Watching Brief

Date 22 October 1999

Event ID 1029952

Category Recording

Type Watching Brief

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1029952

A watching brief was carried out on 22/10/99 on two holes dug for the siting of a new notice board in the NE corner of the castle esplanade, immediately to the E of the ticket caravan. Trench A, the westernmost, removed an anchor point for the Tattoo scaffolding.

It is very difficult to draw archaeological conclusions from small holes with no dating evidence. The main deposits seen; [101], [201] and [202] were thought most likely to be levelling material imported during large-scale changes to the esplanade. No date can be assigned to this activity from what was seen in these trenches.

There was a suspicion that trench 1 was reaching a solid surface, perhaps cobbled, and this could be tested in any future ground-works in this area. The slight differences within the trenches was thought to be caused when the anchor point was put in at trench A.

Sponsor: Historic Scotland

A Dunn 1999

Kirkdale Archaeology