Documents

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The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM5797_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600011694)

Summary

Description

The monument comprises a deserted township which occupies a clearing in a forestry plantation at the head of Caol Scotnish. A built-up track approaches the settlement from the NW, crossing the stream by a slab-linteled bridge.

Arichonan was the largest and most important of a group of five townships extending N to Loch Crinan and feued in 1654 by the Campbells of Auchnabreck to Neill MacNeill whose descendents held the estate until the late 18th Century. In 1802, when the estate had passed to the Malcolms of Poltalloch, it was reported that there were four tenants, and there were only three by 1848 when Clearance led to public affray (several inhabitants were imprisoned).

This event was influential on the motivation of the Rev. Donald MacCallum, a leading figure in the "Crofters' Wars" of the 1880s. The settlement remains consist of four groups of buildings, one of which was remodelled as a shepherd's cottage with attached fank and was still roofed in 1898.

Vernacular architectural features of note include: several examples of well-preserved cruck couplings; an early 18th-century inscription on a quoin (Neil McMillan/Arichonan); a winnowing barn with dated lintel (1833), triangular windows, cruck couples and stone thatch-pegs; and a two-unit clay-mortared building with a store or barn, with a joisted upper floor entered from adjacent higher ground through the NE gable.

The area to be scheduled is irregular on plan and measures a maximum of 240m from SW to NE by 150m transversely, to include the township, trackway and bridge and an area around in which associated remains may survive, as marked in red on the accompanying map.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance because it is an exceedingly well preserved example of a deserted township possessing a wide range of unnusual and interesting architectural features. The multi-period site has an early history, is well documented and is of particular social significance for the history of the Argyll Clearances.

References

Bibliography

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.