Monument record MHG43 - Township, Tearnait

Outlines of at least 3 houses with parks, etc; walled arable area at NM 747 474, and outlines of (?) earlier buildings at NM 747 475. Remains of a house at NM 744 473, house at NM 742 472, occupied in 1872, later re-roofed as a sporting bothy. Last house abandoned c.1874. <1>

The settlement of "Ternill" is shown on Roy's Map of 1747-55 with arable ground to the north of the loch. In 1779 the Argyll census of inhabitants listed a population of twelve (Cregeen, 1963, 69), as it was in 1841 when there were reported to be two houses. By 1851 the population had fallen to only three in one house (see <1>). This may have been a direct consequence of the sale of Tearnait to Patrick Sellar in 1844, a similar decline being noticed in other places. Octavius Smith acquired Tearnait in 1860 along with Eignaig and Ardtornish and the whole combined estate was named "Ardtornish".

The site was visited in the course of a walkover survey in 2008. At least three houses with enclosures and arable ground are situated at NM 747 474, where they are recorded on Roy's map. Other, possibly earlier, buildings are located at NM 747 475 and another house, partially roofed in 1872 and associated with a large square enclosure is located at NM 7450 4728. It is thought unlikely that the proposed scheme will affect any of these remains. <2>

The above archaeological report identifies two other sites which are likely to be related to Tearnait township or Tearnait estate. The locations of these suggest that the township boundary may have extended to the burn and the site has been depicted on the GIS accordingly. <3>