EHG5685 - DBA and walkover survey - proposed Ben Sca Wind Farm

A desk based assessment and walkover survey were carried out by SLR Consulting in 2019 in order to inform an Environmental Impact Assessment for a proposed wind farm at Ben Sca. All areas outwith conifer plantations were inspected: conifer plantations are impenetrable, with visibility too poor to be able to find or record assets adequately. The plantation tracks and rides were assessed where appropriate. Pictures of previously unrecorded assets are below. Ground conditions, excluding areas of plantations, were variable. Lower ground was covered by a mix of heather, grasses, and rushes. Land at higher levels was dominated by heather and mosses. In areas of dense vegetative cover, vegetation may obscure above ground archaeological features, but overall the potential of this was low. A total of three shieling sites were recorded, not previously identified at these locations: SLR No.’s 88, 89 and 95. An additional walkers cairn, SLR No. 90, was also identified in addition to those shown on historical and current OS mapping. Visits to SLR No.’s 19, 25, 46, 57 provided no trace of archaeological features. SLR No. 47 is located within an area of dense plantation and is highly likely to have been removed by forestry activity. HER descriptions of SLR No.’s 25 and 46 refers to structures built against outcrop rock. There is no outcrop rock on this side of Mullach Ben Sca and it is highly likely that these have been positioned in the wrong location. Within the application site, the potential for unknown assets of the post-medieval period is low to moderate, the potential for unknown assets of the medieval and prehistoric periods it is low, and the potential for the Roman period it is very low. There are no predicted significant construction effects or operational effects on known heritage assets or their setting from the proposed development. <1>