The following facts were communicated to the author by John J. Reid, Esq., F.S.A. Scot., Edinburgh:—
Loch Barean, situated in a mountainous patch in the parish of Colvend, is about five miles from Dalbeattie, and not far from the main road leading from this town to Colvend Manse. It is a deep peaty sort of a loch, very irregularly shaped, measuring about 1950 feet in length, with a breadth varying from 600 to 1150 feet, and is bounded on the east by a barren ridge of rock which runs along its margin. In 1865 the level of this loch was lowered by drainage, when a few stones, which used to become visible in dry summers, turned out to be an artificial island constructed of wooden beams. Shortly after exposure, it was visited by the late Sir W. Jardine, Dr. Stuart, Secretary to the Society of Antiquaries, and others, and found to be surrounded by a circle of oak piles enclosing a wooden flooring. "None of these piles were visible above the water. On this oak piling beams had been laid horizontally, some oak and some of fir still retaining the bark. The space within this piling was nearly circular in shape, and measured about 24 feet in diameter; but, outside the piling, and between it and the loch, there was an area, from 5 to 8 feet wide, filled with angular granite blocks to assist in protecting the wooden flooring."
Two metal "pots" were found on the island, of which only one now remains. It is of thin beaten bronze, flat-bottomed, with bulging sides and everted lip. Its dimensions are: height 5 inches, diameter of mouth 43⁄4 inches, do. of bottom 33⁄4 inches, and do. in middle 53⁄4 inches.[18]
Crannogs in Loch Dowalton.
A more important discovery, made about the same time, was a group of artificial islands in Lake Dowalton, Wigtownshire, which were first described by Lord Lovaine, in a paper read to the British Association in 1863. Mr. John Stuart, Secretary to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, then took up the subject, and, owing to a greater drainage of the loch having been made in the interval, was enabled to re-examine the Dowalton islands under more favourable circumstances. The result of his labours was an elaborate paper to the Society, in which he gave a detailed account of the structure and relics of these crannogs, and also took the opportunity of incorporating into his article all the facts he could glean, so as to afford a basis for comparing the Scottish examples with those in other countries. I have taken advantage of some of the contents of this paper on a previous occasion when discussing Mr. Robertson's investigations of Scottish crannogs. The following is the substance of Dr. Stuart's examination and report of the Dowalton group:[19]—
The late Loch of Dowalton was of an irregular form, about 1 1⁄2 mile long, and about 3⁄4ths of a mile in greatest breadth, and without any marked outfall for drainage. Sir William Maxwell effected this by making a cut, 25 feet deep, through the wall of whinstone and slate which closed it in at its south-eastern extremity. Dr. Stuart, who availed himself of Lord Lovaine's previous description of the island abodes that became visible on the drainage of the loch, describes them in order of succession, beginning at the west end:—
"The first is called Miller's Cairn, from its having been a mark of the levels, when the loch was drained by cuts for feeding neighbouring mills. One of these cuts is known to have been made at a remote period. It was still surrounded by water when the place was visited by Lord Percy in 1863. On approaching the cairn, the numerous rows of piles which surrounded it first attracted notice. These piles were formed of young oak-trees. Lying on the north-east side were mortised frames of beams of oak, like hurdles, and, below these, round trees laid horizontally. In some cases the vertical piles were mortised into horizontal bars. Below them were layers of hazel and birch branches, and under these were masses of fern, the whole mixed with large boulders, and penetrated by piles. Above all was a surface of stones and soil, which was several feet under water till the recent drainage took place. The hurdle frames were neatly mortised together, and were secured by pegs in the mortise holes.
"On one side of the island a round space of a few feet in size appeared, on which was a layer of white clay, browned and calcined as from the action of fire, and around it were bones of animals and ashes of wood. Below this was a layer of fern and another surface of clay, calcined as in the upper case. A small piece of bronze was found between the two layers. On the top another layer of fern was found, but the clay, and the slab which probably rested upon it, had been removed. There can be no doubt that this had been used as a hearth. Near this cairn a bronze pan was found.... Lines of piles, apparently to support a causeway, led from it to the shore.
"The next in order is the largest island. Lord Percy succeeded in reaching it in a boat in 1863. It appeared to him to be 3 feet below the level of the other islands, and, from several depressions on its surface, to have sunk. The progress of excavation was, however, soon checked by the oozing in of the water. On the south side of the island great pains had been taken to secure the structure; heavy slabs of oak, 5 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 2 inches thick, were laid one upon another in a sloping direction, bolted together by stakes inserted in mortises of 8 inches by 10 inches in size, and connected by square pieces of timber 3 feet 8 inches in length. The surface of the island was of stones, resting on a mass of compressed brushwood, below which were branches and stems of small trees, mostly hazel and birch, mingled with stones, apparently for compressing the moss. Below this were layers of brushwood, fern, and heather, intermingled with stones and soil, the whole resting on a bed of fern 3 or 4 feet in thickness. The mass was pinned together by piles driven into the bottom of the loch, some of which went through holes in the horizontal logs. I noticed some of these flat beams of great size and length (one of them 12 feet long), with three mortise holes in the length, 7 inches square. A thick plank of oak of about 6 feet in length had grooves on its two edges, as if for something to slide in. This island measured 23 yards across, and was surrounded by many rows of piles, some of which had the ends cut square over, as if by several strokes of a small hatchet. Vestiges of branches were observed interlaced in the beams of the hurdles. On the north-east side, and under the superstructure of the island (hurdles and planks), a canoe was found, made of a single tree of oak. It was 21 feet in length, 3 feet 10 inches across over all near the stern, which was square. Its depth at the stern was 17 inches, or, including the back-board which closed the stern, 20 inches. The stern was formed by a plank inserted in a groove on each side, with a back-board pegged on above it. The part containing the grooves was left very thick. There were two thole-pins on each side, inserted in squared holes in the solid, which was left to receive them, and wedged in with small bits of wood. One thwart of fir or willow remained. A plank or wash-board projecting a few inches over the edge, ran round the canoe. It rested on the top, and was fastened with pegs into the solid....
"On one spot a few flat stones were placed as if for a hearth. The best saucepan was found between this island and the shore. A small circular brooch of bronze, four whetstones, two iron hammers, and some lumps of iron slag, were found on the island. A third iron hammer was found near it.