Palynological data from Loch an t’Suidhe, Isle of Mull, Scotland

Kevin J. Edwards; Heather Sugden; James B. Innes; Jeff Blackford; J. Edward Schofield

doi:10.1080/01916122.2026.2658690

Palynological data from Loch an t’Suidhe, Isle of Mull, Scotland

Kevin J. Edwards (Lead / Corresponding author)
, Heather Sugden
, James B. Innes
, Jeff Blackford
, J. Edward Schofield

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

4 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Pollen and non-pollen palynomorph data from the Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides, Scotland, are presented from the site of Loch an t’Suidhe, a small lake on the Ross of Mull peninsula. The aim was to determine the palaeoecological record associated with early to mid-Holocene environmental change. A core was extracted from the infilled peaty margins at the southern end of the loch with an 8 cm diameter Russian-type corer. Pollen, spore, non-pollen palynomorph, microscopic charcoal and loss-on-ignition data derive from the basal part of the core. Six radiocarbon dates contribute to core chronology. Dates are calibrated using the IntCal20 calibration curve with age–depth modelling via Clam software. Palynomorph data are produced using Tilia and TGView software. The profile covers the Holocene period from an estimated 10,890–5470 calendar years BP. The data enable comparisons to be made with undated palynological profiles already available from the Isle of Mull, enhancing opportunities to explain early to mid-Holocene environmental change–which would cover the Mesolithic and early Neolithic archaeological periods–in the Inner Hebrides and beyond.

Original language	English
Article number	2658690
Journal	Palynology
Early online date	21 Apr 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/01916122.2026.2658690
Publication status	Published - 26 May 2026

Keywords

Holocene
Isle of Mull
Lake
palaeoecology
Scotland

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Palaeontology

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10.1080/01916122.2026.2658690Licence: CC BY

Final published version
2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permitsunrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow theposting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Final published version, 2.37 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Palynological data from Loch an t{\textquoteright}Suidhe, Isle of Mull, Scotland",

abstract = "Pollen and non-pollen palynomorph data from the Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides, Scotland, are presented from the site of Loch an t{\textquoteright}Suidhe, a small lake on the Ross of Mull peninsula. The aim was to determine the palaeoecological record associated with early to mid-Holocene environmental change. A core was extracted from the infilled peaty margins at the southern end of the loch with an 8 cm diameter Russian-type corer. Pollen, spore, non-pollen palynomorph, microscopic charcoal and loss-on-ignition data derive from the basal part of the core. Six radiocarbon dates contribute to core chronology. Dates are calibrated using the IntCal20 calibration curve with age–depth modelling via Clam software. Palynomorph data are produced using Tilia and TGView software. The profile covers the Holocene period from an estimated 10,890–5470 calendar years BP. The data enable comparisons to be made with undated palynological profiles already available from the Isle of Mull, enhancing opportunities to explain early to mid-Holocene environmental change–which would cover the Mesolithic and early Neolithic archaeological periods–in the Inner Hebrides and beyond.",

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AU - Innes, James B.

AU - Blackford, Jeff

AU - Schofield, J. Edward

PY - 2026/5/26

Y1 - 2026/5/26

N2 - Pollen and non-pollen palynomorph data from the Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides, Scotland, are presented from the site of Loch an t’Suidhe, a small lake on the Ross of Mull peninsula. The aim was to determine the palaeoecological record associated with early to mid-Holocene environmental change. A core was extracted from the infilled peaty margins at the southern end of the loch with an 8 cm diameter Russian-type corer. Pollen, spore, non-pollen palynomorph, microscopic charcoal and loss-on-ignition data derive from the basal part of the core. Six radiocarbon dates contribute to core chronology. Dates are calibrated using the IntCal20 calibration curve with age–depth modelling via Clam software. Palynomorph data are produced using Tilia and TGView software. The profile covers the Holocene period from an estimated 10,890–5470 calendar years BP. The data enable comparisons to be made with undated palynological profiles already available from the Isle of Mull, enhancing opportunities to explain early to mid-Holocene environmental change–which would cover the Mesolithic and early Neolithic archaeological periods–in the Inner Hebrides and beyond.

AB - Pollen and non-pollen palynomorph data from the Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides, Scotland, are presented from the site of Loch an t’Suidhe, a small lake on the Ross of Mull peninsula. The aim was to determine the palaeoecological record associated with early to mid-Holocene environmental change. A core was extracted from the infilled peaty margins at the southern end of the loch with an 8 cm diameter Russian-type corer. Pollen, spore, non-pollen palynomorph, microscopic charcoal and loss-on-ignition data derive from the basal part of the core. Six radiocarbon dates contribute to core chronology. Dates are calibrated using the IntCal20 calibration curve with age–depth modelling via Clam software. Palynomorph data are produced using Tilia and TGView software. The profile covers the Holocene period from an estimated 10,890–5470 calendar years BP. The data enable comparisons to be made with undated palynological profiles already available from the Isle of Mull, enhancing opportunities to explain early to mid-Holocene environmental change–which would cover the Mesolithic and early Neolithic archaeological periods–in the Inner Hebrides and beyond.

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Palynological data from Loch an t’Suidhe, Isle of Mull, Scotland

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