EHG5960 - DBA and walkover survey - proposed Kirkton Wind Farm

A targeted walkover survey was carried out by SLR Consulting in 2021 to inform an environmental impact assessment in advance of a proposed wind farm development at Kirkton, Melvich. The proposed turbine locations were inspected to confirm the absence of any unknown above-ground archaeological remains. Due to changes to the application boundary, a secondary site visit was completed in February 2022, clearer definition was given to assets within the vicinity of the proposed infrastructure. Known heritage assets within the site boundary were also inspected to confirm their presence and location. Ground conditions were predominantly those of upland moorland with some areas of peatland. All assets recorded on the HER within the site were inspected. A small number of new heritage assets were recorded within the site boundary and all recorded assets were located and were as described in the HER. Several features would likely be affected adversely by proposed track widening and associated infrastructure, including formation of a construction compound, and it was recommended that a pre-commencement condition and/or a watching brief should be put in place. It was also recommended that a watching brief be conducted on all ground-breaking works within the site due to peat depths and the potential for preservation of previously unrecorded archaeology. Due to the nature of the landscape and its historical value, archaeological monitoring would mitigate any loss of deposits with archaeological potential. <1>