EHG4814 - Archaeological Evaluation and Watching Brief - 8 Hallin Park, Waternish, Isle of Skye

An archaeological evaluation and watching brief was carried out between the 18-19th August 2014 and on the 5th May 2015 on behalf of Sue Hart in advance of construction of a new house, access road and services at 8 Hallin Park, Waternish, Isle of Skye. An evaluation was carried out on one of the previously identified structures that would be directly affected by the construction of the new house and parking area. This included the dismantling of two superimposed buildings – a house and overlying building of unknown function. The watching brief did not reveal any new archaeological features or structures, although a small area of midden including industrial period ceramics, coal fragments and ash was identified on the line of the new access track. The dismantling of the later stone-built structure overlying the earlier house revealed sherds of industrial period ceramics and some asbestos roof tile fragments, suggesting a construction for the building at some stage during the early to middle stages of the 20th century. This date appears to agree with evidence of the building shown on the Ordnance Survey map sheet for the area. The earlier underlying house, constructed from stone and turf, comprised a large building with an internal partition wall, with the smaller of the two rooms containing a well-laid cobble floor. A total of three hearth settings were identified within the floor plan of the building, but the small finds recovered, including numerous industrial-period ceramic sherds, suggest construction no earlier than the closing years of the 18th century, or even the early stages of the 19th century. <1>