EHG6218 - Excavation - proposed Cabot Highland Golf Course, Castle Stuart

Two archaeological ‘strip & record’ mitigation excavations were undertaken by Avon Archaeology (Highland) in advance of preliminary development works for a new Championship Golf Course at Castle Stuart, Dalcross near Inverness. The mitigation-stage fieldwork was designed to fully characterise and record significant buried archaeological deposits, features and finds located in two specific parts of the development area, the first, designated Mitigation Area PS5, identified during a preceding stage of evaluation trenching (see EHG5992) and the second, designated Kiln 1, identified during the watching brief stage monitoring of development earthmoving. Mitigation excavation in Area PS5 targeted the location of a postulated prehistoric ring ditch identified from aerial photographs. Excavation revealed the truncated but surprisingly well-preserved remains of a complex and possibly multi-period palisaded enclosure, provisionally dated to the Bronze Age/Iron Age periods, which included the postulated remains of a contemporary or later Iron Age cart-burial. These remains were considered to represent important new evidence of prehistoric ritual/funerary activity in the north of Scotland. Evidence for a later phase of medieval settlement related and agricultural activity was also recorded, which was deemed to be of local importance. The remains of a large and previously unrecorded kiln structure (Kiln 1), destroyed by fire, was identified during development monitoring and subsequently investigated and recorded. The structure remains undated but produced large quantities of thoroughly charred structural wood and other charred residues, which have been considered to hold significant future research potential. A further comprehensive stage of PERD stage post-site analysis and reporting was recommended, the proposed priorities of which would include independent scientific dating and specialist examination and reporting of the suggested Iron Age cart-burial remains. The evidence recorded at Kiln 1 as part of watching brief monitoring was considered to be of local and possibly regional importance and to have significant further research potential that could be expected to add to current understanding of the chronology and character of settlement-related and agricultural activity in the Highland region. Accordingly, a further stage of selective post excavation analysis and reporting was recommended to firmly date and fully characterise the construction and operation of the kiln structure, the proposed priorities of which would include independent scientific dating and the examination and reporting of charred remains. <1>