Camas nan Geall - 3

The Vikings must have used this wonderful natural anchorage, with its gently sloping beach and rich pastureland, from the time they first started arriving on the west coast, from the 8th century onwards, but they have left no visible mark. In the centuries that followed, thousands of people probably lived here, yet the remains of only six dwellings, all abandoned, are visible today.

Many of the buildings were built of wood and have therefore disappeared. Those which were stone were destroyed during the agricultural revolution which arose from changes in land ownership and the introduction of sheep farming in the late 18th century, the stone re-used to enclose fields and build homes for those few families that were needed to work the sheep.

One of the better preserved buildings is on the east side of the bay. Although it is filled with trees, it can be seen to be substantially built, with byres and enclosures around it, but it is interesting for the structure clearly visible in this photograph of the beach in front of it.

A line of boulders has been arranged on the sea-side to form a dock area, now filled with sand and mud, a protected area into which a small ship could have been safely brought at high tide.

From the rear the house can be seen to be built of local rock, with chimneys at both ends and two rooms within. Its view would be an estate agent's dream, looking across the bay towards the township of Tornamona and the steep hill along which the road to Kilchoan runs.

The two earlier entries on Camas nan Geall are here and here.