Building record MAB22506 - BELLMUIR QUARRY

Sand and gravel quarry.

Sand and gravel quarry. An archaeological assessment and walkover survey was carried out in 1989 by University of Edinburgh Dept of Archaeology prior to proposed extension of quarrying. This identified 42 archaeological features - see separate HER entries: NJ83NE0035, NJ83NE0036, NJ83NE0037, NJ83NE0049, NJ83NE0050, NJ83NE0051, NJ83NE0052, NJ83NE0053, NJ83NE0054, NJ83NE0055, NJ83NE0056, NJ83NE0057, NJ83NE0058, NJ83NE0059, NJ83NE0060, NJ83NE0061, NJ83NE0062, NJ83NE0063, NJ83NE0064, NJ83NE0065, NJ83NE0066, NJ83NE0067, NJ83NE0068, NJ83NE0069, NJ83NE0070, NJ83NE0071, NJ83NE0072, NJ83NE0073, NJ83NE0074, NJ83NE0075, NJ83NE0076, NJ83NE0077, NJ83NE0078, NJ83NE0079, NJ83NE0080, NJ83NE0081, NJ83NE0082, NJ83NE0083, NJ83NE0084, NJ83NE0085, NJ83NE0086, NJ83NE0087, NJ83NE0088, NJ83NE0089, NJ83NE0237. Further archaeological investigations were carried out by the Centre for Field Archaeology in 1997, consisting of a watching brief, evaluation and excavation. During these works several clearance cairns were machine excavated, with post-medieval pottery and struck lithics recovered from one cairn and a leaf-shaped arrowhead and flint core from another. The excavations were carried out at the point the proposed access road was to intersect with a field dyke and an old road. These showed that the old road had been driven through the field dyke and that part of the dyke had been removed. Four sections were cut through the bank of an enclosure revealing a simple earth and stone bank. A further watching brief was carried out by Murray Archaeological Services in 2010 during the replacement of three electricity poles, where no archaeological features or artefacts were recorded. A desk based assessment, followed by a walkover survey was carried out by Rathmell Archaeology in 2016. The walkover survey was undertaken 12th to the 13th May 2016 on the proposed development area for the extension of the quarry to the southwest. See also NJ83NE0090, NJ83NE0092, NJ83NE0094, NJ83NE0095, NJ83NE0096, NJ83NE0097, NJ83NE0098, NJ83NE0099, NJ83NE0100, NJ83NE0101, NJ83NE0102, NJ83NE0103, NJ83NE0104, NJ83NE0105, NJ83NE0106, NJ83NE0107, NJ83NE0108. The study area also included the surrounding quarry area with field observations, and a 200m buffer to examine any sites in proximity with the potential to extend into the development area. No new archaeological sites, along with ten existing sites, were identified within the proposed development area, with 43 sites located within the surrounding area.

Scottish Aggregates Ltd, 1989, Bellmuir Environmental Statement, Envtal Statement (Bibliographic reference). SAB4742.

MERCER, R, 1989, REPORT ON BELLMUIR SURVEY, Survey report (Bibliographic reference). SAB1236.

Scottish Aggregates Ltd, 1991, Bellmuir Appeals Written Submission 2 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4741.

RATHMELL ARCHAEOLOGY, 2017, METHLICK QUARRY EXTENSION, ABERDEENSHIRE: HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT APPRAISAL, DBA, Walkover Report (Bibliographic reference). SAB3178.

RATHMELL ARCHAEOLOGY, 2019, METHLICK QUARRY EXTENSION, ABERDEENSHIRE: ARCHAEOLOGICAL MITIGATION WRITTEN SCHEME OF INVESTIGATION, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB3156.

Sep 6 1989 , MV 7-9, MV 7-9 (Ground Photograph). SAB33395.

Record last edited

Nov 4 2025 11:15AM