Mining was an important industry of the area, and provided a source of employment to the people of the Auchindrain community.
We have a great deal to learn about it.
For now there will be a collection of possible references to connect to, and to follow up.
Coille Bhraghad
http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/23361/details/coille+bhraghad/
Alternative Names Allt Eas A' Chosain; Coillebraid
Site type NICKEL MINE, SILVER MINE
Canmore ID 23361
Site Number NN00NE 25
NGR NN 075 081
Council ARGYLL AND BUTE
Parish INVERARAY
Former Region STRATHCLYDE
Former District ARGYLL AND BUTE
Former County ARGYLL
A silver mine disused before 1870, when the workings and inclines were still visible.
Name Book 1870.
Nickel mine.
M Campbell and M Sandeman 1964.
Campbell and Sandeman, M and M (1964) 'Mid Argyll: an archaeological survey', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, vol.95 Page(s): 101
Ordnance Survey (Name Book) Object Name Books of the Ordnance Survey Page(s): Book No. 8, 39 Held at RCAHMS Ref
Rankine, A G (1987) 'Mining enterprises in Mid-Argyll', The Kist, vol.34 Page(s): 17-22
Craigerrine / Craignure Mine
This is along the Brenchoille road.
Tin and Nicol Mine, Brenchoile.
National Archives, Kew
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C4885324
Reference: BT 31/13295/110379
Description: Company No: 110379; Inveraray Mining Company Ltd. Incorporated in 1910. Dissolved before 1916
Date: 1910-[1916]
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Access : This record has not been digitised and cannot be downloaded. Request a quotation for a copy to be digitised or printed and sent to you.
Legal status: Public Record
All departments
- BT Records of the Board of Trade and of successor and related bodies
- Records of the Companies Registration Office
- BT 31 Board of Trade: Companies Registration Office: Files of Dissolved Companies
- BT 31/13295/110379 Company No: 110379; Inveraray Mining Company Ltd. Incorporated in 1910. Dissolved before…
with grateful thanks from one of our facebook friends
extract from (From Alexander Fraser's book "The Royal Burgh of Inverary")
“It was well-known that there were pockets of copper in Mid-Argyll and in the nineteenth century attempts were made to exploit these resources.
The Craigerrine Mine not far from Auchindrain was opened in 1799 and subsequently mining operations were begun at Coille Bhraghad near the Cromallt Burn, about one and a half miles south of Inveraray.
The mine was begun as a copper mine by the Duke of Argyll and in 1851 the workings were found to nickel. For this nickeliferous ore there was ready sale.
Between 1854 and 1867, nine tons of copper ore and 417 tons of nickel ore were produced. …..
This industry gave employment to local men, from Strontian, Argyll, and to overseers and miners from Cornwall.
Until 1873, the miners under their foreman Neill McGougan worked part of the week at Craignure near Auchindrain and part of the week at Coille Bhraghad.
At that date, business transacted between the Manager at Coille Bhraghad and rs. Watts, Blackburn & Co., Clay Merchants, Newton Abbot, Devon”
http://www.mindat.org/loc-5352.html
Craignure Mine, Inveraray
http://web.archive.org/web/20030715140201/http://bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk/downloads_temp/nickplat.pdf
Replacement deposits in Dalradian metasediments
Two former copper mines near Inverary in the south-west Highlands of Scotland produced small quantities of nickel.
Between 1854 and 1867 more than 400 t of nickel ore, comprising pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, pyrite and pentlandite, were produced from the Coille-bhraghad deposit.
At Craignure, about 10 km to the south-west, similar nickel ores were initially discarded and later removed from the dumps.
No modern studies have been conducted at these localities, but the ore seems to be a replacement of quartzitic bands within the predominantly pelitic Dalradian metasedimentary sequence.
The extent of the mineralisation is unknown, but as the deposits occur at similar structural levels close to an extensive suite of metabasic intrusives, potential may exist for further occurrences along strike between the two bodies .
