Ruin at Olistadh in 2007, Isle of Islay

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Picture of a ruin from an abandoned village
Ruin at Olistadh in 2007, Isle of Islay

A ruin at Olistadh, an abandoned village on the Rhinns of Islay, as it looked back in June 2007. Archaeological digs to learn more about it took place in the 2020, discovering quite a lot about its history.

Olistadh panorama June 2007, Isle of Islay

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Panoramic picture of an abandoned village below a hill
Olistadh panorama June 2007, Isle of Islay

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.

Dig with a view at Olistadh on the Rhinns of Islay

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Picture of an archaeological dig on an elevated landscape with a wide view over a sea loch and distant lands
Dig with a view at Olistadh on the Rhinns of Islay

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.