Monument record MHG51360 - Cultivation remains south of Forres Road, Nairn

A number of undated linear ditched features were revealed during trial trenching in September 2008. Nine of the 24 trenches contained such features, which may be related to rig and furrow cultivation, field drainage or other agricultural activities. With the exception of two, all the features shared similar characteristics and the fills were indicative of a relatively recent date for infilling. <1>

Further excavations in 2011 demonstrated that the majority of the ditches either run parallel or perpendicular to, or terminate adjacent to each other, suggesting they are contemporary. They all appear to have silted up naturally over time, and coupled with the lack of domestic debris or finds, this suggests that they represent agricultural ditches forming part of a large field system. The differential spacing suggests an irregular arrangement probably with smaller enclosures within fields, with the adjacent and parallel ditches forming trackways or walkways between the fields. The few finds from the ditches, including a single shard of glass (possibly intrusive) and small amounts of industrial waste, suggest a medieval to post-medieval date. <2>