Monument record MHG24766 - Boundary banks - Tornagrain Wood, Petty

A pair of turf dykes/banks running for 150m northeast from near the A96 in mature plantation at Tornagrain Wood were seen during a walkover survey in advance of a proposed new access road to Dalcross Airport by Wordsworth Archaeological Services in 1996. They formed an avenue 9m wide and survived 1m high by 1m wide at the top on a base 2m wide. Mature trees were growing in the middle of this feature. From documentary evidence they were considered to be plantation boundaries constructed in c.1779 to protect the new woodlands established there by the 9th Earl of Moray (see <2>). The northern dyke may have linked to a further dyke seen to the north (see MHG28216). <1>

In advance of the construction of the proposed new access road to Dalcross Airport, a trench was cut across the feature by Wordsworth Archaeological Services in 1997. No bedding stones were evident and the height of the banks suggested these were topped by hedges or some form of timber fence. <3> No report currently available.