EHG5999 - Walkover survey - Coastal Zone Assessment, Inverness to Culbin

A Community Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (CCZAS) was carried out and directed by SCAPE (and the University of St Andrews) in 2022 of the Inner Moray Firth Highland coast, from Milton of Culloden to the Highland-Moray council boundary at Culbin. This stretch of coastline is predominantly soft and low-lying and was not included in previous coastal zone assessment surveys of the Inner Moray Firth in the Highland region. The aim of the survey was to characterise and assess the condition and vulnerability of the coastal archaeological resource along stretches of coastline identified as being at moderate to high risk of erosion by 2030. The surveys were designed to involve volunteers and most of the accessible coastline was walked by SCAPE officers and volunteers over six days in April 2022. The surveys benefited from information from volunteers about local heritage and recent coastline change. Surveys were timetabled during periods of each month with the lowest tides and each walk was undertaken three hours either side of that day’s low tide to gain the most visible exposure of the intertidal zone. SCAPE officers and volunteers generally walked along the coast edge with good views over the intertidal zone and hinterland, deviating to visit known sites and to check features and anomalies. Drone aerial photography was taken of as many selected sites and areas as was practical and possible, particularly of intertidal sites such as fish traps which are much better understood from the air. After each walkover, the data collected using the SCAPE app was submitted to the SCAPE website and moderated by SCAPE officers. During moderation, the significance, condition, and vulnerability of each site was also assessed, and a priority based upon site significance and threat from erosion assigned. One hundred and ten sites were visited and documented in the walkover survey, of which 25 sites had not previously been documented. <1>