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The Archaeology of Finlaggan, Islay: Excavations at the Centreof the Lordship of the Isles, 1989–1998
Keywords:
Archaeology, Medieval history, Lords of the Isles, castle, trade, manufacturing, medieval lifestylesSynopsis
Finlaggan on Islay has long been recognised as an important medieval site; the centre from which the MacDonald Lords of the Isles exercised control and patronage over large areas of Scotland. This major archaeological project undertaken from 1989 to 1998 led to a better understanding of how the Lords of the Isles created a Gaelic state and how Finlaggan contributed to the culture and heritage of Scotland. The excavations also uncovered evidence of prehistoric occupation and ritual, lead mining, and post-medieval settlement including a fort.
In addition to the excavation results, this book reviews all available historical documentation to place Finlaggan in its local West Highland setting as well as a wider British and Irish context. Richly illustrated with photographs and plans of the excavation sites, the book discusses Finlaggan as a castle, palace and administrative hub. The volume is supplemented by an online catalogue of artefacts and environmental material that provides a wealth of information on the inhabitants, their pastimes, their activities and their quality of life.
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Chapters
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Front matter
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Introduction
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1| Methodology
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2| A historical overview
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3| The geographical background
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4| Industry and land use
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5| Sites and monuments
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6| The lochside, Eilean Mór and Eilean na Comhairle
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7| Loch-side excavations
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8| Eilean Mór excavations in the area of the lazy beds
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9| Eilean Mór excavations in the chapel and burial ground
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10| Eilean Mór excavations on the spine of the island
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11| Eilean Mór excavations in the great hall and adjacent buildings
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12| Eilean Mór excavations of houses by the jetty and the kitchens
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13| Eilean na Comhairle excavations
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14| Finlaggan: an archaeological history
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15| Finlaggan: the centre of the isles?
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Appendixes
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Bibliography
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Index
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- The Archaeology of Finlaggan, Islay The Archaeology of Finlaggan, Islay
- Finlaggan | Catalogue Finlaggan | Catalogue
Published
September 17, 2025
Categories
Copyright (c) 2025 David Caldwell (Author); Kath McSweeney, Roger McWee, N Milner, Nicola Murray, Norman Newton, Marion O’Neil, Leonie Paterson, Alan Radley, Nigel Ruckley, Alan Saville, Paul Sharman, Helen Spencer, David Stewart, Jonathan Triscott, Clive Warsop, E M Laurie, Fraser Hunter, Fiona Baker, Sheila Boardman, Chris Burgess, Ruby Ceron-Carrasco, John Chesher, David Connolly, Trevor Cowie, Michael Cressey, Jo Dawson, Valerie Dean, Gordon Ewart, Mark Hall, Karen Hardy, Judy Holmes, Nicholas Holmes, Paul Wilthew (Contributor)
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
