EHG505 - Trial trenching - 69-71 & 73 High Street, Fortrose

SUAT Ltd undertook a site evaluation in advance of proposed development at 69-71 and 73 High Street, Fortrose, Highland. Approximately 5% of the area was investigated by machine excavated trial trenches. Five trenches were excavated to the rear of the two properties and one small trench was located close to the High Street frontage. The trenches revealed a substantial depth of black garden/horticultural soil in the backlands containing residual modern/early modern pottery. A subsoil underlay the black soil, from which one sherd of medieval pottery was recovered; this overlay crude drainage slots cut into natural sands. Part of a robbed out wall feature and the remains of a path, both probably 18th century, were found to the rear of 69-71 High Street, while close to the High Street at no 73, an early modern cobbled surface was exposed. <1> The excavation assemblage from the site was submitted to Treasure Trove (TT 111/09) and allocated to Groam House Museum. Listed under Acc. No. ROMGH-2010-20. <2> <3> <4>.