EHG5451 - Excavation - Hut circle 5a, Knocknagael to Tomatin 275kV Overhead Line

As a result of development works for the route of the new 275kV overhead line (OHL) which runs between the Knocknagael substation by Essich in Inverness and the new Tomatin substation site at Glen Kyllachy near Tomatin, a hut circle located within the designated area for overhead line tower CMA04, near Essich, was partially destroyed during unsupervised clearance and construction of the tower compound. Over four days in March 2018 a rescue excavation undretkane by AOC Archaeology Group targeted the undisturbed area of the hut circle. A 7.5m x 2.5m trench was positioned to include the spread of collapsed stones and maximum internal length available to ascertain the presence of surviving archaeological deposits and features. The evaluation revealed that the structural remains, which had appeared only as a faint raised circular bank, was well-preserved and provided informative results. <1>