Wester Teaninich

NH 57620 50160 to NH 77980 82140 In 2011 the Pathways into the Past project recorded sections of possible early routeway and other potentially related features running through Easter Ross-shire. The project was inspired by and works with the Road through Ross-shire, a NOSAS project that aims to augment the record of the feature and its landscape. More information on this project can be found in the 2010 edition of DES.

The survey work has been carried out on a number of sites, including Wester Teaninich (NH 63610 68310), between Evanton and Alness and at Brenachie (NH 75960 76380), N of Milton. The participants of several community archaeology training workshops have recorded the profiles of a series of double embanked features, using both a dumpy level and a Total Station. The profiles of the sites show a double embanked feature, with a 5–8m wide routeway and 0.5–1.0m high embankments. The variation in both the width of the road and the height of the embankments may reflect different building and maintenance practices and/or differential preservation.

The project has also been examining sites that overlook the routeway and other sites that might have had a role in its control. As part of this work a plane table survey was undertaken of a possible moated feature at Wester Teaninich (NH 63180 67840), between Evanton and Alness. The survey recorded a c23 x 30m stone walled platform. A shallow (up to 1.2m deep) ditch was recorded on the N and NW sides of the platform. Documentary research has indicated that the disturbance noted during the fieldwork may be attributed to tree planting across the platform during the early 1900s. At this stage of investigation the original function of the site remains unclear; however, it may represent a well drained tree platform in a designed landscape or perhaps an earlier moated site, which was later reused.

The work undertaken during these surveys and excavations has been undertaken by community volunteers, whose input is gratefully acknowledged. By assisting local people to research, record and present these sites the project has tapped into a wealth of local knowledge, which has been an essential resource.

Archive: Highland HER and RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: HLF, Highland LEADER and Highland Council

Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH), 2011