5, , , Parish, House 1 of two new houses Planning Ref no. 07/00760/FULRC

Archaeological Watching Brief

Catherine Dagg

for

Iain and Karen Walker Driftwood Properties LLp 5 Mellon Udrigle Laide Wester Ross IV22 2NT

5, Mellon Udrigle, Laide, Gairloch Parish, Wester Ross House 1 of two new houses Planning Ref no. 07/00760/FULRC

Archaeological Watching Brief

Site summary Rural site 189427 895573 Site location (NGR)

Total area of construction 30m x 30m

Work required Archaeological Watching Brief

Area of monitoring required All ground breaking work.

1.0 Background

This evaluation covers one house site to the SE of the small crofting township of Mellon Udrigle, on the west shore of Gruinard Bay in the parish of Gairloch in Wester Ross. This house is a proposed holiday let and does not include a garage but does include short access road and hardstanding. The development is the first of two sites, the other will be covered by a watching brief at a later date

A brief for archaeological work has been prepared by the Archaeology Unit of the Department of Planning and Development at Council, as a condition of the granting of planning consent for the present development.

This area is considered to be sensitive: prehistoric remains lie in the surrounding area. There is a potential for buried features to survive within the application site and to be impacted by the proposed development.

An archaeological watching brief is needed at this site because there is a potential for associated finds or features of interest to be discovered during site works. A watching brief enables any discoveries to be recorded quickly and efficiently as they appear with minimum delay or disruption to the development.

2.0 Archaeological Background

No systematic archaeological investigation has been carried out in the general area of the development. A number of features marked on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map have been identified as possible prehistoric features and recorded as such on the

2 Historic Environment Record (HER). Other recorded features, also taken from the 1st edition OS map, are early modern, pre-crofting township features such as buildings and enclosures.

2.1 Sites with Statutory Protection

There is one Scheduled Monument in the vicinity of the development:

• Mellon Udrigle hut circle at NG 891 956 SAM ref no. 6181

This structure is located among the dunes within the caravan park and is at present flanked by two static caravans, each with a small boundary fence. The monument is vulnerable to robbing of stones and use for campfires but, while this situation is unsatisfactory, it will not be affected directly or visually by the proposed development.

There are no Listed buildings or Designed Landscapes in the vicinity of the development.

2.2 Recorded archaeological sites

The following sites are recorded on the HER:

• Hut circle (possible) at NG 8914 9552 HER no. 39992 • Building unroofed, at NG 8914 9552 HER no. 39117 • Enclosure at NG 8914 9552 HER no. 39986 • D-shaped enclosure and 3 buildings at NG 89 95 HER no. 39115 • Two unroofed buildings at NG 8911 9538 HER no. 39113

This group of buildings are all located within in-bye croft land to the west of the development, on a steep slope.

• Two unroofed buildings at NG 8928 9552 HER no. 39118 Present occupied crofthouse with detached byre • Building ‘bothy’ at NG 8917 9547 HER no. 39116 Roofed and in use, byre associated with crofthouse • Hut circle (possible) at NG 8917 9547 HER no. 39114 Not located on a steep slope overgrown with heather

3 2.3 Cartographic Evidence

The 1st edition 6” map shows eight unroofed buildings with sections of dykes and two circular features to the west of the proposed development area. These would appear typical of a pre-crofting landscape of scattered small farmsteads and enclosed areas of improved ground which fell out of use with the lotting of crofts on land further west. A second cluster of buildings, dykes and enclosures, with the three buildings shown as roofed, is located east of the development.

The 2nd edition OS map shows some of the buildings recorded as unroofed in the 1870s as roofed in 1905, and long sections of dyke or fence linking the two clusters. This may represent a population increase and spread of crofting back in to formerly cultivated areas.

The two circular structures identified on the HER as possible hut circles are within the west farmstead cluster. They are not shown on the 2nd edition OS map or on the 1990 1:25000 OS Pathfinder map.

3.0 Site Description

The house site is located on a level terrace immediately behind an access road which runs to the 1960s chalets immediately to the east. To the south of the site, the ground rises steeply to Meall nam Meallan, from which rocky ridges extend down to the shore which, although low, narrow and vegetation covered, form natural barriers to east and west of the site. A recently dug ditch runs down the east side of the site, and wet ground along the south boundary indicates natural drainage. (Photos 1-4)

The central area of the site is slightly raised and thinly covered with vegetation, exposed cobbles indicating a former storm beach

The vegetation cover of the site includes grass, bracken, nettles and brambles with rushes in the drain. Local memory is of this entire area being covered in rhubarb, a typical croft garden plant.

Within two arms of the rocky ridge to the west are sections of rubble walling, filling the gap between the rock and a boulder to create a shelter or pen. (Photos 5-8)

4.0 Watching Brief

This was carried out on 21.4.09 in dry and sunny weather conditions.

Stripping of vegetation revealed a broad ridge of beach cobbles crossing the site in a matrix of dark sandy topsoil (Photos 9-11). It also revealed a previously un-noted water main leading to the holiday chalets. While this was being mended, the opportunity was taken to excavate trial pits at two locations:

4 Test Pit 1. Location: SE corner of site Stratigraphy: a. Black sandy topsoil with heavy content of bracken root…..350mm b. Clean, pale beach sand……………………………………..200mm c. Compacted cobbles in matrix of dark, wet heavy soil….…..120mm Finds: none Interpretation: The compacted cobbles at a depth of 550mm is the upper side of the storm beach, shelving steeply into poorly drained ground. This is overlaid with windblown beach sand, itself overlain by topsoil and vegetation. No human activity is noted in this stratigraphy.

Test Pit 2. Location: SW corner of site Stratigraphy: a. Black sandy topsoil containing bracken roots………..400mm b. Clean, pale beach sand……………………………….420mm c. Dark sand-soil mix containing charcoal flecks………..30mm d. Clean, pale beach sand………………………………...70mm e. Dark sand-soil mix similar to c………………………100mm The lower layers, c-e, shelved down from W-E Finds: small fragments of charcoal, one fragment burnt bone. Interpretation: The cobble layer was not reached in this test pit but is presumed to lie deeper than the 1.2m reached. There is the suggestion of a former soil layer, covered by windblown sand, and that this soil was improved or cultivated, in the inclusion of charcoal and burnt bone, either from field clearance or from spread midden material. Why this horizon should shelve down from W to E is unclear.

Recommencement of topsoil stripping revealed a deposit of what appeared to be midden material, consisting of large quantities of limpet and winkle shells in a matrix of dark, heavy organic soil (Photos 15-18). This was first noted in the SW corner of the site, extending 4m east of the corner but petering out, and contained behind the high cobble bank crossing the site. The west edge of the stripped area exposed the rising bedrock of the low N-S ridge. The midden material appeared to overlie the cobbles, (although a number of cobbles were intermixed with the deposit), and abutted onto the bedrock, creating a clearly defined western edge to the deposit.

Stratigraphy in the exposed section south of the area of hardstanding was as follows: a. black topsoil with roots………;………...250mm b. loose mixed black deposit with shells…..400mm c. Cobbles in black soil

Samples were taken from the disturbed area, see below. As there was no need to excavate deeper over the area of hardstanding, lower layers were not investigated.

Although there was no midden deposit overlying the high part of the cobble bank, the deposit was present on the north, seaward side of the bank. A test pit was excavated in an undisturbed area to ascertain the stratigraphy:

5 Test Pit 3. Location: 1m west of NW corner of site Stratigraphy: a. black sandy topsoil with bracken roots………200mm b. Clean, pale beach sand….200mm to E, 450mm to west c. Midden deposit ………………………………570mm d. Cobbles in pink-brown sandy soil Finds: within sample, see below. Interpretation: midden material probably spread over a wide area, mostly undisturbed (Photos 19-21)

Completion of topsoil stripping clearly showed the bank of cobbles shelving north under a deep deposit of beach sand (Photos 12-14) No further archaeological deposits or features were revealed during excavation of foundation trenches.

5.0 Samples

Sample 1. From deposit in SW corner of site. (Photo 23)

A larger sample was investigated, which allowed the retrieval of a greater number of larger bone fragments. In this sample, limpet shells were in the majority although there was a quantity of winkles. Many of the limpets had the appearance of being ‘stacked’ inside each other, a phenomenon noticed in other limpet-rich midden sites (eg Shiant Isles) and interpreted as being the product of hand-shucking (Photo 22) Two small fragments of mussel were the only other shellfish represented. Of the bones retrieved from the sample, these break down as follows:

Mammal: 9 fragments, of which two show evidence of butchering Bird: 8 fragments of long bone Fish: 30 bones or bone fragments of varying sizes, the vertebrae all small

In addition 36 fragments of charcoal were recovered, the largest measuring 10 x 10 x 6mm.

Sample 2. From test pit by NW corner of site (Photo 24)

The ratio of limpet to winkle shells was more even in this deposit. Five fragments of mussel were the only other shellfish represented. Only one small fragment of semi- burnt mammal or bird bone was recovered from this sample.

Fish: approximately 60 bones, including 9 vertebrae of varying size, one large one 7mm in diameter probably of a white fish such as cod or haddock.

Charcoal: 33 fragments of which the largest is a section of twig 30mm in length an 5mm in diameter.

6 6.0 Discussion

The extent of the exposed area of midden deposits suggests that they could spread north towards the shore and be present on the west side of the low ridge of rock bounding the west side of the site. They do not appear to extend east further than 5m from the ridge. There will be no further disturbance of deposits associated with construction of this first house, but similar deposits are likely to be located within the area of house 2, which wil also be covered by a watching brief.

The nature of the shell deposits is difficult to interpret. No artefacts were recovered which might have given a date, and the presence of known prehistoric domestic sites in the vicinity offers the possibility of an early date. Much would depend on whether the shell and faunal remains are in situ residue from domestic activities, ie food preparation and cooking, or from fishing related tasks such as baiting lines.

The location of the site above the shoreline where boats could easily have been pulled up suggests a fishing-related activity. Hector Grant, formerly of Mellon Udrigle, recalls, in his childhood, hours spent baiting short lines, although he remembers this as having taken place within the house, the shells subsequently being thrown onto the house midden. There is no evidence for any house near to the site in the past 200 years, but the small shelter-like structure built onto the rocks to the SW of the site may have been for fishermen, possibly not locals but seasonal visitors. Hector Grant also recalls the tradition that each township used a different shellfish for bait, obviously dependent on what was most available along the shoreline. The Mellon Udrigle shellfish was limpets.

If the shells were primarily providing bait, there remains the question of why the other bones and charcoal are present in the deposit. They would appear to be evidence for a more domestic activity, although some bones may have been naturally deposited along the high tide line, particularly the smaller fish and bird bones. Larger bones and charcoal may have been the product of temporary fires and meals, again relating to fishermen’s temporary camps or workstations.

There does, however, remain the possibility that the deposits are much older and even prehistoric in date. The watching brief at house site 2 will allow further investigation.

Catherine Dagg, BA, AIfA 2, Ruigh’Riabhach Scoraig Peninsula Dundonnell Wester Ross IV23 2RE Tel: 01854 633 337 15.6.09

7 Appendix 1. data sources

The following data sources were consulted during the desk-based evaluation:

• Historic Environment Record (HER) held by the Archaeology Unit within the Highland Council in Inverness. • Early maps held by the Map Library within the National Library of

The author would like to thank Hector Grant, formerly of Mellon Udrigle, for information on local fishing

Appendix 2. Photographic Record (digital)

Photo no. Description Angle of view 1 General view of site before work, area to be stripped marked From E by wooden pegs. Boulders left of centre are on rock ridge 2 General view of site before work, area to be stripped marked From SE by wooden pegs, showing proximity to shore 3 General view of site before work, area to be stripped marked From S by wooden pegs, showing proximity to shore 4 View of site from high ground to site, digger is in centre From SE 5 Rubble walling of shelter or enclosure within rocks SW of site From NW 6 Rubble walling of shelter or enclosure within rocks SW of site From SW 7 Enclosed area of shelter and modern campfire From N 8 shelter From SE 9 Topsoil removed to reveal cobbles of storm beach along S From W boundary of site 10 Topsoil removed to reveal cobbles of storm beach along S From N boundary of site 11 Exposed cobbles From above 12 Topsoil stripped, showing windblown sand in foreground and From N cobble bank behind, midden deposit with shells along right edge of stripped area 13 Site stripped, showing demarcation between cobles and From E windblown sand 14 Cobble bank, left and windblown sand, right From E 15 East edge of midden deposit along south boundary of site From S 16 Limpet shells overlying cobbles From W 17 Area of deposit, foreground and shell-free area beyond From W 18 Detail of shell deposit From S 19 Test pit 3, south section, showing sequence of sand above, From N midden, centre and cobbles below 20 Test pit 3, south section, showing sequence of sand above, From N midden, centre and cobbles below 21 Test pit 3, west section From E 22 Limpet shells stacked inside each other, from SW corner of site 23 Sample 1 bones and charcoal 24 Sample 2 bones and charcoal

8 Plan 1. Location of site

9 Plan 2. Area of topsoil stripping, location of test pits and shell midden deposits

10