Monument record 13560 - TOBHA BHEAG, LOCH A' PHUIRT-RUAIDH

NF73NE 40 7670 3567

NF 7670 3567 Loch a' Phuirt-ruaidh, Tobha Bheag. Artificial or modified island: a 'low cairn crannog' with a flat upper surface 8-10m in diameter. Small strips of 1m thick wall were visible in places, but these form no discernible structure. The water was clear at the time of the survey and no sign of a causeway was evident.
Sponsors: Universities of Glasgow and Sheffield, King Alfred's College.
J A Raven and M Shelley 2003

REPORT DATE: 21/02/2005

Balds map of 1805, suggests that there may have been a causeway; this would be worth another look.
K.Murphy(Archaeologist CnES) 07/12/2020

The surface of the islet rises c. 2m above the loch bed and is covered in a low vegetation; it is connected to the west shore via a c. 40m causeway. . Snorkel survey in the shallows around the islet recovered Iron Age pottery and black bracelet fragment (probably cannel coal). C14 dating from pottery residue suggests an Early Iron Age date for activity. However although the site appears promising, heavy sedimentation prevented any further understanding of date, construction and use. Blankshein.S et al (2022)

William Bald, 1805, Plan of the Island of South Uist (Cartographic materials). SWE41242.

Stephanie Blankshein, Angela Gannon, Duncan Garrow, Fraser Sturt, 2022, UIST CRANNOG SURVEY (Monograph). SWE41375.