EHG5529 - Watching brief - Beauly Substation

An archaeological watching brief was carried out by AOC Archaeology Group during ground investigation works at Beauly Substation in advance of a proposed extension. The watching brief was carried out on 3rd-4th March 2021, during which the excavation of eleven trial pits was carried out under archaeological supervision. A walkover survey of the trial pit locations was carried out prior to their excavation. Trial pits 1-9 were shown to be within the existing substation, where significant ground disturbance has taken place during the original construction of the substation. Excavations at these locations were not monitored as a result. Trial pits 10-20 were located around the southwest and northwest edges of previously developed areas of the substation, within areas with the potential for archaeology to survive. Monitoring of these pits revealed a dark brown sandy loam topsoil, between 0.19m-0.27m deep over a varying subsoil of reddish or yellow brown gravels and sands. Some of the trial pits (notably 15, 16a, 16b and 19) contained previously disturbed material or made ground, comprising redeposited sand. Ground conditions on the northwest side of the site, in the locale of trial pits 10-12, were observed to be undisturbed by the overall substation development. No archaeological features were observed in any of the trial pits. <1>