Rock Art Project
In October 2017 various interested members of SDLHS enjoyed 2 days of training covering all aspects of rock art recording methods including locating and identifying rock art, using the recording form, photographing rock art and 3D photography (photogrammetry). The participants also took part in some field work trying out their new skills.
The training days were led by Dr Tertia Barnett who is the Principal Investigator of Scotland’s Rock Art, a 5 year project aiming to improve understanding of Scotland’s rock art.
Please see www.rockart.scot for further information about the national project. Please check back here for updates on the progress made by the Strachur Group.
Archaeology
SDLHS have been involved in a number of successful digs and excavations over the years including Tigh Caol Dig and Loch Eck Bloomery. Plus a couple of our members traveled up to be involved with the Wilkhouse Inn Dig, a similar Dig on behalf of Donald Adamson, excavations carried out by GUARD Archaeology Ltd, directed by Warren Bailie.
We have also been involved in Plane Table Survey training with Scotlands Rural Past at –
- Benvalaglen, head of Glen Fyne
- Old buildings at Eas Sarachan, Strathlachlan
- Strachurbeg Crofts
- Chapelverna (Strachurmore), Coinaig (Upper Succoth), and Dufeorline (Ben Lagan) have also been projects we have explored and researched.
Medieval Bloomery Site at Loch Eck
Latest on Tigh Caol Dig!
Tigh Caol
Tigh Caol remained hidden for all these years, through Bella Douglas in her book, ‘A History of Strachur and District’ (1968) writes: ‘The Strachur Policeman’s beat for this district ends at the top of Leanach hill, where at one time, an Inn called Cailleach-glas stood. Beside it is the Bridge of the Gray Lady. The Gray Lady haunts this part of the Glen road. She crosses and re-crosses, wringing her hands and moaning. Some folks have seen her, and one man, still resident in the district, says he has seen her several times’.
But, then, in 2014, Donald Adamson asked Strachur and District Local History Society if we would get involved in his Dig. Were we ever the privileged ones! What an amazing experience, taking part in an archaeological Dig under the direction of GUARD – Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (now GUARD Archaeology Ltd).
Adding to that, we had local schools visiting and digging! One wee boy loved it so much that he brought his wee brother and his father on a Saturday, for the day!
Now it is all grown over again, but we know what is under the turf and it is all written and recorded in the Local History archives.
Plane Table Survey
April, 2013 the Society carried out a plane table survey of Tigh Caol. The excavation took place from May 26th to June 6th, 2014. Supervised by Warren Bailie, Project Manager from GUARD, assisted by five final year students from Glasgow University with Donald on site most of the time. Members of the Society and local volunteers with pupils from Strachur, Kilmodan, Toward, Sandbank and Tighnabruaich Primary Schools taking part. Jim Conquer, a Detectorist, on the Dig, made a model of Tigh Caol and presented it to the Society. This brought the building to life for us, we could only imagine what it looked like in late 1700’s.
GUARD (Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division) Photos
