Excavation of Two Hut Circle Sites in Essich and Strathnairn, Inverness-shire

Archaeological excavation of two putative hut circle sites was carried out during construction of a new 275Kv overhead line between Essich in Inverness and Glen Kyllachy near Tomatin. Both sites, Hut Circles 5a and 22a, had been previously identified during walkover surveys of the area, and were described as upstanding features in the form of circular banks under vegetation, forming elements of a wider prehistoric landscape. Upon excavation, Hut Circle 5a formed a roundhouse with a substantial stone-built enclosing wall, internal floor deposits and evidence for an internal post ring. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal from interior deposits indicated that this structure dated to the Iron Age, and likely saw use between the 5th and 3rd centuries cal BC. In contrast, excavation of Hut Circle 22a uncovered a more ephemeral structure, comprising a crudely constructed penannular earth bank enclosing two postholes and a single fire-pit. The latter site dates to the Bronze Age; two radiocarbon dates obtained from Hut Circle 22a indicate that activity took place between the 16th and the 13th centuries cal BC.