Test Pit Survey

Date May 2018 - September 2019

Event ID 1106616

Category Recording

Type Test Pit Survey

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1106616

NS 06354 67577 Between May 2018 and September 2019, three trial trenches were excavated and historic building recording was undertaken at Kames Castle (Canmore ID: 40309) following the stripping of cement finishes back to bare masonry. The trenches were excavated within the basement of the keep and demonstrated that there had been considerable disturbance caused by underpinning, comprising redeposited natural sand and gravels in Trench 1 and concrete lining in Trench 2. A small area of seemingly undisturbed archaeological deposits survived in Trench 3 comprising a layer of trample and a deposit of peat. A small number of finds were present, including ceramics from the 16th century through to the 18th century and a selection of animal bones. Due to the level of the disturbance only the finds from Trench 3 may provide an accurate date for the deposits.

Following stripping back to masonry the interior and exterior of the structure was examined from scaffolding and archaeological phasing annotated onto architect’s drawings. The works showed the structure to have undergone at least two major phases or reordering. The first phase related to the construction of a late 18th / early 19th century mansion house beside, and incorporating, the tower. This involved building an external stair tower against the north elevation of the tower; the formation of new doors and the insertion of larger windows.

In the second phase, in the early 20th century, the mansion house was demolished and a courtyard of hunting lodges was built around the tower. The external stair-tower and most of the inserted windows were removed many of which were replaced with smaller reproduction early windows and the stairs within the western masonry were reinstated. The ground-floor vaulted chamber was removed and the first floor was replaced in timber at a lower level, all the other flooring was also replaced as was the roof. In the later 20th century the tower was encased in a cement harl and concrete underpinning was undertaken.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: Private individual

Kenneth Macfadyen - Addyman Archaeology

(Source: DES Vol 20)