EHG3729 - Watching brief - Tighchuig (Eagle Brae), Strathglass

A watching brief was carried out at Tighchuig, Strathglass, Highland, in 2011 by Highland Archaeology Services during site clearance for a log cabin development and associated hydro-electric scheme. 23 features had previously been recorded during a walkover survey in 2010 (see EHG3728), of which 12 were identified as possibly threatened by the development, the impact of which was to be mitigated by a watching brief on topsoil stripping in and around those features. An archaeologist walked over the site on 17 August before construction started with the architect and contractor, who were made aware of the location and extent of the features. These were also marked out using flags. Buffer zones were established around features F7 (5m) and F14 (3m) and despite deep bracken which had grown across much of the site by the time groundworks started, when worked was due to start in the vicinity of the flags the archaeologist was notified and the watching brief was implemented. Groundworks near the threatened features were then monitored by an archaeologist, and observed deposits and features were recorded using photographs and drawings. Spoil heaps were checked for artefacts. Feature locations were recorded onto a digital OS base map. The exposed surface was cleaned by hand where features were encountered. Groundworks elsewhere were examined after excavation, and in some cases after levelling. These areas included the road and easement for the hydro-electric scheme. Topsoil was stripped to a depth of between 0.2m and 1.1m, depending on overburden and road formation level. Toothless buckets were used for all groundworks except a short stretch of road northwest of F11, where the stony ground required the use of a toothed bucket. The deeper excavations penetrated several layers of moraine deposits. Most of the site lay under a dense cover of bracken, making observation of features outwith the excavation area difficult, and it is possible that some features extend beyond the limits shown in the illustrations in the report. Despite these limitations, observation conditions of the groundworks varied from acceptable to excellent and confidence in the results of the observations is high. One previously unrecorded feature, a clearance cairn, was removed under archaeological supervision. <1>