Scott’s Landing, Deer Isle

The Island Heritage Trust says this is one of the island’s best places for birding, and was once a productive spot for Native Americans to fish. The 24-acre preserve is mostly made up of fields—through which you can walk along wide, mowed trails. You can also explore a couple of shingle beaches, which look like good swimming spots on hot days. The land trust has created a self-guided tour of this interesting site and also offers detailed ecological and historical information.

On the land trust map for this preserve, you’ll notice an icon for a midden, which is an ancient trash heap left by indigenous people. Today these piles are actually quite pretty, as they’re mostly made up of bleached, broken shells. Close to the midden, an interpretative sign offers information about archaeological digs, in 2007 and 2008, that unearthed remains from seasonal Native Americans encampments from 3,000 to 2,500 years ago. The oldest of the remains, including spear points and scraping tools, were found at the base of the midden. In the middle layers were “refuse from intermittent seasonal occupation over the next two thousand years.” At the top of the midden, the most recent layer, archaeologists dug up 16th- and 17th-century goods from European traders, including glass beads, clay pipe fragments, and pieces of metal. “The relatively brief period of cultural contact marks the end of Native American settlement at Scott’s Midden, as European settlement, warfare and disease decimated Maine native populations.”

The trust also notes that the Native people of this area, known as Etchemins, for “real human beings,” built fishing weirs in the passage of water between Deer Isle and Little Deer Isle, and also speared flounder, as did the Europeans who followed them.

Note that no dogs are allowed here to protect nesting and migratory birds.

Directions: From the land trust: ”From the Deer Isle bridge, drive south on Route 15 for 1.8 miles, crossing the causeway to the preserve entrance on the left, opposite of Causeway Beach.” Drive a couple hundred feet down the driveway to reach the parking area, trailhead kiosk, and large stone sculpture.