Monument record MHG52643 - Shell midden, Mellon Udrigle

A shell midden, consisting of a deposit of limpet and winkle shells, was identified during a watching brief in 2009 on the western side of a low ridge of rock. The full extent of the deposit is not known, but it is likely to spread northwards towards the shore. One of the test pits revealed the shell deposits to lie above the cobbles of a storm beach and below a deposit of windblown sand. The investigation of two samples revealed fragments of mammal, bird and fish bone as well as fragments of charcoal. The date of the midden is uncertain. It could be prehistoric, or it may result from much later fishing-related activity. <1>

<1> Dagg, C, 06/2009, 5, Mellon Udrigle, Laide, Gairloch Parish, Wester Ross: Archaeological Watching Brief (Text/Report/Fieldwork Report). SHG24298.