Kilmartin
Linear Feature(S) (Period Unknown)(Possible)
Site Name Kilmartin
Classification Linear Feature(S) (Period Unknown)(Possible)
Canmore ID 109412
Site Number NR89NW 113
NGR NR 83457 98882
NGR Description Centre
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/109412
- Council Argyll And Bute
- Parish Kilmartin
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Argyll And Bute
- Former County Argyll
NR89NW 113 834 989
Work in advance of creating a car park for the new Kilmartin House Museum and Visitor Centre involved stripping topsoil in the manse garden. The opportunity was taken to clean the subsoil gravel terrace beneath 0.2-0.4m of 18th/19th-century garden topsoil. A number of irregular linear features were exposed: two were partially excavated, and shown to be 0.6-0.8m wide and 0.3-0.5m deep. No finds were recovered, but flecks of charcoal and pitched large stones in the upper fill showed the features were not natural. The proximity to the church, 28m to the S, had raised the possibility that the features were of early medieval date. However, the lack of finds, the position on the terrace, and the character of the features suggest a prehistoric date. They may be similar in date to features noted on nearby terraces at Upper Largie (DES 1993, 75). As the features were not to be disturbed by the construction work, they were not further excavated. A drystone plinth and a spread of cobbles were also found, which appeared to be 19th-century garden features.
Sponsors: Glasgow University; Kilmartin House Trust.
E Campbell 1996
Watching Brief (1996)
Work in advance of creating a car park for the new Kilmartin House Museum and Visitor Centre involved stripping topsoil in the manse garden. The opportunity was taken to clean the subsoil gravel terrace beneath 0.2-0.4m of 18th/19th-century garden topsoil. A number of irregular linear features were exposed: two were partially excavated, and shown to be 0.6-0.8m wide and 0.3-0.5m deep. No finds were recovered, but flecks of charcoal and pitched large stones in the upper fill showed the features were not natural. The proximity to the church, 28m to the S, had raised the possibility that the features were of early medieval date. However, the lack of finds, the position on the terrace, and the character of the features suggest a prehistoric date. They may be similar in date to features noted on nearby terraces at Upper Largie (DES 1993, 75). As the features were not to be disturbed by the construction work, they were not further excavated. A drystone plinth and a spread of cobbles were also found, which appeared to be 19th-century garden features.
Sponsors: Glasgow University; Kilmartin House Trust.
E Campbell 1996
Note (4 June 2020)
The location, classification and period of this site have been reviewed.