Elizabeth Robson writes:
On 21st April, 2026, researchers from the University of Stirling told an interested Taproot audience about the social and scientific research taking place at Loch Balnagown / Baile a’ Ghobhainn. A lot more is happening there than they initially anticipated!.
Taproot 10 Ruth Olden at the edge of Loch Balnagown ( (photo : Elizabeth Robson)
The first part described the productive 3 day visit by Elizabeth Robson, Ruth Olden and Tânia Casimiro in October 2025, when they viewed documents in the Heritage Centre archives and hosted a drop-in session with residents to explore their memories and local knowledge. They also spent time in the landscape and talking to people about past practices. Elizabeth and Tânia shared how this preliminary study of the geography, archaeology and heritage associated with Loch Balnagowan has demonstrated the importance of local knowledge and place memories for understanding environmental change – revealing, for example, how the shallower areas of Loch were utilised in the past for flax processing.
Taproot 10 Eileen Tisdall presenting marl lake research (photo: Elizabeth Robson)
Eileen Tisdall then provided an overview of recent and on-going geological and ecological research focused on marl lakes, how they have changed over time, and why they are currently declining in ecological health.
All of Lismore’s lochs are marl lakes, which typically form in limestone-rich areas but are relatively rare (fewer than 1% of all lakes in the UK are marl lakes). Eileen shared some of the paleoecological research that she and others have conducted at Loch Balnagown, where the exceptionally deep sediments (over 16 metres in places) preserve material dating back from hundreds to tens of thousands of years.
Taproot 10 Stoneworts from Loch Balnagown (photo: Ruth Olden) ·
She also described a workshop held at Stirling in January, 2026 where participants, including academics, national conservation organisations, and representatives from the Lismore Heritage Centre’s Board, discussed shared interests, priorities, and potential actions to better understand and care for Lismore’s lochs.
The audience were then invited to handle objects related to the research, including examples of stoneworts, the ‘crunchy plants’ found in Loch Balnagown that use marl as part of their structure, enlarged 3D models of the pollen grains extracted from the Loch sediments, and a 2-metre core taken from the Loch bed.
Taproot 10 Loch Balnagown Photo: Elizabeth Robson
This Taproot prompted an interesting discussion on how marl lakes gradually evolve and silt up as sediment forms – with suggestions of other places on Lismore that may be silted up lochs, how water moves through the landscape (with questions about which areas may be interconnected), and the experiences of swimming in Loch Balnagown.
It was great to see so much interest in the island’s lochs. All those involved to date are keen to keep this conversation going and to collaborate to ensure the existing research is shared more widely.
A video will tell you more: