EHG5662 - Watching brief - new house plots, Craig Wood, Dingwall

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by S Farrell in 2019 on land at Craig Wood, Dingwall, commissioned by Bracewell Stirling Architects per Highland Housing Alliance as part of a project for new housing with associated access and services. Only 3 plots were monitored, the 4th being dropped from development at this time. The house plots were excavated using a 14/21-ton back-acting machine with a 1.9m wide straight-edged bucket under direct archaeological supervision. Turf was stripped off first and placed to the east of plots 2 & 3, with plots excavated in strips (ground was too wet to use dumper). Topsoil was removed to a depth of between 0.3m and 0.45m, the greatest depth being to the northeast. Spoil was examined for artefacts, being removed outwith each plot. Work revealed the site of the new house plots lay in an area of improved farmland with no archaeological features or deposits. No recommendations for further archaeological work are proposed. <1>