EHG554 - Watching brief - cable trench, Loch Ashie Water Treatment Works

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by CFA Archaeology in 2001 during the excavation of an underground electricity cable trench to service the site of the Loch Ashie Water Treatment Works. The work was commissioned by the North of Scotland Water Authority. This was the final phase of archaeological work on the Loch Ashie site which has already been the subject of an archaeological survey, excavations and watching brief (see EHG174, EHG553 & EHG6068). The watching brief demonstrated that no archaeologically significant remains were disturbed during the excavation of the cable trench. The sites at risk had been previously disturbed, in antiquity in the case of sites 82 and 90, recently in the case of sites 54 and 78. The laying of the cable alongside the present access road had minimised the damage to the archaeology of the site. Fieldwalking on the line of the overhead cable connection located two previously unknown sites. These, and the other identified remains were to be avoided during the construction phase. <1>