20 January 2013
Comann Eachdraidh has begun a series of monthly walkovers of the historic sites of Lismore, in order to photograph and record as much of the archaeological evidence as possible.
Twelve hardy souls gathered at the ruined village of Port à Charrain on a very cold January afternoon. We photographed every ruin and noticed signs of early modernisation in some buildings, a possible footbridge across a burn, which may have been used for taking carts into the surrounding fields, and what seems to have been a mill lade.
We recorded the site at Taylochan where the celebrated scholar Alexander Carmichael once lived and also photographed the rather mysterious stone mound, or henge, between the village and the Heritage Centre. All the volunteers survived the cold weather and enjoyed tea and discussion in the cafe afterwards!
The photographic evidence and GPS fixes are now being collated and will form the first part of an eventual complete record of the island’s archaeology.
Script Douglas Thorburn