Achany Windfarm, Lairg, Sutherland Underground Grid Connection Archaeological Evaluation
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Achany Windfarm, Lairg, Sutherland Underground Grid Connection Archaeological Evaluation Catherine Dagg for ASH design+assessment 21 Gordon Street GLASGOW G1 3PL Achany Windfarm, Lairg, Sutherland: Underground Grid Connection Archaeological Evaluation 1.0 Background This evaluation covers the proposed route of an underground cable connection between Achany windfarm at NC 5350 0250 and the Lairg Muir grid substation at NC 5875 0810. The object of the evaluation is to: • Identify all previously recorded archaeological sites, areas of archaeological and historical interest lying in, adjacent to or in the vicinity of the proposed route • Locate any previously unrecorded sites or areas of archaeological or historical interest • Identify any areas surrounding visible archaeological sites where associated sub-surface features, structures or deposits may be located • Suggest minor adjustments to the route to avoid damage to these sites • Where re-routing is not possible or practical, propose mitigation measures such as further archaeological evaluation in the form of trial trenching before work commences, or an archaeological watching brief during ground breaking work 2.0 Methodology 2.1 Desk-Based Evaluation The following data sources were consulted for this evaluation: • Historic Environment Record (HER) for Highland Region • Pastmap mapping, available online from RCAHMS • Old maps held by the Map library within the National Library of Scotland • Ketteringham, L 1997 A History of Lairg 2.2 Walk-Over survey This was carried out on 15.4.09 and 17.4.09 in dry and clear weather conditions 3.0 Archaeological Background 3.1 Scheduled Ancient Monuments, Listed Buildings and Designed Landscapes There are a number of sites with statutory protection in the Lairg area, notably The Ord, an important multi-period prehistoric ritual and domestic site. These are 2 protected by law from direct damage, except in exceptional circumstances, and from the negative visual impact of developments adjacent to although not within the Scheduled Area. The cable route does not pass through any Scheduled areas and as it is entirely underground it will not have a visual impact. There remains the possibility that minor associated features lie outwith the Scheduled areas, but these will be treated as individual sites. The following Scheduled sites lie in the general area of the evaluation: • The Ord, chambered cairns, cairns, settlements and field systems at NC 574 055 SAM ref no. 1812 This large scheduled area extends 1km N-S. Its nearest point to the proposed cable route is 150m to the north. • ‘Twinners’ stone circle at NC 5822 0493 A small setting of stones on the west bank of the River Shin. The scheduled area forms a circle with a diameter of 25m, in which the visible stones are in the NW quadrant. The edge of the circle is 60m south of the proposed cable route. There are several Listed buildings within Lairg village, but for the same reasons, there will be no direct impact from the cable route. There are no gardens or designed landscapes within the evaluation area. 3.2 Recorded Archaeological Sites The following sites are recorded on the Historic Environment Record: 1. Muirlands: kerb cairn at NC 5850 0700 HER ref MHG11996 Recorded variously as two hut circles with field clearance piles to the east and south on a prominent false crest, and as three cairns surrounded by a minor field system. 2. Muirlands Hut circle at NC 5856 0698 HER ref MHG9477 Recorded as a circular depression 8m from the cairn (Site no. 1) 3. Rhinamain Hut circle at NC 5838 0530 HER ref MHG11510 Recorded as on a knoll with, along a ridge to the SW, 5-6 field clearance piles 4. Rhinamain , possible cairn at NC 5838 0525 HER ref. MHG11843 Recorded as a circular stony mound on a ridge 5. Two Hut circles and field system at NC 5800 0490 3 HER ref, MHG12205, MHG33747 and MHG33746 Recorded as two hut circles, at NC 5801 0491 and NC 5805 0491 and a dozen field clearance piles 6. Gruids, Claonel, settlement at NC 5659 0454 HER ref. MHG48802 and MHG33760 Centre point of the pre-Clearance settlement of Claonel 7. Claonel, building at NC 56556 04311 HER ref. MHG48803 Recorded as one unroofed building as shown on 1st edition OS map 8. Bridge over Grudie Burn at NC 5526 0346 HER ref. MHG12192 19th century bridge 4.0 Historical Background It has been suggested that the present-day Lairg was selected to be the site of the parish church due to the presence of a fortification or castle, built by William Freskin de Moravia 1st Earl of Sutherland in the 13th century. Wherever this castle may have been located, there is now no trace. The church was established in 1222 to serve the scattered population of the parish who lived in small townships on the higher ground around the present village. This higher ground was also the preferred settlement area of prehistoric peoples, and the hut circles and field boundaries of the Bronze and Iron Ages are frequently to be found in the same areas as early modern settlements. Beyond changes in house type, there was little change in settlement patterns from the Bronze Age until the clearances of the early 19th century. The settlements at the south end of Loch Shin consisted of Saval, on the hill to the NE of the church, Wester Lairg at the church and Easter Lairg, Milnclarin and Torroble, all east of the River Shin. Then, west of the river and SW of the Ord: Claonel, Gruids, Raonacloy and on the Grudie Burn to the west: Braemore. The Lairg area was the first to be cleared, in 1807, although voluntary emigration had begun some decades before this. Saval Farm was added to the First Great Sheep Tenement, run by Atkinson and Marshall, two successful English sheep farmers. In 1811 the Sutherland estate manager, William Young, wrote to the Marchioness suggesting that ‘a village be established at the Kirk of Lairg along the banks of Loch Shin close to the great road near the mill..’. The village, initially referred to as Milnclarin, absorbed many of the people removed from elsewhere in the district and by 1816 crofts had been laid out for families evicted from Easter and Wester Lairg, now part of the Great Sheep Tenement. The Barony of Gruids was, in 1813, in the possession of Major Sir George Gunn Munro. He initiated some removals, clearing families to Claonal, but in 1821 decided 4 to sell this land and served notice to remove to the tenants of Claonal, Pitfure and Gruids. This was, unusually, met with violent resistance and the removals were only achieved with the help of the 41st Regiment of Foot from Fort George. The cleared land was turned into two sheep farms, and the townships which survived were lotted into crofts, although the holdings were too small to support the increased population. The road from Bonar Bridge to Lairg (‘until recently only a footpath’) and on to Lochinver was constructed in 1820, funded by the Commission for Roads and Bridges in the Highlands By the 1880s many of the sheep farms had been converted to deer forests. After 1894 the Highland Railway gave the village regional importance as the railhead for livestock. The Hydro Electric scheme was built in 1954, raising the level of Loch Shin above the Lairg Dam by 11m. 5.0 Field Survey 5.1 Unrecorded Sites No previously unrecorded visible sites were located within the area to be affected by the cable route during this evaluation. 5.2 Potential for Archaeology For the most part, the cable route runs alongside the road, where there is little likelihood of unrecorded archaeological features surviving. Potential for sub-surface archaeological features is listed as follows: 1. Lairg Muir NC 5875 0810 to NC 5860 0798: Open, unimproved moorland with heather cover, contains recorded sites 1 and 2 Potential: high 2. Lairg crofts NC 5860 0798 to NC 5830 0788: steep slope of improved croftland Potential: moderate 3. Lairg village NC 5830 0788 to NC 5815 0726 developed village area with services running under roads and surfaced pavements Potential: low 4. Croftland from NC 5815 0726 to NC 5850 0605 Improved fields, the more northern previously ploughed, with modern housing along the road Potential: moderate-low 5. River east bank NC 5850 0605 to NC5828 0595: wooded steep bank down to river Potential: low 6. River west bank NC 5820 0598 to NC 5612 0598: rough pasture, contains Scheduled site ‘Twinners’stone circle’ Potential: moderate 5 7. Enclosed land from NC 5612 0598 to NC 5776 0594 Improved grazing although not ploughed, possibly an apportionment. Includes a large, probably glacial mound. Contains recorded site 5. Potential: high 8. Roadside from NC 5776 0594 to NC 5660 0553 Cable route adjacent to road crossing rough hill ground and dropping to enclosed croft land Potential: low 9. Claonel at NC 5660 0553 recorded centre of Claonel pre-Clearance township, but the road junction is disturbed ground with no visible surviving township features Potential: low 10. Claonel/Gruids Croftland from NC 5660 0553 to NC 5640 0500: poor fields separated by rubble stone dykes, probably the old in-bye ground of pre- Clearance township later laid out in croft strips. A substantial drystone dyke forms the south boundary. Contains recorded site 7. Potential: moderate 11. Gruids Wood from NC 5640 0500 to NC 5526 0346 The cable route runs alongside the road through coniferous plantation, ploughed and disturbed by root growth Potential: low 12. Braemore from NC 5526 0346 to NC 5455 0368 Former lands of Braemore pre-Clearance township, with evidence for field clearance in the form of stone piles.