Series: Scottish Urban Archaeological Trust Ltd unpublished report series

Mr Steven Johnston commissioned SUAT on behalf of his client, Mr William Sutherland, to carry out an excavation and watching brief on the site of a new build house in Abernethy, on the west side of School Wynd (NGR NO 1895 1640), close to a stone round tower dating from between the 9th and 11th centuries AD. An evaluation of the site by AOC Archaeology (2006) had exposed an unidentified spread of rounded stones. Accordingly, an area measuring 10m x 10m was excavated by SUAT to expose any additional remains. Beneath highly disturbed topsoil and rubble relating to previous use of the site as a market garden, a roughly metalled track was exposed, overlying a massive drystone wall foundation and a series of clay and silt deposits. AMS dating of roundwood charcoal (GU-15168) extracted from directly beneath the wall, within the wall trench, suggested a calibrated date range of 890-1020 AD. Beneath the wall, an apparent alignment of postholes was exposed, together with a curious pit feature that might have represented cooking, metal working or perhaps an apple or cheese press. A Watching Brief was carried out on the 14 of May 2008 and on the 5th and 6th of January 2009 during the construction of the new house. The excavation of a number of narrow trenches for drains was observed during this work. A number of stony deposits were revealed, possibly representing the remains of further drystone walls. Layers of clay, ash, charcoal, degraded bone and burnt sandstone were found frequently during the excavation of the drains, suggesting that midden material was dumped on the site and that some sort of fire-related activity was carried out nearby.

SUAT recorded a standing building in the High Street, Perth, undergoing major repairs. The work was undertaken between 3rd and 11th July 2008, and was given the site code PE49. Despite drastic alterations, the building preserved many original or early features from the mid to late 18th century onwards, especially in its floor and roof timbers. The east party wall may have preserved masonry from a much earlier building. A second phase of work was an evaluation in the site's backlands carried out in September 2008. Two trenches were excavated. Evidence of a late 18th or early 19th century building was found which had large well constructed basement windows. The building had a sunken passageway on its outside to allow light into the basement. Vaulting was found along the west side of the site which carried a pathway into the north end of the site and to the properties to the north. At the north end of the site a large commercial bread oven had been inserted into the north wall of the basemented building and to the west of the oven the pathway had been bridged over to cross the sunken passageway. A third phase of work, a watching brief on contractors' excavations for groundbeams was undertaken in February 2009. The watching brief revealed further evidence regarding the bread oven, the vaults and the 19th century building. Limited desk based research revealed evidence of the property numbering systems, owners and occupiers, and usage of the site building from the 1830's.

SUAT Ltd were comissioned to conduct an evaluation in advance of a small housing development. A number of bronze age cists had been found near the vicinity of the development in the 1970s. Four trenches were excavated across the site but no significant archaeological features were uncovered.

Evaluation of site of one cropmark and area adjacent to other cropmarks

Evaluation of site adjacent to excavations of Perths Carmelite Friary in 1982 in advance of erection of industrial units. This site has the potential of being the location of the remainder of the friary complex, its graveyard and the 16th century palace of the Bishop of Dunkeld.

An archaeological evaluation was carried out on 28th May 2008 at 5-7 The Square, Methven due to the site''s central location in the historic settlement of Methven, adjacent to the churchyard (SUAT site code: MV03). The evaluation was carried out prior to the development of the site. The site itself had previously been used as a garden, but had become overgrown with trees and shrubs. Three small trenches were excavated with the use of a mini digger. The first two trenches revealed only topsoil and subsoil, but a 19th century deposit which contained re-deposited post-medieval pottery was found within the third trench. Gordon Brooks commissioned this evaluation. The SUAT site code was MV03.

Evaluation in advance of construction of new residential buildings.

Standing building survey of farm steading

Scottish woodlands commissioned SUAT Ltd to carry out an archaeological walkover survey in advance of a programme of tree planting on the Auchlyne Estate in Glen Dochart. The work involved looking for archaeological remains in nine different areas on both sides of the valley that had been enclosed with deer fencing. The survey was carried out between the 30th of October and the 4th of November 2008 in good weather conditions. Four groups of shielings were discovered and marked out with wooden stakes and red and white marker tape. Two further groups of shielings already marked on the OS map were also marked out. The site code was KJ12

Keppie Planning Ltd, on behalf of their client, Craighead Properties Ltd, commissioned SUAT Ltd to undertake an archaeological evaluation on the site of a proposed mixed use development at Craighead, Blantyre, South Lanarkshire. The site covered an area of 19.6 hectares, mainly arable, but also includes the site formerly occupied by the mansion of Craighead House and its associated outbuildings, designed landscape and walled garden. The house and most of the outbuildings were demolished in 2001 or 2002 but the walled garden was still upstanding at the time of the evaluation. SUAT completed a desk-based assessment, and a walkover took place 26th March 2008. A total 91 trenches were excavated. Trenches within the arable fields found 19th-20th century pottery scattered in the topsoil and field drains cut into the natural boulder clay. Two walls found in the south field were considered to be boundary walls. Nothing of archaeological significance was found in the arable fields. Trenches around the site of Craighead House and the walled garden revealed walls, floors, drains and other services relating to Craighead House. No archaeological features or other dating evidence earlier than 18th-19th centuries was found in this area. A survey of the walled garden was carried out as it appeared to contain elements of the 18th century predecessor of Craighead House within the elements of its E wall.