Udal

Iain Crawford, a passionate archaeologist and ethnographer, influenced by the writings of Beveridge, decided to concentrate his searches in the 1960s on sites that might have been continuously inhabited over a very long period and yet were still visible. He wanted to get a clearer picture of daily life and work from the Mesolithic, through to the Bronze and Iron Ages, and onwards as close to the present day as possible. The two main sandhills, North and South, at Udal, gradually provided him with settlement remains which represent the rarity and importance of this site. The Udal South Mound revealed evidence of two stone built round houses or 'wheelhouses', now extremely vulnerable to the elements. Pottery shards, stone tools and some bronze and metal items, held by Glasgow University, show evidence of habitation from the Late Bronze Age through to the Late Iron Age. The Udal North hill takes the period of settlement up to Viking and Mediaeval times and the finds include jewellery and a Norse gold coin of Harald Hardrada. There is evidence of continuous settlement through to the 19th century and much more exciting excavation remains to be researched by the Udal project on this site of major historical significance.

Bha buaidh mhòr aig na sgrìobh Erskine Beveridge air an arceòlaiche Iain Crawford. Anns na seasgadan chuir e roimhe làrach a’ rannsach far an robh e foilleasach gun robh daoine air a bhith fuireach airson ùine mhòr. ‘S e rud a bha dhìth air tuigse na b’ fhearr fhaighinn air beatha dhaoine bho Meadhan Linn na Cloiche, troimh Linn an Umha, gu Linn an Iarainn agus air adhart cho faisg air an latha an-diugh ‘s a b’ urrain dha. Fhuair e nithean anns na duin-gainmhich aig an Udal a bha a dearbhadh cho cudromach agus iongatach ‘s a bha an làrach. Anns a dùn a deas fhuair iad làrach dà thaigh-cruinn cloiche, pìosan obair-chreadha agus innealan cloiche a bharrachd air nithean umha agus meadailt. Tha na pìosan seo, tha ri ’m faighinn an-diugh ann an Oilthaigh Ghlaschu, a’ sealltainn gu robh daoine a’ fuireach ann bho Linn an Umha gu Linn an Iarainn. Fhuaireadh seudraich agus buinn òir an Lochlannach, Harald Hardrada anns an dùn a tuath, a’ ciallachadh gu robh daoine a’ fuireach ann troimh Linn nan Lochlainneach agus na Meadhain Aoisean. Tha dearbadh ann gu robh daoine a’ fuireach ann troimh an naoiamh linn deug agus tha tòrr ri chladhach fhathast air an làrach chudthromach, eachdraidheal seo le Proiseact an Ùdail.