EHG5895 - Watching brief and excavation - 132 kV Substation Reinforcement, Beauly

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by AOC Archaeology Group in 2022 in advance of substation reinforcement works at Beauly Substation. Previous archaeological investigations had identified a suite of prehistoric structures within the development area. The archaeological watching brief and excavation were undertaken between 16th May and 17th June 2022 in order to mitigate the loss of archaeological deposits or materials during development. Excavation revealed a prehistoric roundhouse, measuring 8m by 7m internally with banks c. 0.4m high comprising a wall foundation layer of turf, a patchy course of stonework and a thick layer of rubble stone. It contained an internal post-ring set approximately 1m from the inner wall face. Two saddle quern fragments, two flint artefacts and several sherds of coarse ceramic were recovered from deposits within the site. Archaeological monitoring of topsoil clearance around the exterior of the structure did not reveal any further archaeological features or deposits. <1>