Monday 1st February 2010
The team returned to Assynt today and were joined by Gordon Sleight and Robin Noble of Historic Assynt and newcomer Jonie, from Beauly, to start the detailed survey of a selection of sites visited in December. Our first day back in the field was hampered slightly by icy roads leading to Loch Ardbhair, so recording started at the substantial settlement at Glenleraig to the south west. Gordon, Jonie and Robin were introduced to the pro-forma recording sheets and photographic method. Various additional associated elements of the site, cultivation remnants, clearance cairns and a hitherto unrecorded stone founded structure were identified by Gordon and Robin. Jonie discovered a Cruck blade slot on an internal wall elevation during recording of one of the buildings. Elsewhere two eroding stone founded bridgeheads straddling the Abhainn Gean Leireag burn were recorded, this probably supported a timber superstructure, and work started recording a fine example of one of the largest horizontal corn mills in the parish.
Tuesday 2nd February 2010
Today, in brilliant sunshine interspersed with wintry showers, work continued at Glenleraig, the team were assisted by Gordon and Scotty. A wooded area towards the southern part of the site along the northern edge of the Abhainn Gean Leireag burn was surveyed using a robotic EDM (electronic distance measuring instrument). This part of the site appeared largely given over to agriculture associated with the main settlement, numerous clearance cairns, broad rig cultivation remnants and enclosures were recorded here. Gordon got to grips with the EDM in the afternoon and carried out a comprehensive 3d outline survey of the Glenleraig Mill building and assumed course of the lade which is now rubble filled and much overgrown. During the survey Gordon spotted a fragment of sandstone mill wheel lying within the wheel pit. Scotty assisted with photography, measurements and descriptions during conventional recording of a number of the numerous buildings comprising the main settlement.
Thursday 4th February 2010
After spending a few hours trying (from both directions) to get along the Ardbhair and Glenleraig road on Wednesday 3rd February we accepted defeat against the icy conditions and spent the day tidying up the paperwork of our site records. Thanks to the postie for gritting Alan and Vicky out of a very slippery spot!
On Thursday we made a terrific comeback against the weather with 5 AOC workers and 3 volunteers speeding the survey along. The day started at the Glenleraig township with Alan photographing and interpreting the structures while Vicky used the GPS to record them in plan. Gemma and Blair continued their total station survey of the wooded area, recording cultivation marks, stone walls and an abundance of clearance cairns until Graeme then took over with volunteer Scotty who quickly picked up the basics of the equipment. The continuation of the survey took them over to the souterrain which was almost too difficult to record using a line-of-sight instrument. Excavation of the site in the future could provide much more detailed survey results including internal wall elevation drawings.
Mid morning Alan and Gemma travelled across to Loch Ardbhair with volunteers Gordon and Leslie Sleight to record the farmstead, situated next to the Loch, with a plane-table survey. After a discussion as to where the walls of a particulary grass covered structure were, flags were laid out for Alan to follow as he positioned the ranging pole for Gordon to sight and plan the buildings. Well done to Leslie for finding the walls of a particularly bramble and heather covered structure!
After lunch Robin Noble arrived at Ardbhair to help with written descriptions of the farmstead structures. Thankfully all the snow had flattened the bracken that was present during the first phase of survey so Robin was able to reinterpret what was previously thought to be an enclosure as more likely two separate, small buildings. Scotty and Graeme brought the total station across to Ardbhair and used it to plan a building and enclosure about 100m north of where the other group were working. A series of spot heights were also taken across the structures by Scotty using the total station to allow a terrain model of the area to be made in the future using GIS.
A most successful day indeed. Thanks to all the volunteers for giving their time and well done for picking up all the new survey techniques!
Friday 5th February 2010
Friday saw the continuation of Gordon, Alan and Gemma's plane-table survey at Loch Ardbhair. A circular enclosure at the farmstead had been started on Thursday and was finished off by planning the large areas of bedrock around it, which may have been used partially as another enclosure and now are piled up with small clearance stones. Afterwards the plane-table was moved to record two small building footings and part of the large boundary wall. The plane-table stations were recorded on the total station survey of the area to allow the hand-drawn plan to be matched into the digital plan.
Vicky and Blair continued all day with their recording of the township at Glenleraig with Vicky using the GPS and Blair photographing and creating a written record of each structure. Vicky planned the walls of structures in the township and where they were not clear she planned the rubble spread. Many of the structures exist only as footings so planning is the only way to record them, it would be nice to return to Glenleraig and record the elevations of some of the better preserved structures in the future. Blair's written record of the structures included giving each feature a different context number and then describing them in detail with reference to dimensions, construction type, age etc. As a keen photographer Blair created some nice landscape panoramas as well as photographing the structures individually to give them a bit more context in the landscape.
Although there were a few problems with the weather this week a lot was achieved thanks to all the people that came out to help. We look forward to seeing more of you when we are back on Monday 15th February.
Monday 15th - Wednesday 17th February 2010
The team continued the survey at Glenleraig, finishing the recording of the township buildings, before moving to Lyne & Ledbeg to begin recording Neolithic chambered cairns, field systems and post medieval buildings including a horizontal mill. We have been using a range of survey techniques, including laser scanning for terrain modelling, total station, dGPS and traditional hand drawing. These sites have provided a great introduction to archaeological survey for our volunteers, and this week we have been joined by Gordon, Scotty and Mark, the two Andys from the Culag Trust.
Thursday 18th February 2010
Despite the Assynt weather's best attempts to hold up the survey (2 inches of snow last night!), work continued at Lyne & Ledbeg, with Blair, Scotty, Andy and Andy planning the mill site in Ledbeg glen. Gemma and Alan continued recording buildings and enclosures using the total station while Graeme and Mark carried out a laser scan survey of the 19th century farmhouse at Ledbeg House, adding a record of the modern architecture of Assynt.
Friday 19th February 2010
We finished our work at Lyne/Ledbeg today by laser-scanning two cairns, carrying out a DTM (digital terrain model) survey of another and planning enclosures with the GPS. Blair, Andy Taylor and Mark continued on up to Inchnadamph to start the survey there with hand plans of a farmstead. Many thanks to Andy Whalan for carrying the generator up the hill.
The weather was excellent for our open day and the team successfully recorded the Loch Borralan East cairn using laser-scanning and hand-drawn plans and elevations of the chambers. Two other cairns were sited using the GPS to create a plan of the entire area. Graeme also went for a chilly swim when trying to record a crannog and kept falling through the ice.
Monday 22nd February 2010
The Culag Trust volunteers took over the survey today with Andy Taylor planning the Kirkton township with the GPS, Mark recording a township and all its surrounding features using the total station and Andy Whalan laser-scanning the Carrachan cairn. The weather was great so the rest of us were left to sunbathe.
Tuesday 23rd February 2010
The survey at the Inchnadamph farmstead continued today with cultivation terraces being planned by the total station and a mill was discovered and recorded. The Kirkton township GPS survey moved on and now 24 of the structures have been recorded with photographs, GPS survey and site descriptions.
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