COASTAL ZONE ASSESSMENT SURVEY - SCAPE

4. ARCHAEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY AREAS
4.1 Kintyre
Prehistoric
4.1.1 There are several prehistoric archaeological sites and monuments on Kintyre.
These include numerous duns, castles and forts occupying exposed
promontories. The so-called promontory forts are widely distributed and have
been occupied from prehistory through into the medieval period. Typical
examples of these are the forts at Carradale Point and Kildonan Point.
4.1.2 Cist burials and cairns are also documented but sadly few of these features
survive today. There are at least three cists recorded at Trench Point that have
been fully excavated and of which nothing now remains. There are also
several cairns recorded, mostly at Kildonan Point, that have been attributed a
prehistoric date though this has not been established through excavation.
Medieval
4.1.3 There are several sites of medieval date along the east coast of Kintyre. These
include castles, a burgh, churches or chapels, bloomery mounds and a well.
The east coast of Kintyre is very rugged and rocky which means that it is idea
for locating defensive structures as the coastline itself provides a defence
against attack from the sea. Two examples of these can be seen at Tarbert
Castle and Airds Castle. The natural harbour of Tarbert, although it is now
enclosed, is an ideal place to settle with direct protected access to the sea and
an easily accessible hinterland. The identification of a medieval burgh around
the castle suggests that this area was settled from at least this time if not
before.
Post-Medieval
4.1.4 There are numerous post-medieval sites along the east coast of Kintyre. These
comprise mostly of buildings and tend to concentrate within existing towns or
clusters forming smaller settlements, such as at Grogport. The other main
types of sites associated with the post-medieval period are boathouses and
piers, which given that this is a coastal survey are not unexpected. Other sites
such as stone walls may be linked to land improvements during this time.
Industrial Period
4.1.5 Sites dated to the industrial period are common. Many of these sites are
associated with shipping, including shipwrecks carrying industrial products
such as coal or lime. In and around Campbeltown the shipping industry is
very obvious, even today. There are the remains of warehouses and shipyards
that echo back to the golden age of the shipping industry during the period of
industrialisation in the 1800s. The number of shipwrecks noted in the small
wayleave of the survey area suggests that shipping was a hazardous
occupation, especially along this coast.
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