ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS IN LOCHS OF HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND. 213 
are extracts from Mr. Forbes’ letters: ‘ I have been trying to see some 
of the oldest inhabitants of the estate, as I was told that the island was 
built in Sir Alexander Matheson’s time, but the correct history I only 
obtained to-day when I visited the loch. The island is on Loch 
Achnahinneach about four miles from here in the parish of Loch Ailsh, 
County of Ross. It is quite small and was disappearing altogether 
when they raised the level of the loch, and it was then that Sir 
Alexander did some repairs to it. It has been inhabited at one time and 
the house has been built on oak piles, all that meets the eye now is 
nothing more than a pile of stones where about 30 or 40 seagulls have 
their nests every year. . . . The island is round and not more than 
30 feet in diameter, but I expect it had been much larger before the 
level of the loch was raised.’ In a later letter Mr. Forbes writes: 
“I have two other lochs here which I intend to visit whenever I can 
find time; they are a considerable distance away, but I hope to be able 
to inspect the islands on them during the month of June. I am sure 
there are plenty of others, and I will try and find out about them from 
keepers and then visit them with the camera.’ 
In close proximity to Loch Kinellan, mentioned above, occur Loch 
Ussie and Loch Achilty, as to both of which reports have been sent 
in by Mr. Hugh Fraser, M.A., Dingwall. The islands in the former 
appear to be natural, but a causeway exists between the shore and 
the larger of the islands; the causeway is said to go zigzag. The Loch 
Achilty island was found to show wood projecting from the rubble on 
the 8. W. and also on the N. W., while at the East end the island has been 
damaged by water-wear and the timbers are to be seen in numbers. 
The island measures 60 feet by 42 feet and is distant fully 80 yards 
from the shore; the water is deep all round, nowhere apparently less 
than 15 feet. Regarding these three islands it is worthy of note that the 
district is rich in other prehistoric remains. Mr. Hugh Fraser also sent 
me details of the island on Loch Glass, which he says appears from the 
shore to be a heap or cairn of stones in fairly deep water. In this case 
also he mentions the existence in the neighbourhood of cup-and-ring 
marked stones and ruins of circular dwellings. His description and 
photograph of the island in Loch Morie prove it to be of very similar 
construction. Mr. J. Meiklejohn, factor for Mr. Munro Ferguson, of 
Novar, writes in similar terms, and gives the size of the Loch Morie 
island as ten yards by seven. 
Loch Beannachan.—Mr. Hugh Fraser undertook to visit this island 
from Dingwall, but his experience was a not unusual one. ‘I spent a 
day,’ he writes, ‘in going to Loch Beannachan only to find the island 
entirely under water, and what was worse to be misdirected as to its 
location.” Of this island Mr. John MacLennan writes: ‘I do not 
know of a crannog on Loch Luichart, but I have strong reasons for 
believing there is one in Loch Beannachan, and I have filled in the 
form. with reference to it. This island is only visible at low water, and 
is 200 yards from the shore at the E. end of the loch. About half a mile 
E. of the crannog there appear to be the remains of an old Druid circle. 
The farmer’s son at Carnoch dug inside the circle seven or eight years 
ago and found a brass ring, now in his possession. About forty years 
