Strathain Hut Circle, Lochbroom

Sep 23 set up/ sep29 clear up
Sep24-28 Dig
primary school visit to be arranged
Sep 25 Open Day

See Finds and Results for initial results.

Sun Sept 23rd
Fine sunny day. Volunteers were delighted that the equipment was taken up to very near the site by Barry in a combination of all terrain vehicles and trailers.
(Emphasis on the ‘UP’ as slopes are VERY steep.)
We strung the trenches and deturfed.

Mon Sept 24th
Windy with several showers but nothing bad enough to deter the diggers. Cake helped. A possible hearth setting appeared in T1 but it had no signs of burning. No wall structure yet evident in T2.

Tues Sept 25th
Again windy but none of the torrential rain which has hit the rest of the UK. Lots of competent volunteers. T1 and T2 were dug to the natural. A layer of black sticky soil sat under the peat and on top of the natural, but it lay underneath the wall stones. It also appeared in two soil trenches and in a trench dug across the embankment of nearby (but up steep slope) circular structure. T2 was extended to join T1.
In the embankment trench John found a possible posthole and then another.
Buckets regularly rolled downhill as well as John’s brolly.

While collecting soil samples one volunteer was confused:
Di ‘What is that in the trench wall?’
Anna ‘Kubiena tin’
D ’What do you mean ‘could be anything?’ !!!!!!

Wed Sep 26th
No wind, and no midges, and finishing off supplies of cake. Plane table plans drawn for upper site and neighbouring structure. (Latter has an embankment and a lot of upright slabs but is quite small.) The possible postholes proved not to be! Section plans were drawn and trenches backfilled. Equipment was carried down to the trailer and some items were carried back to base by strong and cheerful volunteers. Summary of volunteer feelings was ‘Who in their right minds would choose to live on a slope like that!’.