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Finlaggan Loch

Standing Stone (possible Avenue / Stone Circle), Islay


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finlagg2.jpg (16765 bytes)Finlaggan Loch was visited by the Channel 4 TV series Time Team in 1994, the only time to my recollection that they've investigated a standing stone. They did a geophysical survey around the stone, which indicated the likelyhood of a row of pits. This suggests a stone row, possibly an avenue or stone circle. There appears to be an alignment with the Paps of Jura (a pair of mountains on the next island, see photo below). Hopefully Time Team will go back and excavate it one day.

More details of the stone and its possible alignments in the excellent Stones of Wonder Stones of Wonder by Robert Pollock

Time Team also excavated a large mound about 30ft high and 500ft in circumference is situated approximately 100ft SW of Finlaggan farm. They found ''a row of stones deliberately set into the top of the hill''. These were interpreted as the collapsed lintel- or roofing-stones of a ''prehistoric chamber or souterrain'' which measured about 5m by 1.5m and had animal bones (possibly a ritual deposit) at the bottom of the fill. Investigation subsequent to that reported by the Time Team in 1994 revealed animal bones, a flint arrowhead of Bronze Age type and an Iron Age bone disc, possibly a toy, within the ''stone-lined chamber'' on top of the mound. No remains of burials were identified, but there was a ''Bronze Age cairn'' (measuring 3m across) next to the chamber.
finlagg3.jpg (14219 bytes)
Loch Finlaggan is better known as home to the little island, Eilean na Comhairle or the "council island", that formed the seat of government for MacDonald of Islay, "The Lord of the Isles", until 1615. The stone is beside the Finlaggan interpretive centre, which has displays about the excavations on the island .

Refs: Canmore: 37701, 37691, 37693, cairn 79731

Picture credits: top; Clive Ruggles. middle, bottom; © Copyright 1999 Martin Junius  

STILE STILE by Clive Ruggles

Access: Three kilometres south-west of Port Askaig is the turn off to the west for Finlaggan (watch for the sign). Follow the road and track for just over 1km. The standing stone is by the roadside.


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