Archaeologists unearthing hidden treasures on Loch Lomond

Jul 10 2009 by Tina Kemp, Lennox Herald (main ed)

ARCHAEOLOGISTS are unearthing hidden treasures on the banks of Loch Lomond.

They have spent the last few years digging on the lower slopes of Ben Lomond to uncover the mysteries of life on the bonnie banks as far back as medieval times.

Now walkers are being encouraged to follow the Hidden History Trail which links 12 sites of archaeological interest at the foot of Scotland’s most southerly munro.

More than 30,000 people climb the Ben every year but the National Trust for Scotland, which manages it, felt there was a need for a shorter low-level path on the lower slopes to complement the summit route.

The Ardess Hidden History Trail was established in 2002 and, since then, many interesting discoveries, including pottery, tools, glass and beads, have been made by experts digging at the site.

The trail includes a medieval bloomery mound where bog-iron ore was smelted, and other sites have revealed 18th century farming remains. Traces of rig-and-furrow cultivation where oats and barley were grown can be seen, together with the ruins of houses.

Excavation work has focused on three groups of buildings, including one which archaeologists believe could have been that of Rob Roy McGregor.

Details of the walk are included in the latest edition of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park magazine, a phairc.

The trail starts at the National Trust centre at Ardess, north of the entrance to Rowardennan Youth Hostel on the West Highland Way.

Maps are available at the centre or can be downloaded from the NTS website.