Suddaby, I. (2013). Excavation of post-built roundhouses and a circular ditched enclosure at Kiltaraglen, Portree, Isle of Skye 2006-07. Edinburgh: Historic Scotland. https://doi.org/10.9750/issn.1773-3808.2013.54.

This report details the archaeological remains recorded by CFA Archaeology Ltd during a programme of fieldwork at Kiltaraglen, now a residential housing development on a prominent, elevated site at the northern edge of Portree on the Isle of Skye. The fieldwork ran from September 2006 until March 2007. The project resulted in the discovery and excavation of varied archaeological remains including timber roundhouses, a circular ditch-defined enclosure, post-alignments and settings, miniature souterrains, probable standing stone sockets and an assortment of pits. An assemblage of Beaker pottery was recovered from two pits but the site was generally artefact-poor and reliance was placed on radiocarbon dating that indicates occupation of the site began in the Early Bronze Age and ended in the medieval period, with most activity occurring during the Later Bronze Age. This is of great interest as archaeological remains dating to the Later Bronze Age on the Isle of Skye have previously been notable only by their absence.

A summary of the archaeological methodology.

This chapter contains specialist reports on prehistoric pottery, lithics, coarse stone, slag and vitrified material, a late medieval coin and post-medieval finds.

The Kiltaraglen excavation investigated an atypical site. Where fieldwork once concentrated on research and on particular locations, defined periods of prehistory, or classes of monument, the Kiltaraglen site was an unknown. Kiltaraglen was revealed to contain negative features predominantly dating, where this was established, to the Later Bronze Age. Previously unrecorded on Skye, this period is becoming better understood. The results of these excavations have implications for the wider region. A number of the individual feature groups remain undated, a consequence of the poor charcoal preservation abetted by the paucity of artefacts, in situ deposits and, in some cases, contradictions between the dates suggested by the artefacts, stratigraphy, spatial distribution and the radiocarbon results.