EHG2883 - Watching brief at Slacknamarnock Quarry, Inverness

A watching brief carried out between 6 August–4 October 2007 entailed monitoring the clearing of vegetation and excavation of topsoil to form an access road into the disused quarry and of soil stripping in areas designated as ‘archaeologically sensitive’ in the development area. No features were encountered along the course of the access road. It appears that a large part of the site had been stripped down to the underlying sand and gravel deposits at the time of the quarrying, rendering it archaeologically sterile. A bank which had been identified in a prior desk-based assessment appears to have been constructed at the time the quarry was established. The only area that appeared to be undisturbed was the high area located along the S edge of the site; although some sections of this area are also disturbed. It was in this area that a cist burial was recorded in 1970. No features were encountered during monitoring of soil stripping in the ‘archaeologically sensitive’ areas. <1>-<3>