Monument record MHG56394 - Boundary banks - Balblair Wood

Two roughly linear banks running in a NW-SE direction in Balblair Wood identified by GUARD in 2005 during a walkover survey and DBA exercise in advance of the proposed Beauly-Denny OHL Replacement line. Both banks are turf and heather covered and exist to 0.4 m in height, 2 m in width and run for roughly 55 m. The banks are approximately 30 m apart at the southeast end and only 7 m at the northwest end. The banks appear to form boundaries between possible hut circles 290, 292 and 296. <1> See also the relevant extracted chapters from the EIA report. <2>

These features were evaluated by Northlight Heritage in June 2012 as they lay on the site of a proposed converter station as part of SHETL Western Isles Commection Programme. Three trenches (T5, T6 and T8) were excavated across the features, which were found to comprise of small and medium sized cobbles within a silty sand matrix. No artefacts or deposits were found. <3>

<1> GUARD, 2010, Beauly to Denny 400kV Powerline: Cultural Heritage Survey Sites Highland, ES No 006, GUARD Field Survey No 294 (Dataset/Database File). SHG25589.

<2> Sneddon, D., 2005, Proposed Beauly to Denny 400kV Overhead Transmission Line: Environmental Statement (Cultural Heritage) (Text/Report/Fieldwork Report). SHG25750.

<3> Becket, A., 2012, Western Isles Converter Station: Archaeological Evaluation: Balblair Woods, Beauly, Highland, FTR006a & b (Text/Report/Fieldwork Report). SHG25853.