Highland Archaeology Services Ltd Bringing the past and future together Littleferry Plot A Sutherland Watching Brief July 2006 7 Duke Street Cromarty Ross-shire IV11 8YH Tel: 01381 600491 Fax: 07075 055074 Mobile: 07834 693378 Email: [email protected] Web: www.hi-arch.co.uk VAT No. 838 7358 80 Registered in Scotland no. 262144 Registered Office: 10 Knockbreck Street, Tain, Ross-shire IV19 1BJ Littleferry Plot A, Sutherland: Archaeological Watching Brief 2006 Littleferry Plot A Sutherland Watching Brief July 2006 Report No. HAS061102 Site Code HAS/ LFY06 Client Mr & Mrs D. Steadman Planning Ref 06/00165/REMSU Date 28 November 2006 Authors Mary Peteranna and John Wood Summary An archaeological watching brief was carried out to record the nature and extent of any archaeology revealed during excavations for a new house at Littleferry, Sutherland. No features or artefacts of archaeological significance were found. 2 Littleferry Plot A, Sutherland: Archaeological Watching Brief 2006 Contents Summary........................................................................................................................................................................2 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................3 Aims and objectives.......................................................................................................................................................3 Location.........................................................................................................................................................................4 Archaeology and policy background .............................................................................................................................5 Programme ....................................................................................................................................................................7 Results ...........................................................................................................................................................................7 Recommendations .......................................................................................................................................................10 Operational Matters .....................................................................................................................................................10 Index of Photographs...................................................................................................................................................11 Index of Contexts.........................................................................................................................................................13 Figures Figure 1 Site Location ..................................................................................................................................................4 Figure 2 Littleferry: the site in context .........................................................................................................................5 Figure 3 Site plan and camera locations .......................................................................................................................6 Figure 4 View NW from SE corner of excavation, showing BT cable exposed...........................................................8 Figure 5 Feature [2] ......................................................................................................................................................8 Figure 6 Flints from surface scatter [2] ........................................................................................................................9 Figure 7 Feature [3] uncovered.....................................................................................................................................9 Figure 8 First Edition OS 6" Map 1879......................................................................................................................10 Introduction An archaeological watching brief was carried out on 17 July 2006 by Highland Archaeological Services, Ltd on behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Doug Steadman, for the development of their house site, Plot A in Littleferry. The purpose of the work was to identify and record the nature and extent of any archaeological features revealed or affected by the proposed development. Aims and objectives 1. To minimise any possible delay or cost to the development by anticipating archaeological requirements as far as possible, timetabling and integrating archaeological recording work with the project, and dealing with any issues arising quickly and efficiently. 2. To determine as far as possible the character, extent, condition, date and significance of any archaeologically significant remains; and to preserve these where possible and record where necessary in line with the Highland Council’s Structure Plan, NPPG 5 and PAN 42. 3 Littleferry Plot A, Sutherland: Archaeological Watching Brief 2006 Location The site is centred approximately at Ordnance Survey National Grid Reference NH 805 958. It is near Golspie in Sutherland, which is within the local authority area of the Highland Council, advised on archaeological matters by its Archaeology Unit staff based within the Council’s Planning and Development Service (HCAU). Figure 1 Site Location Mapping reproduced by permission of the Ordnance Survey: Licence 100043217 4 Littleferry Plot A, Sutherland: Archaeological Watching Brief 2006 Figure 2 Littleferry: the site in context Planning application area in pink; excavated area as green outline. Background Mapping reproduced by permission of the Ordnance Survey: Licence 100043217 Archaeology and policy background Littleferry is a village three miles south of Golspie, Sutherland. It is situated on a small peninsula, with the Loch Fleet Nature Reserve along the north to southwest boundaries and the yellow sand beaches of the Dornoch Firth along the northeast to south boundaries. Plot A is located approximately 1/8th of a mile from the inlet entrance to Loch Fleet, and the surrounding landscape is mostly low-lying, turf-covered sand dunes and forest to the northwest. Within Littleferry there is a small cluster of mostly 19th century buildings along the shore where the old ferry pier is located. Previous archaeological finds in the area surrounding the village include fragments of Pictish stone carvings and stone artefacts and flint debitage. Human burials have also been found at Littleferry in the 1930s and again in 2003 (HSMR NH89NW0070-72). Some of these may relate to a a skirmish between Jacobite and government troops in 1746. (Highland SMR NH89NW0070-72). Also, in 2003, a shell midden was located in the garden of a Littleferry home (Highland SMR NH89NW0069). 5 Littleferry Plot A, Sutherland: Archaeological Watching Brief 2006 No recorded sites or monuments were directly affected by this development, but Littleferry lies on the former main road north to Caithness, at the northern crossing point of Loch Fleet. Although the ferry has been superseded by the Mound to the west, built by Thomas Telford in 1814-16, which carries the modern road across, it is likely that there has been a river crossing point in this locality from the earliest times. Finds from the general area have included Neolithic material and an important collection of Pictish carved stones. Near the present site the footings have been noted of a group of buildings arranged around a courtyard (HSMR NH89NW0068). Figure 3 Site plan and camera locations The watching brief was requested to establish whether there was evidence of former buildings, the 1746 skirmish, or finds or features relating to the former main N – S route. RAF 1945-1955 aerial photographs were checked at the Highland Council’s offices in Inverness, but no features appeared to be affected. The Old Statistical Account of 1791-99 for Scotland1 mentions the skirmish of 1746 but otherwise neither the Statistical Accounts nor the First Edition Ordnance Survey 1:10560 map (see Fig 2 below) suggest any archaeological features in the site area. 1 http://stat-acc-scot.edina.ac.uk/link/1791-99/Sutherland/Golspie/ 6 Littleferry Plot A, Sutherland: Archaeological Watching Brief 2006 The planning and policy framework in this case included the Highland Council’s Structure Plan2, and the Scottish Executive’s National Planning Policy Guidance Notes 5 (NPPG5)3 and 18 (NPPG18)4, and Planning Advice Note 42 (PAN42)5 (SOEND 1994). The fundamental principles underpinning the above policies are set out in Passed to the Future: Historic Scotland’s Policy for the Sustainable Management of the Historic Environment (2002)6 and the Burra Charter (Australia ICOMOS 1999).7 Programme Working in co-ordination with the contractor, a watching brief was carried out on all areas of ground- works. The foundations for the proposed house and garage were excavated to the natural subsoil under close archaeological supervision by mechanical digger with a 6-foot wide, straight-edged bucket. The work was completed over one day, and the weather was calm and partly cloudy. The site was excavated from south to north and included an additional area on the west side for the proposed garage. Overall, the grass-covered topsoil of dark earth was shallow throughout the site. The subsoil was clean sand throughout, although in many places