EHG6148 - DBA and walkover survey - proposed Bunloinn Wind Farm

A desk based assessment and walkover survey were undertaken by Wood PLC in 2021 in advance of the propsed development of the Bunloinn Wind Farm. Previously identified archaeological features within the site boundary, including those identified through the desk-based research, as well as those identified by the Highland HER, were visited to confirm ground conditions and to identify possible hitherto unrecorded heritage assets. Visits were also made to several of the designated assets considered within the settings assessment, where access was possible, following the fixing of the turbine positions and the finalising of the zones of theoretical visibility. No previously unrecorded features were observed at the locations of the proposed turbines in commercial forestry during the site walkover. It was considered unlikely that any remains would survive within areas which are currently planted with dense commercial plantations, like those that currently characterise parts of the site, and that where such remains survive, they are likley to have have been significantly disturbed. This is due to the drainage and earthmoving works, which precede such forestry planting as well as root action and tree throw. For these reasons, it was considered unlikely that buried archaeology remains would survive within areas of commercial forestry. The locations of other turbines would be on rocky, rugged ground on the upper slopes of Beinn Loinne. No previously unrecorded archaeological features were identified during the site walkover in this area. The terrain here, although relatively flat in places where turbines are proposed, appeared unlikely to have been suitable to support extensive permanent settlement, but it was considered not uncommon for certain human activity, such as prehistoric ceremonial or mortuary practices, or pastoral activity in the medieval period. However, it was considered that these activities are generally represented by sparsely distributed features, and the relative lack of recorded activity in the site and the absence of such features in aerial imagery and the site visit suggests that larger or well-preserved concentrations of these features are unlikely to be present within the open areas of the site. Therefore, it was considered that there would be a low probability of hitherto unidentified archaeological remains of any date being present in the site. The overall archaeological potential of the proposed development area was assessed as low as a result of its past land use, topography and with regard to archaeological remains in the area around the site. It was, however, recognised that there remains the possibility of casual or unexpected finds. An appropriate archaeological monitoring strategy would therefore be agreed in advance with The Highland Council archaeologist, and incorporated within the WSI, to be prepared prior to the commencement of the development, for approval by the planning authority. <1>