EHG3485 - Trial trenching - Spey Dam, Laggan

Due to the proximity of archaeological remains such as the site of St Michael’s Chapel and the deserted township of Crathie, an archaeological evaluation of a proposed development area at Spey Dam near Laggan was undertaken by GUARD Archaeology Ltd in 2011. Seven trenches were excavated which encountered a number of undated archaeological features. A possible clearance cairn was identified towards the north western part of the development area, while towards the south eastern part of the development area, a deposit containing a good quantity of burnt faunal bone and charcoal, possibly representing the remains of a hearth, next to the ruinous remains of a dry stone structure was encountered.<1> A soil sample from the probable hearth deposit was subsequently flotation processed and analysed. A single fragment of alder charcoal was selected for AMS radiocarbon dating and returned an Iron Age date. See the related monument record for more details. <2> The results of the evaluation have been published online. <3>