Watching Brief

Date 1 November 1999 - 4 November 1999

Event ID 1028686

Category Recording

Type Watching Brief

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1028686

A watching brief was carried out at Doune Castle near Stirling while Historic Scotland personnel excavated a shallow trench in the N part of the courtyard, in order to create a track for a paved footpath. The new footpath was projected to run along the inside face of the N wall for a distance of 20m, starting at the W side of the entrance gate and terminating against the W wall below the NW external staircase. The width of the excavated area was 1.70m for the E part and 1.80m for the W part, taking into account variations in the width of the NW and NE external stairs. The excavation lay entirely in the turf and topsoil presently forming the courtyard surface. An area of paving between the external stairs was also scheduled for removal, but not at this time. Following this excavation sand and concrete slabs were to be laid over the area.

It should be noted that part of the path track was excavated in March of this year. A total of 6.50m of trench was cut W from the courtyard entrance in order to fit grass bars. It was only at this time that it was realised that an earlier cobbled surface existed just below the topsoil at depths ranging from 50-200mm. The irregular surface of the cobbled area made grass bars impractical and the project was halted at that point, and the trench left open until a new plan for the area could be devised. The present project will place paving slabs over the cobbles without disturbing the original courtyard surface.

An area measuring 32 square metres has now been opened up along the N side of the courtyard. In the vast majority of this area the cobbling of the castle courtyard is quite intact. Dislocation of the surface seems only to come from recent activity. If a requirement occurs at any time for a exposed cobbled surface then it is likely that in excess of 90% of the cobbling could be found in situ.

Sponsor: Historic Scotland

G Ewart 1999

Kirkdale Archaeology