Page:Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland - Volume 10.djvu/74

32 be placed on the descriptions of early remains given by the observers of last century, so far as relates to details. St Margaret’s Inch is the highest part of a narrow ridge of natural gravel which runs out into the loch, and the so-called causeway is the continuation of this ridge as it dips into the deep water. We made sure of this by making various sections across the ridge, which showed its real character.

At some early period a settlement had been formed on the highest point of the ridge, and to make it available for this purpose the following steps were adopted :—First, a deep trench was cut across the ridge where it joins the shore, so as to insulate the promontory. Next, as the round and narrow ridge did not give much of an available flat surface, it was widened on the north side at the base by a considerable extent of piling, within which trees were disposed, with their branches, and piles in a transverse direction, and on them a quantity of black soil was laid. Some of these trees were found to be-birch and others oak ; and the soil appeared to have been the debris of a midden, being mixed with bones, charred wood, and ashes. This secured a narrow flat space at the base of the ridge, and on cutting through it inward we reached the core of gravel of the original ridge.

The higher surface of the Inch had been obtained by bringing soil from the shore, and spreading it across the gravel ridge, especially towards the west end, where the widest level space was attained. Pits were dug at various spots of this surface, when it appeared that towards the east end there was nothing except the natural gravel, while the formation became to be of dark and travelled soil towards the west. In some of the holes bits of pottery and bones of animals were discovered. The south side of the ridge is flatter than the north, and did not require to be widened or made up by piling, but there are rows of oak piles driven into the ground along the margin, and big stones are laid in the same line, both being obviously intended to resist the force of wind and water.

In the case of the stockaded island on Loch Canmore in Aberdeenshire, which has also been described as artificial and resting on piles, I found, on recently inspecting it, that it is wholly natural, and that the only piles which occur about it are a few lines at the west end, designed, as at St Margaret’s Inch, to strengthen the marginal border against the force of the prevailing winds. The relics which have been found on St Margaret’s Irich