EHG6116 - Trial trenching - proposed Cabot Driving Range, Castle Stuart

An archaeological trial trenching evaluation was undertaken by Avon Archaeology (Highland) in 2023 in advance of and during preliminary development works for a new driving range at Castle Stuart Golf, Dalcross near Inverness. The evaluation stage was designed to establish the presence or absence of significant buried archaeological deposits, features and finds within the footprint of the development area. A total of 67 evaluation trenches were opened across the site, 33 of which revealed buried archaeological deposits and features of varying quality and significance provisionally dated to between the later prehistoric and earlier post-medieval periods. The principal results of the trenching indicated four focal areas (Areas SR1 to SR4) of archaeological activity, three of which were provisionally interpreted to reflect prehistoric settlement-related activity, including the remains of earth-fast timber structures, the fourth area was interpreted to represent an area of rural medieval industrial activity. Two of these areas (Areas SR1 and SR3 subsequently designated Mitigation Areas A and B) were fully investigated and recorded by excavation (see EHG6117), the archaeology in the remaining two areas (Areas SR2 and SR4) were preserved in-situ by modifications to the design of the driving range. In view of the significant and extensive evidence recorded on the site it was recommended that a further final stage of post-excavation assessment, analysis and reporting be undertaken in order to clarify the chronology of the archaeological activity and fully understand, interpret and report the evidence gathered during the various stages of fieldwork. <1>