Long before it was picked for an archaeological dig in the 2020s I passed the abandoned village of Olistadh on the Rhinns of Islay after climbing Beinn Tart a’Mhill (in the background on the right). These are some of the ruins in some beautiful June 2007 afternoon sunshine. Loch Indaal and the Oa also visible in the distance on the left.
A view from near the South Lodge just outside of Bridgend, looking across Loch Indaal to Port Charlotte on the Rhinns of Islay. Beinn Tart a’Mhill (highest hill on the Rhinns) dominating the landscape. Loch Indaal lighthouse visible towards the right, roughly below the summit of Beinn Tart a’Mhill.
In June 2024 the Department of Archaeology at Reading University with Professor Steven Mithen had returned for more field work on Islay, this time for another dig at Olistadh on the Rhinns of Islay. This (if I remember correctly) is a barley kiln they unearthed during this dig, a dig with a view over Loch Indaal with the Oa in the distance.