An Corran

This is the first recorded Mesolithic site on Skye. Martin Wildgoose, the Skye archaeologist, first recorded the rock shelter/shell midden site in 1988, and this enabled the exploratory excavation to occur, prior to necessary roadworks in 1993.

'An Corran' (as it has come to be known) overlooks the shore at Staffin, and its discovery immediately transformed our known human history on Skye from the Neolithic to the Mesolithic age. The site is estimated to have been occupied by hunter-gatherers some 8,500 years ago. Bones from the European brown bear were among the artefacts uncovered in the excavation. This was a very exciting discovery of its time, since Skye instantly gained 4,000 years in archaeological antiquity. On discovery, An Corran became one of Scotland’s most important sites overnight and it made news throughout the UK. Since the time of its discovery, many more Mesolithic sites have been found on Skye, but An Corran remains special since it was Skye’s first positively identified one.