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MHG44808 - Two artificial causeways - Loch an Tachdaidh

Summary

Two artificial causeways leading to a crannog on Loch an Tachdaidh.

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

NH03NE 1 0955 3797.

There are two crannogs in An Gead Loch,(D MacKay, Marydale) one with an evident causeway to the shore.
F O Blundell 1913

There are no crannogs on An Gead Loch, but at NH 0955 3797 about 15.0m from the S. shore of Loch an Tachdaidh, there is a natural island 40.0 by 26.0m and 2.0m high, connected to the mainland by a well-defined causeway 3.5m. wide and protruding about 0.2m above the surface. There are no structures on the island.
Visited by OS (N K B) 24 October 1966

NOSAS Visit to Loch an Tachdaidh on 3rd July 2023 undertaken by R Spencer-Jones, S North, G Wilks and Richard Guest. The loch level was high following two weeks of frequent rain. Two causeways connect the crannog to the south-east shore (records only refer to one causeway) but both were under water for most of their length, to a depth of about 0.5m at the deepest. The surface of the crannog is covered by deep spongy vegetation overlying peat, with no stone visible except around the waterline. The causeways appear to be of artificial construction, consisting of mainly regular sized stones of a size which could be manhandled.

Snorkelling around the island, the surrounding water was found to be very shallow, no more than 1m deep. The loch bed for the most part consisted of small stones – pebbles – in a silty matrix, with occasional larger stones. The exception was around the west to north-west sector where the bed consists of very large boulders, possibly bedrock. The island consisted of stones of a fairly regular size, easily manhandled, similar to the causeway and it is possible to see a definite boundary between the pebbly loch bed and the stone pile of the island. This would tend to support the theory that part of the island, at least, is of artificial construction.

In conclusion, it is possible that a small natural island existed at the west corner of the current island, maybe only a few boulders above the surface. A relatively small amount of imported stone would be necessary to enhance this to form a crannog in the very shallow water. The peat may have built up since the crannog went out of use but the very presence of peat on the surface does cast doubt on whether this is an artificial construction. It was speculated that the dual causeways may have formed a pond to store fish caught elsewhere. <1>

NGR adjusted based on 2009 vertical aerial photographs. <2>

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 0958 3798 (37m by 33m) (3 map features)
Map sheet	NH03NE
Geographical Area	SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Civil Parish	LOCHALSH

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