EHG6034 - Watching brief - new house plot, Balbeg, Watten

An archaeological watching brief was undertaken by Highland Archaeology Services in 2022 at Balbeg, Watten, in advance of the development of a house and access. A desk-based assessment (DBA) was undertaken followed by a phase of watching brief. This phase of the project comprised an access track approximately 220m long. The house site is to follow at a later date. The DBA identified fourteen features in the vicinity of the development including a scheduled broch, cists and a possible standing stone. One feature was recorded during this phase of the works, this was a flagstone paved area, thought to be associated with Balbeg farmstead recorded on the Ordnance Survey first edition map. Two drains were also recorded. The only artefacts recovered from the site were modern ceramics and a piece of corroded iron. None of the deposits, features or finds revealed during the course of the project are considered to be archaeologically significant and no further archaeological work is recommended for the areas already excavated. However, the evidence gathered during the DBA suggests the potential of prehistoric activity and thus a further watching brief over the house plot area was recommended when the work is undertaken. <1>