EHG3130 - Survey and excavations in and around Loch Croispol Schoolhouse, Balnakeil

Archaeologists from Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD), along with local volunteers, undertook the excavation of eight small trenches in and around the ruins of the Loch Croispol Schoolhouse in August 2009. This was part of a wider project by the Durness Development Group, funded by Historic Scotland, Highland Legacy Fund and Heritage Lottery, aiming to record and preserve the history and archaeology of Loch Croispol School and develop a wider understanding of the landscape in which it was located. Upstanding remains of the schoolhouse, which is known to have been in use between c.1760 and 1860, were recorded, and a topographic survey of the school and its immediate environs was conducted. Evidence for two distinct floor layers was encountered within the structure along with a range of artefacts which can be attributed to the use of the building as a school. A barbed and tanged arrowhead made from black chert was recovered from a garden soil deposit in the school garden. <1>