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MHG66334 - Shell-covered sand mounds - Balchrick

Summary

A very noticeable surface scatter of seashells.

Type and Period (2)

Protected Status

Full Description

A second archaeological survey of Sandwood Estate in the parish of Eddrachillis was undertaken by ACFA in 2002.

Large sections of the ridge to the SE of the Balchrick to Droman road have a machair-type cover, with shelly sand typically around lm deep providing the base for good pasturage and a notably diverse meadow flora. In some local areas however, mainly a little below the crest of the ridge on the NW side, more or less extensive blow-outs have occurred, exposing the underlying rock or stony surface. In two places, the remains of old settlements have thus been revealed.

This site, on a NW-facing slope at approximately 40m OD, is largely surrounded by an area of (actually or potentially) mobile and unstable sand and machair. At some time the site has evidently been completely covered by sand, and has subsequently been re-exposed by wind-blow and water erosion.
The area surrounding this site was the subject of work by Scottish Natural Heritage (then NCC) in 1989 when a conservation project was carried out to stabilise the dunes and machair by treatment with peat and planting with marram grass. (Since 1997 this project has been continued by the Trust). The work appears to have been fairly successful, though some further erosion and exposure of the site has since occurred on a relatively small scale (see next paragraph below).
On the archaeological front, it is understood that at much the same time as the SNH work, some excavation of the site was carried out by Highland Regional Council Archaeology Service, and the presence of postholes was reported Detailed information on this work has not been traced, but an undated sketch of part of the site presumed to have been made at the time (received from The Highland Council through SNH), alows it to be estimated that in some places the standing edge of the sand has since eroded back a further 1-2m. The site contains the remains of an enclosure, two sand mounds with substantial seashell accumulations, and traces of two possible hut circles.

Feature 2; Shell-covered sand mounds.
Immediately to the west of Feature 1, an area some 26m E-W by 20m N-S has a very noticeable surface scatter of seashells, mainly limpets and whelks but with occasional oysters and mussels. Within this area a mound some 15m in diameter rises to a height of just over lm. After careful probing, it was concluded this mound consists mainly of sand, with just a superficial layer of shells. On the NE toe of this large mound is a smaller mound, 0.2m high and spreading to a diameter of 2m, which appears to have a much greater concentration of shells, and may in fact be composed entirely of shells.

At first sight these mounds were thought to be shell middens, but it was later concluded that this did not apply at least to the larger mound, taking into consideration that it is not solid shell. The widespread superficial shell scatter seems most likely the result of wind-blow dispersing a shell deposit from some other, but unidentified, place in the vicinity. The presence of the smaller mound is taken as confirmatory evidence that shellfish have been exploited as a source of food by the local population at some time or another, but for how long, when and to what extent remains speculative. <1>

NGR adjusted based on 1999-2001 vertical aerial photographs. <2>

Sources/Archives (5)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NC 1912 5962 (28m by 28m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NC15NE
Geographical Area	SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish	EDDRACHILLIS

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (2)

Related Investigations/Events (1)

External Links (1)