Loch Barean, situated in a mountainous patch in the parish of Colvend, is about five miles from Dalbeattie, and not far from the main road leading from this town to Colvend Manse. It is a deep peaty sort of a loch, very irregularly shaped, measuring about 1950 feet in length, with a breadth varying from 600 to 1150 feet, and is bounded on the east by a barren ridge of rock which runs along its margin. In 1865 the level of this loch was lowered by drainage, when a few stones, which used to become visible in dry summers, turned out to be an artificial island constructed of wooden beams. Shortly after exposure, it was visited by the late Sir W. Jardine, Dr. Stuart, Secretary to the Society of Antiquaries, and others, and found to be surrounded by a circle of oak piles enclosing a wooden flooring. "None of these piles were visible above the water. On this oak piling beams had been laid horizontally, some oak and some of fir still retaining the bark. The space within this piling was nearly circular in shape, and measured about 24 feet in diameter; but, outside the piling, and between it and the loch, there was an area, from 5 to 8 feet wide, filled with angular granite blocks to assist in protecting the wooden flooring." Two metal "pots" were found on the island, of which only one now remains. It is of thin beaten bronze, flat-bottomed, with bulging sides and everted lip. Its dimensions are: height 5 inches, diameter of mouth 4-3/4 inches, do. of bottom 3-3/4 inches, and do. in middle 5-3/4 inches.[18] CRANNOGS IN LOCH DOWALTON. A more important discovery, made about the same time, was a group of artificial islands in Lake Dowalton, Wigtownshire, which were first described by Lord Lovaine, in a paper read to the British Association in 1863. Mr. John Stuart, Secretary to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, then took up the subject, and, owing to a greater drainage of the loch having been made in the interval, was enabled to re-examine the Dowalton islands under more favourable circumstances. The result of his labours was an elaborate paper to the Society, in which he gave a detailed account of the structure and relics of these crannogs, and also took the opportunity of incorporating into his article all the facts he could glean, so as to afford a basis for comparing the Scottish examples with those in other countries. I have taken advantage of some of the contents of this paper on a previous occasion when discussing Mr. Robertson's investigations of Scottish crannogs. The following is the substance of Dr. Stuart's examination and report of the Dowalton group:[19]--