The articles found in the course of the explorations of this cairn, or crannoge, were a portion of a small stone cup, two whetstones, and an iron axe-head, together with charcoal and burnt bones. In the vicinity there were found some flint arrow-heads and flakes, and, some years ago, a canoe.
"About 150 feet, in a south-easterly direction from this place, and in marshy ground, were found a great many pile-heads, covered with grass and vegetable matter; and after removing this covering they stood as shown in the accompanying plan and scale. This is no doubt the foundation of another crannoge or lake habitation. An area of 6 feet in the centre seemed, so far as I examined, to have been laid with large stones, and intersected with small trees and stakes. Beyond this space I observed no stones, only the mud of the lake, and a few bits of small trees. Three stones in the centre seemed marked by fire; and below those I turned over, and under water, there was a good deal of charcoal mixed with small bits of bone.
"In the neighbouring 'Loch of Flemington,' and covered with several feet of water, are to be seen, when the water is frozen over, similar remains of piles.
"In the east end of the small pond called 'Loch in Dunty,' about two miles in a westerly direction from that of Flemington, are to be observed three vestiges of piles about a foot above water; these, notwithstanding the evidence of a Highlander living close by, 'that the piles had been put into the loch in auld time, for the purpose of steeping the lint,' are, in my opinion, of the same description, day and generation, as those I have attempted to describe in the Loch of the Clans."—(Proc. Soc. Antiq. Scot. vol. v. pp. 116, 332.)
Loch of Sanquhar, Dumfries-shire.
In June 1863, Dr. Grierson of Thornhill announced, at a meeting of the Dumfries-shire and Galloway Natural History Society, that an ancient stockade had been found in a small loch near Sanquhar. He observed, "that about five weeks ago, a man drowned himself in a tarn about two miles north of Sanquhar. In order to recover the body, the water was drained off, when it was found that a small island in the middle of the loch or tarn was artificial, and had been constructed of stakes with stones between, and had been approached by a zigzag line of stepping-stones. It was thought that the loch might be altogether artificial, forming, as it were, a moat or fosse to the little fort."—(Proceedings, Session 1863-4, p. 12.)
During the summer of 1865, the members of the Society made an excursion to this loch for the purpose of examining the crannog, the result of which is described by the President (the late Sir W. Jardine, Bart.) in his annual address, and from which the following extracts are taken:[17]—
"This loch is of considerable depth, and now covers about 2 acres. At the north end of this there is a small island covered with a rank vegetation of grasses, carices, etc., mixed with a few plants of Epilobium angustifolium, and there are also a few stunted trees of Scotch fir and birch. At the north or north-east end there is a natural outlet from the loch through the moss, which could be easily deepened." ... (This outlet was deepened previous to their visit, and the water drained off so as to facilitate the examination of the island.)
"When first seen, after the bottom was laid dry, a few upright piles were observed, and the curving narrow passage from the mainland appeared somewhat raised, and was hard below the immediate mud deposit, as if a sort of rough causeway had been formed; and when the water was at its height, or nearly level with the surface of the island, persons acquainted with the turn or winding of the passage could wade to it. The base of the slope of the island was laid or strengthened with stones, some of considerable size, so placed as to protect the wooden structure. Round the island could be seen driven piles, to which were attached strong transverse beams, and upon making a cut 6 or 7 feet wide into the side of the island to ascertain its structure, we found a platform of about 4 feet in depth raised by transverse beams placed alternately across each other, and kept in position by driven piles. These last were generally self oak trees, but dressed and sharpened by a metal tool, some of them mortised at the heads where a transverse rail or beam could be fixed. The transverse beams, of various sizes, were chiefly of birch wood.... On the surface of the island there were some indications of buildings, but on examination these were found to be only the erection of curlers for fire, or the protection of their channel-stones when not in use. No remains of any kind were found on the island nor around it, but, except on the passage from the mainland, the mud was so deep and soft as to prevent effectual search. Neither have we any record of any other remains being found in or near the loch except the canoe already alluded to. It is formed out of a single oak tree, 16 feet in length by 3 feet broad at the widest part, at the prow only 1 foot 10 inches."
Loch Barean, Kirkcudbrightshire.