. I found clear indications of the foundations of a rough stone building. The rabbit-burrow earth discloses numberless shells of the whelk, &c. • Toin-na-croiche—(TJie round hillocke gallows).—th f o About 0 fee80 t south-east of Balvicar village there are well-defined vitrified walls. structure greaf o Th t t no extent s ei . Smic-mhic-mharcuis—(The chin of MacMarguis).—In the churchyard chaped ol Kilbrandof e o lth f n ther severae ear l sculptured stones which will well repay a visit. Especially is this the case with the gravestone e Maclachlanoth f f Kilbrideo s , which stand d chapeol se closth l o t e wall, and on the south side. There is a curious tradition regarding, a stone of irregular pyramidal shape which stands on this gravestone. sais i dt I that whe buriana takes ha l n place, thafollowine th t g morning the stone has turned upon its axis, and is found pointing towards the grave. The natives hold this stone in great veneration, and will neither themselves remov e ston r th alloe no ef wother o s doin . Withiso g n recent year well-knowa s n membe f thio r s Societ s ysaii o havt d - ere move usua e stonee th d th t l resulbu , sucf to hsacrilege—wana f sleepto — speedily cause reture dth n of.the relic. Two native believee ar s havo t de poweeth f "secono r d sight,d an " to be able to foretell death. Sgeir Carnach—(The rock with cairn).—e th About yard0 30 s nortf ho Dun Edin in Luing there is a rocky mass in the sea, to which, at dead low tide, there is a passage. The top of the rock is covered by a mass of e remainstonesth d f severaan ,so l heavy wood beam stile ar s l visible. The structure has evidently been of the lake-dwelling class. An-Caisteal—(The Castle).—The structur commonls ei y referres a o dt the North Fort of Luing.. It lies about 350 yards to the north-west of Ardinamir (the field of the flax-steeping pool). It occupies a 26 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, DECEMBER 9, 1865. commandin ridgea f o , p abougto positio e t th 15 n no 0 feet abova se e levele forTh t .prope f irregulao s i r r oval shape, being from norto t h south abou feet9 9 t , arid from eas weso t tfeet7 5 t , inside measurement. There are two entrances, the first being on the east side and the second on the south-west. The east entrance is 4 feet 10 inches wide on the outer side and 6 feet 8 inches inside. It is guarded by an irregularly round chamber, 4 feet 6 inches by 6 feet. The outer walls are 15 feet thick, and about 6 feet high inside and 12 feet 6 inches outside. The for divides i t wala y fee3 dlb t thick, running from south-eas northo t t - west, and having a central chamber or cell 3 feet by 5 feet, inside measurement. There is evidence that this was not the only chamber insid e erectionth e . Surroundin e innegth r distanca for t a t f aboueo t 24 feet, ther circulaa s ei r wal fee6 l t thick. This wal s onli l y pierced at a point opposite the east entrance. A second outer wall starts from e easterlth y terminatio e previouslth f no y mentioned wall rund a an n ,s i south and west direction to a point where the rocks become precipitous. Fro e north-easmth e tentrance-chambe th sid f o e a wallr , evidently protectin forte e roath gth , o dt run s a alssout n wesd oi han t direction.