SAB6853 - A Report on Trial-Pits at Balnagask Motte, Torry CA286

On March 23rd, 2016, two trial pits measuring 2 x 1m were hand-dug to the underlying sub-soil which sloped down in both trenches following the slope of the supposed motte itself. These trial-pits were located adjacent to the retaining wall which encircles much of Balnagask Motte, a scheduled ancient monument (SM10403) located in the Torry area of Aberdeen City. This action was carried out in advance of remedial works to repair the double-faced stone retaining wall which currently stands over 2m high in areas along the public footpath. The trenches indicate that the wall and adjacent path were terraced into the natural slope of the ground, which generally slopes down towards the north. Numerous sherds of 19th and 20th century pottery were recovered, in addition to animal bone (horse), a clay pipe stem and fragments of clay roof tile and metal drainage pipe, but no earlier finds suggesting that the soil banked up behind the boundary wall has accumulated or been dumped in the 19th century and later.