ABTIFICIAL ISLANDS IN LOCHS OP HIGHLANDS OP SCOTLAND. 303 



Artificial Islands in the Lochs of the Highlands of Scotland. — 

 Report of the Committee, consisting of Professors Boyd 

 Dawkins (Chairman), J. L. Mybes (Secretary), T. H. 

 Brycb, and W. Eidgeway, Dr. A. Low, and Mr. A. J. B. 

 Wage, appointed to investigate and ascertain the Distribu- 

 tion thereof. 



Excavation Work on the Crannog in Loch Kinellan, Strathpeffer. 

 Report from Hugh A. Feasee, M.A. 



As mentioned in the 1913 Eeport of this Sub-Committee, a grant was 

 made by the Carnegie Trust to Dr. Munro for the excavation of the 

 island in Loch Kinellan. In August 1914 Mr. Hugh A. Fraser started 

 work on the island, with the assistance at the outset of the Eev. Odo 

 Blundell and later of Dr. Munro. 



The work done in 1914 established the island as an artificial one, 

 a point on which there was previously some doubt. 



Pits dug over the surface of the crannog revealed in every case a 

 platform of logs or brushwood, or compact occupation-d6bris, under- 

 neath a superincumbent mass of earth, clay, and stones, some four feet 

 thick. 



Unfortunately, digging was greatly interfered with by water per- 

 colating through the structure of the island from the loch. This not 

 only delayed the work, but caused additional labour which exhausted 

 the grant before the work had reached anything like a conclusive stage. 



Persuaded that more could be gleaned from a careful examination 

 of the pits than was learned in 1914, I started work again in 1915. 



On examining the woodwork with care I found quite a numb(i>r of 

 logs with checks, mortise-holes, &c. In no instance, however, did 

 the most careful examination reveal these checks and mortise-holes as 

 serving any primary purpose. Everything drove one to the conclusion 

 that part at least of the wood used for strengthening the structure of 

 the island had previously been employed for some other purpose. 



At the east end of the island the overlying mass of earth and stones 

 appears to rest on a platform of brushwood ; in the centre and at the 

 west end it rests on wooden platforms. Two pits at the east end, 

 dug to the base of the island, showed underneath the surface-material 

 successive layers of occupation-debris right down to the original lake 

 bottom, some seven feet below the present surface. In selected pits 

 situated at the centre and west end of the island the wooden platforms 

 were pierced, and were found to consist of three layers of logs or tree- 

 stems. Underneath the platforms there seems to be a succession of 

 layers of habitation-ddbris corresponding to those found at the east 

 end of the island. 



In course of the excavations, bones, whole and broken, and other 

 kinds of food-refuse, were found in profusion, as were also pottery 

 shards in the upper strata. The bones have been examined and 

 reported on by Professor Bryce of Glasgow University, while the 

 pottery has been reported on by Mr. Curie, Director of the Eoyal 



