Note 12 — Chapter II
Reading edition
The island in the Loch of Forfar, known as Queen Margaret's Inch, was discovered to be artificial on the partial drainage of the loch in 1781. It is thus referred to in the Old Stat. Account of Scot., vol. vi. p. 528:—
"Before this loch was drained, and near the north side of it, there was an artificial island composed of large piles of oak and loose stones, with a stratum of earth above, on which are planted some aspen and sloe trees, supposed to have been a place of religious retirement for Queen Margaret. This now forms a very curious peninsula. The vestiges of a building, probably a place of worship, are still to be seen.... It appears that the loch has at some period surrounded the rising ground, called the Manor, and the adjacent hill, on which the Castle of Forfar stood; which hill is not, as the authors of the Encyclopædia Britannica suppose, artificial, but a congestum of sand and fat clay, evidently disposed in various irregular strata by the hand of nature."
Dr. Stuart says:[13]—"The drought of 1864 brought to light a sort of causeway, leading from the west end of the island. It was traced for about 100 yards; and it is supposed that it turned to the shore on one side, the popular belief being that it formed a way of escape in former times. As, however, it must have formerly been under a great depth of water, it seems doubtful for what purpose it may have been designed." (For historical notices of this Inch, see Proc. Soc. Antiq. Scot. vol. vi. p. 310.) Subsequent excavations (autumn of 1868) prove that St. Margaret's Inch is "the highest part of a narrow ridge of natural gravel which runs out into the loch, and the so-called causeway is the continuation of this ridge as it dips into the deep water." Dr. Stuart, who was present during the operations, remarks that the results obtained "afford another instance of the little reliance which can be placed on the descriptions of early remains given by the observers of last century, so far as relates to details." This is in allusion to Dr. Jamieson (Archæologia Scotica, vol. ii. p. 14) and others, who describe the Inch as being wholly artificial. (For Dr. Stuart's report, see Proc. Soc. Antiq. Scot. vol. x. p. 31.)