EHG5731 - Trial trenching - proposed annex, Strathnaver Museum, Bettyhill

An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by AOC Archaeology Group in 2021 ahead of the re-development of Strathnaver Museum in Bettyhill, Sutherland. During development, the existing museum will undergo mostly interior renovations and a new building will be erected to the northeast of the site. The archaeological fieldwork consisted of a trench evaluation of the new building site and a basic photographic survey of the existing museum and surrounding landscape. The trench evaluation, although sited within a small development footprint, revealed a well-stratified sequence of at least two deep midden layers separated by wind-blown sand layers and a basal soil horizon found more that 1m below the turf. Initial excavation of the layers found evidence for artefactual material (slag, iron objects and coarse ceramic sherds) and ecofactual material (charcoal, shell and animal bone) from both midden layers and from the basal soil layer. Evidence for archaeological features was identified at the base of the archaeological sequence and within the second overlying midden layer. The sequence indicates there is considerable time depth to the site, which contains the likelihood for considerable archaeological material. <1> See EHG5732 for the photographic survey and EHG5733 for the subsequent excavation.