Applecross Old Estate Office

Archaeological Investigation

Catherine Dagg

For

Applecross Trust Drummond Hill Stratherrick Road Inverness Inverness-shire IV2 4JZ

Applecross Old Estate Office: Archaeological Investigation

Applecross Old Estate Office: Archaeological Investigation

Project Ref. CD1513 OASIS Ref. Catherin2-236436 Location NG 71109 44558 Project Type Excavation

1.0 Executive Summary

Disturbed remains of what appear to be three human skeletons were recorded and recovered from under the floor of an early 19th century building. The remains appear to have been roughly placed in a shallow scoop and covered in beach cobbles. C14 dating of one long bone gave a date of 1864BP, contemporary with occupation of the nearby Applecross .

2.0 Background

This investigation was triggered by the discovery of human remains during renovation work within the building known as the Old Estate Office, Applecross. The building is Listed, and renovation work was approved by Historic to convert it from its semi-derelict state to holiday accommodation.

Renovation work carried out to date consisted of :

 Removal of all internal partitions, wall cladding and flooring, including wood floor and joists of passageway and concrete and tile floor of kitchen in south extension.  Breaking through internal gable wall for insertion of new doorway at north west end, this opening 1.5m  Excavation of this aperture down below the lowest course of laid stonework by about 300mm to lay poured concrete slab.  Building up of doorway in breezeblock  Levelling up of floor, including approximately 200mm of rubble laid over concrete slab followed by approximately 200mm of pink crushed quarried Kishorn stone spread over the whole floor

Up to this stage no bones had been reported. Workmen admit to noticing bone fragments in spoil being removed out to the external spoil heap, which they thought were sheep bones.

On 7.7.15 work began on underpinning the SW side of the internal gable wall. This involved scraping back the laid Kishorn aggregate and underlying rubble to expose the lowest course of walling and the cobbles this course rests on. It was at this point that what was thought to be a large cobble was lifted and found to be a cranium. Work was halted and he police, HCHET and Historic Scotland were consulted. When the police were satisfied that the remains were of historic interest only, it was agreed that the remains, at this point thought to consist of only the cranium and a few bones, would be recorded and removed.

The archaeological investigation was carried out on 15-16th July 2015. The team consisted of: Catherine Dagg BA, ACIfA, Martha Kerr and Nick Goldthorpe of Applecross Archaeological Society.

3.0 Building History

It is thought locally that the present house stands on the footprint of an earlier building, but there is now no documentary or map evidence to confirm this. At the time of Roy’s Military Survey in the 1750s there are no buildings along the shore north of Milton (Balvulen). Clearance to the shore from the inland townships was carried out in the time of John Mackenzie, laird of Applecross from 1810, with the cleared families settled on the ‘Street’ as fisher folk.

Fig 1. Roy’s Military Survey 1750s: red arrow shows approximate location of present house

The shoreline is not shown on the detailed but undated estate maps of around 1820 as it is outside the land earmarked for improvement. It is marked as ‘Innkeeper’s croft’ and there is an indication of an enclosure immediately west of the stream mouth. The inn was at Milton until at least 1850 and this map would suggest that the innkeeper’s croft covered the entire shoreline from Milton to the stream at the present road junction.

Fig 2. Undated Estate map, c. 1820: red arrow shows approximate location of present house

The house appears to have been built for one Captain Alexander Mackenzie, merchant and ship owner. residing at Applecross. He was flourishing in 1837 but going through bankruptcy proceedings in 1843, which is probably around the time of his death. The Applecross Heritage Centre archives have the following information:

There is an account from Kenneth Macrae which talks about Alasdair a' Mhuilleir (Alasdair, the miller's son - he was Alexander MacKenzie, whose father was the miller in Milltown). He had a house and general store/merchant's business there. I'm pretty sure it is he who appears in the Kirk Session records in 1827. Macrae's note says "He it was who built the house that is now the estate office, the wing at the south being the shop and storehouses."

The most probable date for Mackenzie having the house built is the 1820s, which is also the approximate time that major improvements were carried out on the Applecross Estate, including the establishment of the Home Farm and laying out of modern fields. The first definite record of the house is the Admiralty Chart, first surveyed in the 1850s, which shows a rectangular building aligned NE-SW

Fig 3. Admiralty Chart, 1850s: red arrow indicates Old Estate Office

As Mackenzie was trading as a merchant it seems likely that the dwelling house and the attached shop and storehouse are contemporary. Certainly all the extensions beyond the core rectangular dwelling are in place by 1875, as shown on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map. At this date the building was probably occupied by the estate manager, with the extension on the north east corner added as an office where rents were collected.

Fig 4. 1st edition OS map, 1875

However, this map does appear, if accurate, to show an indent at the east end of the southern elevation, suggesting there may have been alterations after this date, although this is not evident in the stonework of the south elevation.

Photograph 1. South east elevation of house and extension

The building is Listed category B building, and the Listing document, dated 31/08/1983 gives the following description:

Earlier 19th century, 2-storey, 3-bay house with contemporary 2-storey wing to rear and further near contemporary single storey, single bay wing to south gable. Coursed rubble (east) frontage, harled flanks and rear. Projecting gabled rubble porch masks centre door. Mainly 4-pane glazing (a little contemporary 8-pane glazing survives in rear); corniced end stacks slate roofs.

This description would indicate that the 3-bay rectangular core dwelling is in its original dimensions. It is anyway unlikely that the load-bearing south west gable would have been substantially altered.

At a date possibly around 1922 a range was put into the south west gable of the extension. The chimney here is of slightly different construction from the main building, suggesting there was no fireplace opening before this date. 1922 is suggested as the lintel of the fireplace is actually a section of iron rail, possibly brought over from by puffer when the iron mines and railway there were dismantled.

After the estate office was moved up to Applecross House in the 1980s, the house was used occasionally as a private dwelling, the most recent occupant being Sean Kilbride, who lived there for around ten years. The following information on the internal layout of the extension is given by Mr Kilbride:

The external door on the seaward side of the extension opened onto a passageway which ran the full width of the building and had a wooden floor. This opened onto the kitchen which occupied the rest of the extension, with a Rayburn stove and ceramic tiles laid on a concrete slab. A doorway led from the kitchen into the second, west extension, originally the storehouse, with a steep step down to accommodate differences in floor level.

This description would place the cranium directly under the passageway. If the wooden floor and joists are original, as is likely, then the underfloor deposits are likely to have been undisturbed since the 1820s.

3.0 Site Status before Investigation

The following photograph shows the state of the skull when first reported on 7.7.15:

Fig. 5: Cranium as first noted by workmen

Although there is no directional marker or scale, it can be seen that the cranium may have been more intact, that there are at least seven teeth visible in the upper mandible, including incisors.

Photograph 2: Cranium as recorded by HCHET

By the time the archaeological team arrived on 15.7.15, the cranium was definitely separated into pieces and teeth may now have been absent, while the surrounding deposits have been cleaned back considerably, with voids appearing in the underlying cobbles. Much of this cleaning back was carried out by Andy Puls of HCHET in order to satisfy the police that the remains were historic, and to ascertain whether any other bones immediately visible, but subsequent to this it would appear that the surrounding , very dry, deposit collapsed into the voids between the cobbles under the remains, as visible on the lower right of the photograph. The location of the three missing teeth is to be determined.

A partial sheep’s horn was placed next to the skull. This is unlikely to have been its original location, but this point is out of shot on the first photograph. It is most likely to have been placed there by workmen.

4.0 Archaeological investigation

Fig. 6: Sketch plan of building showing location of burials

4.1 Contexts

An area measuring 2m NW-SE by 1,2m NE-SW was initially cleaned down. This involved the removal of the remaining overlying pink aggregate (C001) down to the surface below (C002). This can not be described as the original ground surface as preserved under the floorboards, as an unknown amount of levelling has probably been carried out in the early phase of renovation, and this surface is certainly lower than the lowest course of stones in the gable wall. The surface did, however, appear to be compacted and undisturbed apart from an oval area where cobbles protrude above this surface, and the matrix to the cobbles was loose and mixed. This oval is taken to be the area disturbed for the insertion of the human remains.

P 3: Area of disturbance, containing all skeletal remains, indicated by large cobbles

C002 consisted of a dry relatively compacted pale gritty sand, with a notable patch to the west side containing many small fragments of coal. This possibly dates to the time when the extension functioned as shop and store. Also present in this context were fragments of glass, glazed ceramics, nails and a considerable amount of shell, particularly of razor shell. Whether this represents more than would be found at a similar location on the shore outside the building is uncertain, but the manufactured items, particularly the glass, do appear to be in greater concentration and may represent occupation and use of the interior space. C002 was on average 200mm in depth

Below C002 was a compacted brown sand, C003, containing few artifacts (these assumed to have fallen down from C002) but an equal number of shell fragments to C002. This was also the matrix to the in situ skeletal remains. It continued horizontally beyond the defined oval of cobbles, but contained no bone fragments beyond this area. This was a thin layer, 50-100mm deep and lay over the beach cobbles C004 which formed the natural storm beach. Apart from material which has trickled down with recent disturbance, the beach cobbles are in voids. It is assumed that this brown layer C003 is the original, fragile, ground surface formed over the stabilised storm beach.

4.2 Feature

There was little evidence for any deliberate cut into C002, although the dry sandy nature of the deposit would have made survival of an edge almost impossible. The main evidence for disturbance is the number of medium-sized cobbles which now rise above the level of the surface of C002. It would appear that, at most, a shallow scoop into the beach cobbles was formed, but it is equally possible that the bodies were laid on the ground surface and cobbles piled over them.

4.3 The Human Remains

With the exception of the cranium reported by workmen, all the remains described below were randomly intermixed with large beach cobbles. Some of the long bones, particularly of skeleton 1 have survived intact in the cavity between two or more large cobbles, while others, notably the pelvic region of skeleton 1, have been crushed. No artifacts, items of adornment or apparel or other grave goods were recovered with the remains.

Fig. 7: Relationship of Skeleton 1 to original wall and new opening with concrete slab

4.3.1 Skeleton 1

This is the uppermost skeleton, aligned N-S. The upper torso is lying on its back and the vertebrae, ribs and right arm bones survive in situ. The pelvis is crushed, but the legs, drawn up into an extreme crouched position facing to the left, survive intact in a cavity formed by two large cobbles. The foot bones are in place but fallen down between smaller stones, while the right hand is missing or fallen into a lower level. The skull, shoulders and left arm of this skeleton would have been under the recently laid concrete slab, and a large number of bone fragments recovered by delving under the slab, including a scapula, cranial fragments and teeth would appear to definitely belong to this skeleton. However, two sets of radius and ulna recovered from under the slab indicate that parts of more than one skeleton originally lay under it.

P 4: Skeleton 1, with upper left part under recently laid concrete slab It is possible that the bone fragments and teeth recovered from the workmen’s spoil heap , disturbed when the concrete slab was laid and subsequently removed outside, belong to this skeleton. Teeth recovered from the spoil heap were notably more worn than those on the surviving crania and mandibles, suggesting this was an older individual. The bone fragments include part of a mandible, this part being already present in the other two mandibles recovered from the excavation, and some of the bone fragments appear to be from a cranium. This would suggest that the cranium and mandible of Skeleton 1 lay directly under the wall and were, if not already fragmented by being crushed under the weight of stones, damaged by workmen demolishing this section of wall to create a doorway and excavating into the ground surface to lay the concrete slab.

P 5: Skeleton 1 leg bones in extreme crouched position with post-mortem slippage into cranial fragment from skeleton 2 The radius of the in situ right arm of skeleton 1 appears to have a notable sharp-edged nick in the bone, possibly indicating a defensive injury.

P 6: notch in right radius of skeleton 1

4.4 Skeleton 2

Fig 8. Skeleton 2

This is the lower skeleton, aligned SW-NE. The cranium was lying on its side, facing to the right, but only the left side survives, the rest appearing to have been crushed by the large stone on which the leg bones of Skeleton 1 are resting. Some vertebrae and ribs are in situ and the pelvis, although tilted to an almost vertical position, is in the correct relationship to the vertebrae. The upper part of two femurs were recovered , but the rest of the leg bones were not recoverable and are assumed to be directly under the undisturbed wall.

P 7: Skeleton 2: Vertebrae, ribs and bones of right arm, with pelvis under wall at top of image

4.5 Skeleton 3

This third skeleton is inferred, as fragments of three separate lower mandibles were recovered, as well as a total of six upper femurs. This is also the most likely set of remains to be associated with the original cranium. The surviving teeth of the cranium were notably less worn than teeth recovered from the spoilheap associated with skeleton 1, but one tooth has an area of caries. Below the cranium, although separated by rubble and sand and particularly a large cobble under which it is wedged, is a lower mandible which matches the cranium. This was aligned to the north east, unlike the cranium which, although disturbed, appeared to be facing in a more south easterly direction.

A number of misplaced long bones were recovered from the area immediately to the SE of where this skull was located at the time of its reporting. These bones were notably tilted away from the horizontal, falling down into cavities between cobbles.

P8: Lower mandible, possibly of Skeleton 3, trapped under large cobble

P9. Cranium and lower mandible probably of Skeleton 3, placed together.

5.0 Dating

A long bone from Skeleton 1 was dated to 1864BP, calAD 107-234, SUERC-62755. This places it as broadly contemporary with late occupation at Applecross Broch.

6.0 Discussion

There are several pointers that the human remains were not carefully or ceremonially placed in a deliberate grave: the three skeletons appear to have all been on different alignments but approximately on top of each other. Skeleton 1, the most complete, is neither extended or crouched but appears to have been placed lying on its back with legs bent, the legs being over the upper part of skeleton 2. There is no evidence for any structure defining the grave, such as a cist or any mound over the burials large enough to have survived as a visible monument., although any surviving mound may have been levelled or robbed during construction of the house.

There are only four known examples of multiple burials during the Iron Age in the north of Scotland, three on and one in and consisting of 15, 9, 100+ and 4 individuals (Wallace 2011). This burial would not appear to be in the same category as these.

The inhumation has every appearance of being informal, with a shallow pit dug into the cobble storm beach, the three bodies roughly placed and the pit backfilled. The lack of grave goods may indicate that the corpses were stripped before burial and the presence of a defensive wound on the arm bone of skeleton 1, possibly contemporary with death, may indicate a hasty burial after a violent event and that the three individuals were not locals.

The bodies do appear to have been articulated on burial

The lack of Iron Age burials on the North of Scotland makes it impossible to draw parallels. The nearest burials on the mainland are at (Sangobeg: one flexed inhumation under a sand and pebble mound, and Loch Borralie: two inhumations under sub-rectangular cairns or mounds) (Wallace 2011)

7.0 Post-excavation Analysis

The following post-excavation analysis is recommended:

 Study by an osteologist to ascertain gender and age of the three bodies, as well as injury and disease  Further C14 dating of bones not belonging to skeleton 1 to ascertain whether all three bodies were interred during the same event  Stable isotope analysis and DNA analysis

Catherine Dagg, BA, ACIfA 2, Ruigh’Riabhach Scoraig Peninsula Dundonnell Garve IV23 2RE Tel: 01854 633 337 e-mail [email protected] 27.10.15

Appendix 1 RADIOCARBON DATING CERTIFICATE

18 September 2015 Laboratory Code SUERC-62755 (GU38667) Submitter Catherine Dagg 2 Ruighriabhach Dundonnell Garve Wester Ross IV23 2RE Site Reference Applecross Old Estate Office Context Reference AEO15 C002 Sample Reference AEO15 SK1 Material Bone δ13C relative to VPDB -20.9 ‰ δ15N relative to air 10.2 ‰ C/N ratio (Molar) 3.3 Radiocarbon Age BP 1864 ± 34 N.B. The above 14C age is quoted in conventional years BP (before 1950 AD). The error, which is expressed at the one sigma level of confidence, includes components from the counting statistics on the sample, modern reference standard and blank and the random machine error. The calibrated age ranges are determined from the University of Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit calibration program (OxCal4). Samples with a SUERC coding are measured at the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre AMS Facility and should be quoted as such in any reports within the scientific literature. Any questions directed to the Radiocarbon Laboratory should also quote the GU coding given in parentheses after the SUERC code. The contact details for the laboratory are email [email protected] or telephone 01355 270136 direct line. Conventional age and calibration age ranges calculated by :- Date :- 18/09/2015 Checked and signed off by :- Date :- 18/09/2015

Appendix 2. References:

Wallace, C 2003/2011: A rough handlist of Iron Age and Roman Iron Age burials from Scotland(C8BC-C5AD),other than long-cist and dug-grave cemeteries and extended inhumations under low cairns (Academia online document)