Site Event/Activity record EHG2941 - Ardintoul, Royal Navy Oil Fuel Store

The remains of a small Royal Navy oil tank farm are situated immediately N of Ardintoul House (NG82SW 22), which stands on the SW shore of Ardintoul Bay and the S bank of Loch Alsh. All that survives are the earth banks, which surrounded the tanks and the circular impressions of the structures with one or two buildings and the perimeter fence. The enclosure surrounding the tanks occupies about 2.88 hectares. The tanks stood at NG 83200 24224 and NG 83256 24253 respectively, the larger with a diameter of c.41m the smaller c.25m. A small square building would appear to survive at NG 83184 24289 (current OS digital map), with two small huts at NG 83332 24327 and NG 83320 24339. In addition there is a jetty at NG 83422 24304 and slipway at NG 83381 24263. The OS maps also depict and annotate a 'mast' at c.NG 8323 2418. The two oil storage tanks are visible on vertical air photographs taken in 1947 (CPE/Scot/UK 288, frames 3066-3067, flown 30 August 1947), suggesting that they are of World War II origin. Also visible are two Nissen huts with a connecting block at c.NG 8325 2429, which have since been removed and a series of small blocks along the shore which also would appear to have been removed. On the 1947 images the jetty is short whilst recent map evidence (OS digital maps), show that this has been enlarged and extended along with the addition of the slipway noted above. It has been suggested that the oil storage tanks were removed about ten to twelve years ago. Information from RCAHMS (DE), October 2008; Information to RCAHMS via e-mail from Mr M Briscoe 28 August 2007 <1>