Watching Brief

Date 11 May 1998

Event ID 1013999

Category Recording

Type Watching Brief

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1013999

On 11/5/98 Kirkdale Archaeology monitored the digging of a drain against the downslope side of the Southernmost of the two carved surfaces at Achnabreck (NR 856 907). The drain was dug as a sinuous track some 3.5 m long, averaging 20 cm wide and reaching a maximum depth of 30 cm. Topsoil was represented by a very fine dark grey-black peaty silt, some 7- 8 cm thick, which overlay a 10-15 cm thick layer of light-dark grey fine silt. The drain bottomed on a compact light brown-orange fine, slightly clayey, silt with much iron panning, and frequent stone chunks - apparently similar to the carved bedrock outcrop.

Although small areas of bedrock were exposed, no new carvings were noted, indeed the motifs seem to be restricted to the relatively flat, upper surface. The trench was backfilled with Terram and gravel over a plastic pipe.No finds were retained