EHG6319 - Watching brief - RCI Rychraggan DMA (Balnain) Water Main Rehab, Drumnadrochit

An archaeological watching brief was carried out by West Coast Archaeological Services in 2024 on behalf of Scottish Water during groundworks for an open-cut water main rehab scheme located between Easter Balnagrantach and Rychreggan, Glen Urquhart and to the west of Drumnadrochit. The work was undertaken where an open cut trench would be excavated for the new pipeline. Following a desk-based assessement and walkover survey (see EHG6318) recommendations were made for an archaeological watching brief where the water main route was proposed to run in close proximity to Cairn Daley, at Easter Balnagrantach. The section of watching brief ran through an open field to the east of Cairn Daley and sourtheast of Easter Balnagrantach and included a modification to the water main route. This ran up the side and to the southwest of a boundary wall (identified in the earlier survey as Site 1) and turned to the southwest following another field boundary and access road, terminating just 26m north of Cairn Daley. This section of water main pipeline route passed through improved, grassy pasture, and within disturbed ground adjacent to the access road and field boundary on the northeast-southwest section of the route towards the remains of the chambered cairn. No archaeological deposits or features were revealed during the watching brief, while artefacts recovered included a very small number of post-medieval ceramic sherds, two fragments of roofing slate, and some small coal fragments. It was recommended that no additional work or archaeological input would be required for this project. <1>