EHG36 - Walkover Survey - Blairmore & Cudrish

An archaeological survey of a proposed plantation at Blairmore and Cudrish was conducted as this had been identified by the Regional Archaeologist as an area of archaeological interest. The survey included a deskbound analysis of the Sites and Monuments Record, a study of accessible documentary sources as well as a ground based survey. The majority of the area has been planted with conifers, primarily Lodgepole pine, in the last twenty years. As these have minimal commercial value, the new proposal envisaages replacing these with a mixed woodland of native pine and broadleaved trees. The ploughing of the originally plantations has effectively stereilised these areas of any archaeological value, though the farm buildings of Wester and Easter Cudrish have been preserved. However the area of Fanclair Hill had remained free of plantings and it was in this area that the survey work was concentrated. The proposa was to plant the majority of the trees by mounding and this was seen as a major threat to the surviving archaeology. <1>