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Achinhoan Head [Overview]
Kintyre, 5 km SE of Campbeltown, Argyllshire.
| NGR: | NR 76610 17040 |
| WGS84: | 55.39629, -5.52927 |
| Length: | Not recorded |
| Vert. Range: | Not recorded |
| Altitude: | Not recorded |
| Geology: | Not recorded |
| Tags: | Other |
| Registry: | second |
Generic.
At least 12 small raised beach caves (& some sea caves) south-east of Campbeltown between New Orleans Cottage and Achinhoan Head.
Just before Achinhoan Head are some caves in which are the relics of St Ciaran, an Irish Saint who gave Campbeltown its original Gaelic name (Ceann Loch Cille Chiaran). He was a contemporary of St Columba one of group of early Christian missionaries who brought in a new religion to Argyll in the 6th century. The secular counterpart brought a new political system to the region - the Kingdom of Dalriada. These Irish immigrants also brought with them a new language Gaelic. [southendargyll.org]
Turn to the south [of Campbeltown] and visit some caves in the rocks that face the firth: these are very magnificent, and very various; the tops are lofty, and resemble Gothic arches; one has on all sides a range of natural seats; another is in the form of a cross, with three fine Gothic porticos, for entrances; this has been the residence of St Keiran; had formerly a wall at the entrance, a second about the middle and a third far up, forming different apartments. On the floor is the capital of a cross, and a round basin, cut out of the rock, full of fine water, the beveridge of the saint in old times, and of sailors in the present, who often land to dress their victuals beneath this shelter. An ancient pair, upwards of seventy years of age, once made this their habitation for a considerable time.
Alternative Names: Achinhoan Raised Beach
Notes: Lengths are given in entries for individual caves.
Links and Resources:
- GSG Bulletin 1st Series? vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 28, 31 (S).
- GSG Bulletin 1st Series? vol. 4, no. 2, p. 14.
- GSG Bulletin 4th Series, Vol. 1, no. 5. pp. 23-26.
- AA, 126: Anon., 1934, [In] News and Views; Chronology of Scottish Caves. Nature 134 316 [Hamilton Maxwell, Glasgow Archaeological Society in a cave at Kintyre as compared with the Oban Cave].
- Bede, Cuthbert pseud [ie Rev Edward Bradley], 1861, Glenncreggan or, a Highland in Cantire, Vol. 1, pp. 191-192.
- Bord, J & C., 1985, Sacred Waters/Holy Wells & Water Lore in Britain and Ireland, p. 51.
- British Archaeological Association Journal NS 29, 1923 248ff:
- Brown, E., 1866, The Raised Beaches of Cantyre. Geol Mag Ser 1 3 139-141.
- Campbeltown Courier 6 Jan 1894; 10 April 1926; 14th April, 28th April, 1st Sept, 8th Sept 1934.
- Carmichael, Alasdair, 1974, Kintyre / Best of All the Isles. pp. 130, 135.
- Cullingford C. H. D. (Ed) ,1962, British Caving / An introduction to Speleology., 300-301.
- Glasgow Herald, 22nd December 1933; 28th Sept 1935:
- Glasgow Speleological Society Journal 1 (4)
- Hull, E, 1866, The Raised Beaches of Cantyre. Geol Mag Ser 1 3 5-10, illus:
- Jones, W F, [Jug] ND Some Caves and Mines in Scotland. p. 9.
- Kintyre Collection, MS 133 Campbeltown Museum.
- GSG 4th Series, Vol. 1, no. 5. (Oct) pp. 21-28 (S), Lawson, Tim, 2003, Some Caves of Kintyre.
- Leitch, Roger & Tolan-Smith, Christopher. 1997 Archaeology and the Ethnology of Cave Dwelling in Scotland [in] Bonsal, C, & Tolan-Smith, C, (eds) 1997 The Human Use of Caves. British Archaeological Reports International Series (667) Oxford p. 122.
- Lübke, Anton, 1958 The World of Caves, translated from Geheimnisse des Unterirdischen, p. 36.
- Martin, Angus 1984 Kintyre: The Hidden Past. p. 122.
- Maxwell, J H, 1934 Preliminary report of excavation at Keil Caves 1933-34. Kintyre Antiquarian Society & Glasgow Archaeological Society. Pamphlet 4 pp illus. [reprinted from Campbeltown Courier]:
- Newton, Norman S 1998 Kintyre , pp. 54-55.
- Oldham, Tony, 2004, The Caves of Kintyre and Mid Argyll, pp. 4-9, (S) illus.
- Oldham, Tony, 2014, Caves of Scotland Bibliography, p. 9.
- Pennant, Thomas, 1772, A Tour in Scotland, p. 195. (1998 paperback).
- Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Scotland, 1971, Argyll, Vol. 1, Kintyre pp. 145-7, figs, 146-148 (S), plates 48A-C.
- Ritchie, J N G, 1966, Keil Cave, Southend, Argyll; A Late Iron Age Cave Occupation in Kintyre.
- Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries in Scotland pp. 99, 104-110 illus.
- Shell Guide to Britain p. 124, reprinted British Caver no. 54 p. 9.
- Second Statistical Account, 1845, Vol. 7, p. 454.
- Sunday Times 29th Sept; 20th Sept 1935 reprinted British Caver no. 14 pp. 79-80.
- Tolan-Smith, Christopher 2001 The Caves of Mid Argyll / an archaeology of human use. Society of Antiquaries of Scotland / Monograph Series (20) p. 5.
- White, Capt T P., 1873 Archaeological Sketches in Scotland, District of Kintyre. p. 104, plates 12, 13.
- www.southendargyll.org.uk/sightseeing.asp
This entry was last updated: 2021-11-01 20:32:06
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