EHG3735 - Trial Trenching - Windhill, Beauly

Archaeological trial trenching was conducted by Ross and Cromarty Archaeological Services in September 2012 in advance of the development of three new house sites at land located at the former sandpit, Windhill, Beauly. The work was commissioned in order to fulfil a planning condition requirement for the development. Nine trenches totalling 79.4 m² were excavated across the site where there was a possibility that the ground was undisturbed by quarrying and dumping activity. Trenches 1-7 were positioned to take account of the locations of house plots B and C; house plot A was located entirely on ground disturbed by quarrying and dumping activity. Trenches 8 and 9 were located to the south of the house plots, but were included at the request of the client as that area had the potential to be used as a house plot in the future. The positions and sizes of the trenches took into account proximity to fences, disturbed ground, trees and topography. Topsoil and modern deposits were removed by an earth-moving machine equipped with a flatbladed ditching bucket to reveal the subsoil surface where possible. This activity was conducted under constant archaeological supervision. All the trenches were sterile of archaeology. Trenches 1, 5 and 6 showed some undisturbed ground. Trenches 8 and 9 were located on fully undisturbed ground, but did not reveal any signs of archaeology. Trenches 2, 3, 4 and 7 contained only disturbed ground and dumped material. <1>