Midross

Carrick Golf Course - Mid Ross Dig

Archaeological evidence for 10,000 years of occupation at Mid Ross, Loch Lomond

Hidden beneath the smooth greens of the Carrick Golf Course at Mid Ross on the shores of Loch Lomond lies 10,000 years of history. Archaeological excavations that took place between 2003 and 2005 tell a long and exciting story of Mesolithic hunter gatherers, Bronze Age cremations, settlement, farming, craft activity and over 80 burials. The early 9th and 10th century AD burials contained artefacts emanating from Norway (did Vikings live and die peacefully here?). Experts have suggested that the findings of these excavations are of 'considerable' significance.

After a lengthy wait, we're delighted to say that we have access to the full findings based on the forthcoming publication, ‘Living and Dying on the Bonnie Banks: Ten Thousand Years at The Carrick, Mid Ross, Loch Lomond’, by Alistair Beckett, Gavin MacGregor, Donna Maguire, David Sneddon, Beverley Ballin Smith & Bob Will. Thanks to Dr. Iain Banks (Glasgow University) and Hugh McBrien (WoSAS) for providing us with the information and giving us permission to use it. We aim to highlight a few bits that particularly interested us and summarize them here over the next few weeks. We stress that these are very selective snippets, and we continue to look forward to publication of the full report in the near future.

Click to read Episode 1: Mesolithic hunter-gatherers

Click to read Episode 2: The first farmers on Loch Lomondside

Click to read Episode 3: Cremations and rituals

Dr Gavin MacGregor published a summary of the findings in Historic Argyll: Changing People Changing Landscapes: excavations at The Carrick, Midross, Loch Lomond.