Excavation

Date July 2004

Event ID 547412

Category Recording

Type Excavation

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/547412

During the tenth excavation season in July 2004, good progress was made in establishing the phasing of this very complex site. This work has caused us to modify some of our interpretations published previously (see DES 2003, 15). Evidence for a ditch surrounding the medieval bishop's palace is based on a documentary source which indicates it as being 18ft wide, 9ft deep and located to the N of the 16th-century tower house. Limited excavation of this area confirmed its presence, its E-W alignment, and that it turned southwards at its eastern end. In the main excavated area to the S of the mansion, the presumed continuation of this ditch was located, aligned N-S. It is now clear that this major feature existed in one form or another from the later 14th to the 18th centuries. Much of it was filled with building rubble, probably dating from the 18th century when parts of the mansion were demolished. This fill also contained 17th-century pottery, including sherds of a North Italian marbled lion head costrel - the first to be identified from a Scottish context. Remnants of medieval fill in the southernmost part of the ditch, as excavated to date, contained a groat of Robert III, probably deposited in the first quarter of the 15th century.

It has been proved that the succession of ditch cuts, which were more or less on the one alignment, pre-dated and were also contemporary with a substantial N-S aligned wall immediately to the W. This feature is likely to have been constructed in the later 14th century and was built against an earlier medieval wall. It can only represent the eastern wall of the E range. It was previously indicated (DES 1998, 6-7) that there were two 'undercrofts' forming part of this range of the medieval bishop's palace and a latrine shaft, which was blocked and another inserted when the southern end of the N-S was widened. However, it has now been established that the walling and the latrine shaft include extensive 19th-century reconstruction.

The Leslies of Balquhain constructed a tower house, probably in the 1570s, after their acquisition of the estate. The later 14th-century wall was cut down to support more slight walling. This formed a wing containing at least two rooms running N-S from the tower house. It is of a similar width to the chamber above the gatehouse at Tolquhon Castle. This year further walling became evident beneath the cobbled area immediately in front of the mansion. Finds include pig and fish bones and the area is likely to have contained the servants' quarters.

Sponsors: Aberdeenshire Council, Russell Trust, Fetternear Trust, University of Liverpool, R B Farquhar, Clan Irwin Association, Mrs C Whittall, Mr J Whittall, Mrs C Fyffe, Mr R Fyffe, Mr D Fyffe.