Public Tip-Offs Result in Discoveries in Western Isles

11 January 2012

A call out to local people to report anything unusual they’ve spotted at the shoreline or under the sea to a new archaeological project has already resulted in several promising discoveries.

The call went out in the summer and autumn to fishermen, beachcombers, divers and residents in the Western Isles. The project is searching for previously unidentified prehistoric and historic remains in the coastal and marine areas of the Isles, from Berneray to the Butt of Lewis and all islands in between.

Now members of the project team have had a chance to fly over some of the remote sites they’ve been told about, with an RCAHMS aerial survey team. Already they’ve identified several sites as warranting further investigation – possibly even full ground and underwater archaeological surveys – in the future.

The discoveries include a “medieval fishing station” near Loch Aineort on South Uist investigated after a tip off from a local man, JJ McDonald. Notably, this area is called Havn - the Norse word for harbour - on Ordnance Survey maps. A previously unknown complex of fish traps and evidence of coastal occupation south of Lochboisdale was also discovered during the flight surveys. 

At Loch Duna freshwater loch, a local diver discovered 5,000-year-old ceramics which date to the early neolithic period. He reported this discovery to the local museum just days after attending the first public lecture on underwater archaeology given by the OHCCMAPP team in July.

The Outer Hebrides Coastal Community Marine Archaeology Pilot Project (OHCCMAPP) is a partnership between RCAHMS, WA Coastal & Marine, Historic Scotland and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (CNE-Siar), and aims to get local people involved in sharing their knowledge about features in the landscape, to build up a picture of how people lived and worked on the islands over the last 9,000 years.

Speaking on behalf of the project, Dr Jonathan Benjamin of WA Coastal & Marine said, “Until now, there’s been no major study focused on the marine archaeology of the Outer Hebrides. We hope to be able to demonstrate that there is a vast amount of knowledge, literally waiting to be discovered by archaeologists working with local residents on land, in the air and underwater.”

For more information or to find out how to get involved, visit the project website or email marine@rcahms.gov.uk