EHG5646 - Watching brief - proposed distillery, Craggan

An archaeological watching brief was carried out by AOC Archaeology Group in 2020 at Craggan, Grantown-on-Spey prior to the development of a new Distillery. The watching brief was required as an evaluation carried out in 2019 (see EHG6545) identified three prehistoric structures; two roundhouses comprising segments of ring-ditch and post-rings and a hearth surrounded by an arc of postholes, in addition to other isolated archaeological features. The watching brief uncovered a further five structures; three roundhouses, a segment of ring-ditch with cremation burial and a four-post structure. Two of the roundhouses comprised of a post-ring, one had a substantial east facing porch. The third roundhouse comprised a segment of ring-ditch which contained a flat stone surface and a post-ring. A second flat stone surface was excavated in a pit with only one posthole close by, which is likely to have related to another truncated structure. Nearby to this settlement evidence a segment of ring-ditch with possible cremation burial was identified. In an area to the south of the main concentration of features a four-post structure comprising four postholes which were paired with adjacent pits was identified. Two pit groups and four slag rich pits were recorded in addition to the main structures and across the site there were isolated firepits, pits and postholes which did not form meaningful arrangements but hinted at wider activity. The results from the archaeological work undertaken at Craggan suggest that the site was the location of a later prehistoric settlement with a range of activities occurring at it. Post-excavation analyses will be required to understand the chronology and the activities undertaken on the site. <1>