Watching Brief

Date 18 January 2005 - 24 January 2005

Event ID 1034387

Category Recording

Type Watching Brief

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1034387

NT 2511 7356 A watching brief was undertaken in April and May 2005 during the excavation of a large shallow trench at the usual position of the one o’clock gun, part of a programme of re-laying flagstones over the whole area of the Mills Mount battery (NT27SE 1.14), which is intended to be the site of ceremonial guns. Structures thought likely to be uncovered were the top of the tunnel vault, the founds for the gun platform, and other undisturbed archaeological deposits. It was noted that the area to the S of Mills Mount had been massively disturbed in recent years in respect of the new access tunnel, and that intact ancient surfaces and deposits may exist only in the area of this excavation.The excavation revealed the almost intact remains of the foundation masonry for an old gun platform, altered at some stage by the removal of original paving slabs. The site was then buried under a thin skim of sand and mortar dust before a newer, smaller platform replaced it. The truncated E side of this structure suggested that the tunnel and vault to the E had been inserted through the E splayed side of this platform, and consequently post-dates it. The top of the tunnel vault was also seen, apparently built against the existing S face of the N wall of Mills Mount.

D Stewart 2005

Sponsor: Historic Scotland

Kirkdale Archaeology