Description

The monument comprises the remains of a crannog, an artificial island settlement thought to date to the later first millennium BC. It survives as the submerged and above-water components of a substantial stone mound which is likely to contain and overlie significant structural, artefactual and ecofactual remains. The visible island is roughly circular in shape with a maximum diameter of 9.5m. The stone mound stands up to 1.5m high at the centre. The crannog is located approximately 20m offshore from the SW shore of Loch Baile Mhich Chailein in lower Glen Creran, at approximately 5m above sea level. The monument was first scheduled in 1977, but the documentation did not meet modern standards: the present rescheduling rectifies this.

The scheduled area is irregular on plan to include the remains described above and an area around them within which evidence relating to the monument's construction, use and abandonment may survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map. The area extends 5m beyond the edge of the visible remains of the island.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because of its inherent potential to make a significant addition to our understanding of the past, in particular the construction and use of island settlements from later prehistory onwards. The site survives in relatively good condition and the overall structural footprint of the monument is intact. It is likely that the stone mound seals important structural, artefactual and ecofactual material, possibly including fragile organic remains (such as wood and leather) that do not normally survive in land-based settlements. This artificial island settlement may represent a long-lived use of Loch Baile Mhich Chailein and the resources of Glen Creran, from the later part of the first millennium BC onwards. The loss of the monument would significantly affect our ability to understand the development of island settlements and their significance for communities inhabiting Argyll and western Scotland from later prehistory onwards.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NN4ONW 1. The West of Scotland Archaeological Service records the site as WOSASPINs 1690 and 22921.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland