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Gigha, Cnoc An Itich

Cave (Period Unassigned), Enclosure (Period Unassigned)

Site Name Gigha, Cnoc An Itich

Classification Cave (Period Unassigned), Enclosure (Period Unassigned)

Canmore ID 38612

Site Number NR65SE 26

NGR NR 6611 5441

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/38612

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Argyll And Bute
  • Parish Gigha And Cara
  • Former Region Strathclyde
  • Former District Argyll And Bute
  • Former County Argyll

Archaeology Notes

NR65SE 26 6611 5441

At the north end of Gigha, opposite the northernmost point of Eilean Garbh, in a nook of the cliff, there is a cave without a name which shows evidence of having been inhabited at various periods. Part of an ancient wall across the entrance still shows; and just within the doorway is a narrow pavement of small stone slabs. A number of initials have been cut in the cave wall. None of them are of interest; the earliest date is 1735.

R S G Anderson 1939.

This cave, at NR 6611 5441, on a raised beach, is in the nature of a rift, 12.0m long and 2.0m broad, with the inner half arched over; an approximate height of 6.0m is attained. A fairly level floor of packed grit and pebble is contained by slab revetting 0.6m high, at the entrance; some small slabs lie about the front of the cave interior but nothing to constitute a pavement. The SW wall of the cave prolongs 20.0m and the last 3.5m stretch of vertical rock face is utilised as the back of a square enclosure; the other three sides of the enclosure are constructed of boulder and large slab, to one block width, and stand at present 0.5m high. From the north angle of this enclosure a wall, roughly but strongly built with large boulders inter-filled by stone slabs, curves in an easterly direction to close against the coastal slope. This wall effectively seals off the environs of the cave.

About 150.0m SW the shallow tidal channel between the sea-shore and a close, off-shore high water rock is bridged by a well-structured causeway of stone blocks; the causeway is 13.0m long by 2.0m wide and is 0.5m high. It is tempting to see an overall association, particularly as Anderson does mention the cave had been used for storage of gear by fisherman.

Surveyed at 1:10 000.

Visited by OS (J M) 20 January 1978.

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