Watching Brief

Date 16 April 2010 - 13 September 2010

Event ID 884663

Category Recording

Type Watching Brief

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/884663

A second watching brief was carried out during the excavation of a trench, c100m x 0.7m by 0.7–1.0m deep, relating to the insertion of heating ducts along the main

building of the military base on St Kilda. The majority of the trench was machine excavated under archaeological supervision, three areas were hand dug. Deposits found beneath a 200–400mm thick turf and topsoil layer largely consisted of redeposited rubble associated with the post- 1957 military base. A concentration of porcelain, tiles and frosted glass in the southern 15m perhaps indicates the site

of a washroom. The 1m deep top soils to the N of this may be undisturbed but are more likely to be similarly redeposited material from the construction of the present day military base. An undisturbed glacial deposit was observed 20m N

of this, underlying the soils. The last stretch of trench again consisted of redeposited rubble associated with the base. A third watching brief was undertaken during the excavation of a small section of pipe from the diesel storage

tanks to the LCL ramp. The pipe had been laid above ground, over redeposited material from the early stages of the creation of the fuel store and nothing of archaeological interest was recorded.

I McHardy 2010