Vol. 115 (2026): A Middle Bronze Age Roundhouse at Beauly Substation, Beauly, Inverness-shire

A Middle Bronze Age Roundhouse at Beauly Substation, Beauly, Inverness-shire

Authors: Callum Murray

Contributors: Aurimė Bočkutė, Genoveva Dimova, Rob Engl, Orlene McIlfatrick, Dawn McLaren, Jackaline Robertson and Lynne Roy
Illustrations by Mark Hoyle, Sam O’Leary and Lindsey Stirling

Summary: AOC Archaeology Group undertook archaeological mitigation fieldwork in advance of substation reinforcement works at Beauly Substation, Beauly, Inverness-shire, Highland (centred on NGR: NH 5036 4455). Excavation identified the remains of a roundhouse of Middle Bronze Age date, comprising a turf and stone bank and an internal post setting. A small assemblage of macroplant and charcoal was recovered from the site, as well as two saddle querns, two flint artefacts, and sherds of prehistoric pottery. The site lies within a complex prehistoric landscape that has undergone intensive modern archaeological investigation. Combined with the present works, this has revealed a landscape consisting of domestic and agricultural elements comprising roundhouses and associated field systems, as well as funerary elements such as cists and burial cairns. Beauly provides an informative landscape case study, which can be compared with similar sites in the Scottish Highlands such as Navidale, Lairg, and Dalchork.

Keywords: Middle Bronze Age, roundhouse, field system

Location: Beauly Substation, Beauly, Inverness-shire, Highland NGR: NH 5036 4455

Periods: Chalcolithic/Bronze Age 

NRHE ID: 376515

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Licence.