EHG5406 - Trial trenching - Tornagrain Phase 1A

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by AOC Archaeology Group in 2015 on behalf of Moray Estates ahead of a start of long-term residential development with retail, commercial and community elements at Tornagrain, Croy, Inverness-shire. A total of 81 evaluation trenches totalling an area of 13,162 m² were excavated within the development area. Of the c.28.3 ha site there were a variety of areas unavailable to trench because of the presence of live services, existing infrastructure such as roads and an old quarry. Live services included overhead electrical cables, a live water main and an oil pipeline. As such c. 10 ha was unavailable for trenching. Of the land available for evaluation the trenching totalled just over 7 %. The evaluation revealed a stratigraphic sequence of sandy topsoil overlying natural deposits of sand and gravel. Numerous archaeological cut features were identified of which variously sized pits were most prominent alongside a possible souterrain structure and a curvilinear feature of unknown function. These features, where investigated, revealed finds such as slag indicative of Iron Age smelting and smithing with two pits indicating earlier occupation in the form of Late Neolithic pottery and Early Bronze beaker sherds. <1>