Clan MacFarlane Worldwide, Inc.

Between April 11th and April 19th, 2017 CMW worked with Calluna Archaeology to investigate what is likely the Alms House built by James MacFarlane in the 1600's. This site was identified as "Site 28" during the 2016 Walkover survey of the Arrochar Parish

 Abstract

An excavation was carried out on a site at Creag a’Phuirt on the west shore of Loch Lomond in 2017. It was thought that this might be an almshouse built by James Macfarlane opposite his house on Island I Vow between 1612 and 1625 to provide for travellers passing through the district. The building proved to be a small, well-built, slightly trapezoidal-shaped structure, with a slate roof, but no obvious entrance or fireplace. The floor consisted of re-deposited loch-side material with water-rolled stones and contained a sherd of late 16th/17th century window glass and a broken sherd of 17th century pottery. Considering its location and date, this structure may well have been the almshouse perhaps comprising two stories, with access from an outer stair. By the mid-19th century the walls had been robbed and the site left ruinous. 

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Northlight Heritage was commissioned by Clan Macfarlane Worldwide to undertake a walkover survey of Arrochar parish, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, in the spring of 2016 in order to shed light on the history and archaeology of their traditional clan territory. The survey was undertaken by members of the local community, the Association of Certificated Field Archaeologists (ACFA) and students from the University of Glasgow and was led by Northlight Heritage. 

A total of 88 sites were identified, the majority of which were new. The new sites were rapidly recorded and included 22 single house/barn/byre sites, 21 single shielings or groups of shielings, 9 farmsteads consisting of groups of more than one structure, four earth or stone banks, three possible mills, three building platforms, three clearance cairns, two enclosures, two concrete platforms, two kilns, two bridges, two knocking stones and two sheepfolds. Earth banks and areas of rig and furrow were common features in the landscape but were generally not recorded unless they were associated with a structure.

The most significant discoveries included a possible 16th century almshouse built by a Macfarlane clan chief on the banks of Loch Lomond (Site 28) and three probably 18th century farmsteads. Two of these farmsteads were in Glen Douglas and have been identified as Greitnein (Site 18) and Gartanfearn (Site 22). A farmstead at the N end of Loch Lomond was identified as Tighfurl (Site 58). The remains of a possible 18th century mill at Camas nan Clais (Site 44/46) were also discovered. An excavation of one of these sites is planned for the spring of 2017.

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