Monument record MHG11982 - Crannog, Eilean A' Chairn

Summary

No summary available.

Location

Grid reference Centred NC 5769 0685 (100m by 100m) (Buffered by site type)
Map sheet NC50NE
Geographical Area SUTHERLAND
Old County SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish LAIRG

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

NC50NE 15 5769 0685.

(NC 5769 0685) St Maelrubha (d 722) may have had cell on island on Loch Shin which is named after him, Eilean Ma Ruibhe, and lies about 60 yards from shore of the south end immediately below the manse of Lairg (? Eilean a Chairn: NC 5769 0685).
J Mackay 1897; F O Blundell 1913; W J Watson 1926.

Rev F MacLeod, Lairg could offer no further information on this site. Visited by OS (W D J) 25 June 1963

The tradition of an association of St Maelrubha with Eilean a Chairn, though tenuous, is still known to hydro-electric engineer at Loch Shin Dam. There is no trace of any structures, but the island appears wholly artificial, being composed entirely of rubble stones, now covered with turf and stunted trees. It measures 9m in diameter and 0.6m high, but the stones extend a further two or three metres around the island before deep water. The engineer states that the water level of Little Loch Shin has been raised about a foot as a result of the dam at NC 582 051.
Visited by OS (N K B) 9 August 1976.

Surveyed at 1/2500. Visited by OS (J B) 16 March 1979.

See also NC50NE0186

Sources/Archives (3)

  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Mackay, J. 1897. 'Sutherland place names: parish of Lairg and Creich', Trans Gaelic Soc Inverness Vol. 20 1894-6, p.103-25. Trans Gaelic Soc Inverness. 103-25. 107.
  • --- Text/Publication/Volume: Watson, W J. 1926. The history of the Celtic place-names of Scotland: being the Rhind lectures on archaeology (expanded) delivered in 1916. 288, 338.
  • --- Text/Publication/Article: Blundell, F O. 1913. 'Further notes on the artificial islands in the Highland area', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 47 1912-13, p.257-302. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 257-302. 281-2; illust..

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

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Record last edited

Jan 28 2008 12:00AM

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