Although there was never any large scale iron smelting on the Isle of Arran, unlike at Furnace further up Loch Fyne, there is extensive evidence around the island of small scale iron working. By the time of John Burrel’s reorganisation schemes on Earl of Arran’s estate iron making was a thing of the past but for perhaps 1500 years bloomeries were a feature of Arran’s industrial landscape.
First a platform was made on the hillside and then a clamp was constructed of charcoal and iron ore (perhaps bog iron). At the base of the bloomery the platform was shaped into a shallow bowl to collect the iron bloom. After firing the bloomery any remains would be raked off to reveal a small lump of impure iron which could then be worked by a blacksmith to increase its purity.
The Fairy Dell to the south of Brodick looks a little like a blasted heath at present as the mature coniferous woodland has been recently harvested, but it is still possible to make out the subtle shapes of small platforms formerly occupied by bloomeries. If you look hard you may even find small pieces of slag although most of this was removed to use as road bed in the 19th century.
Please make sure the cache is covered by enough natural cammo to keep it hidden.
