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MHG10059 - Crannog, W end Loch Migdale

Summary

No summary available.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

NH69SW 39 6259 9159.
At W end of Loch Migdale, some 60 yards from the shore, is an islet which appears to be artificial. It is formed of boulders laid on clay and is some 63' in diameter. The loch is shallow towards the landward side, but deep on the outer sides. The island is said to have been occupied in 1630.
RCAHMS 1911, visited 1909. <1>

A crannog at NH 6259 9159. It is a mound of stones c. 22.0m in diameter and c. 2.0m deep (plumbed with oar). At the time of investigation the loch was high and it was awash, and nothing could be seen of its construction. There is no causeway.
Visited by OS (A A) 21 October 1969.

The crannog is as described. It is composed solely of large stones and stood 0.4m above the loch when visited. It is positioned partly on a natural shallowing in the loch
Visited by OS (J B) 9 September 1980.

Scheduled 04/03/2004.
Excavated by Time Team 04/2003. Timbers reported from Crannog. Locals spoke of seeing causeway to crannog in past - pers comm C Dagg. <2>

Report on excavations by Time Team, 2003.

Two trial trenches were dug across the Crannog; one in shallow water and one under water. The crannog was examined by a team of four underwater archaeologists led by Dr Nicholas Dixon, Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology. Dr Dixon concluded that there was no doubt that the remains discovered underwater at Loch Migdale are those of an artificial island or crannog connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway. It was suggested initially that,
on the basis of the tool marks on the timbers, that the crannog may be of Late Bronze Age date, though two radiocarbon determinations, published in archaeological evaluation report in 2003 (below), support an Iron Age date which is consistent with the evidence from many other crannogs. <3>

This crannog can be seen clearly in an oblique aerial photograph by Jim Bone. <4>

See also link below to Scottish Radiocarbon Database for radiocarbon dates.

Sources/Archives (4)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 6258 9159 (40m by 40m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH69SW
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	CREICH

Finds (0)

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Related Investigations/Events (2)

External Links (3)