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1991 RCAHMS Aerial Survey

In contrast to the turbulent weather of early 1990 the January and February of 1991 produced excellent snow-cover, accompanied for several days by clear cairn weather, which allowed the recording of low earthwork sites under favourable conditions. Priority was given to the areas covered by the Commissions's National Archaeological and Afforestable Land Surveys, and flights were carried out in the Sidlaws (South-east Perth), Annandale and Eskdale, and Central Scotland; recording was also undertaken in the Borders, Fife and Lanarkshire. Reconnaissance designed to take advantage of the low light conditions took place in West Perthshire, concentrating on the farming landscape on the south side of Loch Tay, the coastlands of Easter Ross, Sutherland and Caithness, the Strath of Kildonan. and North Argyll and Ardnamurchan; this flight produced particularly fine photographs of the monuments of Lismore.

The wet weather of June and July led to a disappointing yield of cropmarks. with none appearing in the north and west of the country. However, the drier weather of late July and August did produce conditions more favourable for cropmark-formation, but the results had a pronounced southern and eastern distribution. New forts and settlements were recorded in East Lothian and Berwickshire, often showing as reversed markings.

Extensive recording of urban areas in Central Scotland has been undertaken, as well as survey in Fife, Inverness and Easter Ross linked to the architectural programme ‘Townhouses and Tolbooths'. Industrial recording was concentrated on threatened sites, but the opportunity was taken on distant sorties to combine archaeological and industrial aims, and photograph, among other targets, harbours in Sutherland and Caithness, as well as aluminium smelters and their associated water pipelines in Inverness-shire.

RCAHMS (DES 1991, 78)