EHG4738 - Trial Trenching - Land 75m SE of Tamull Beag, Edderton, Tain

Archaeological desk-based assessment and trial trenching were undertaken by Highland Archaeology Services in 2015 in order to fulfil a planning condition and record cultural heritage features to be affected by the development of a new house on land 75m SE of Tamull Beag, Edderton, Tain. Four features of possible archaeological interest were encountered on the plot. The old croft house (DBA1) shown on the first and second edition OS maps but appeared to have been unoccupied for several decades. Accessible areas were planned and the structure photographed. Several buried features were cleaned, photographed and, where appropriate, sections drawn. Feature F1 appeared to be the footings of a mortared wall, possibly part of the enclosure shown on the second edition OS map. F2 and F3 were almost certainly evidence of the same feature - probably a ditch or possibly a buried drain to carry water and mud off the yard in front of the croft house. Although some areas of the site were not accessible at the time of survey, owing to remaining vegetation,a corrugated iron structure, deep rubble and burning bonfires, it seemed very unlikely that further fieldwork would reveal any more features. Therefore no further archaeological fieldwork was recommended here. <1>