Alternative Names Rhum
Site type BUILDING, DAM, LADE
Canmore ID 21880
Site Number NM39NE 27
NGR NM 36421 99896
Council HIGHLAND
Parish SMALL ISLES
Former Region HIGHLAND
Former District LOCHABER
Former County INVERNESS-SHIRE

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Archaeological Notes

NM39NE 27 3635 9992

This massive structure was built in the late 1840's to divert the head waters of the Kilmory River through a rock-cut lade into the Kinloch River, but was breached at the NW end a few days after the reservoir was filled. The curving dam is formed by two battered drystone walls enclosing an earth core and measures 10.5m in thickness at the base about 5.8m in height. Its original length was about 60m of which 45m survive. The lade (NM 364 999 to NG 367 000) measures about 300m in length and includes a rock-cut section up to 7m wide and 4m deep. The footings of a rectangular building (9.2m by 3m internally) are situated on the S side of the lade 190m ENE of the dam.
RCAHMS 1983, visited June 1983.

Two contemporary stone buttresses are bonded into the front of the dam. Upstream from the building are the remains of a bridge which once formed access across the channel.
NMRS MS/868/1

An unroofed building of two compartments is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Argyllshire, Islands of Rum, Sanday etc., 1879, sheet lx), but it is not shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1976).
Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 5 December 1996

Miers, M (2008) The Western Seaboard: an illustrated architectural guide, Edinburgh

RCAHMS (1983d) The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. The archaeological sites and monuments of Rhum, Lochaber District, Highland Region, The archaeological sites and monuments of Scotland series no. 20 Edinburgh
Page(s): 25, No.189 Held at RCAHMS A.1.2.ARC/20