EHG5764 - DBA and walkover survey - water main replacement, Burn of Houstry, Dunbeath

An archaeological desk-based assessment and walkover survey were carried out by West Coast Archaeological Services in 2022 on behalf of Scottish Water in advance of the drilling of trial boreholes and replacement of the water main at the Burn of Houstry, near Dunbeath, Caithness. The work was undertaken to assess the nature and extent of any archaeological sites likely to be affected within the areas outlined for the proposed development works and pipeline route and in order to inform recommendations for the protection and management of any sites recovered. The desk-based assessment including the investigation of aerial imagery covering the area, identified a number of archaeological sites in close proximity to the proposed works. These sites were confirmed by the subsequent walkover survey, which also identified a number of sites not visible on the aerial imagery. The sites included boundary and enclosure dykes, field clearance, and clearance cairns. Most of the archaeological features are likely to be of post-medieval date, forming a part of the wider settlement of the landscape in this area. However, three of the stone clearance cairns may be prehistoric in date. Mitigation measures have been proposed to safeguard the sites during the development works. <1>