We've had some fantastic weather this Summer and fortunately the Glen Feshie excavation in July was on the receiving end. Wall to wall sunshine with the midges staying at bay and no wind! Some hot people even cooled off in the nearby pool at the end of each day! Four of the five aims of the project were achieved . - in retrospect the original plan was perhaps over ambitious. Three trenches were opened up and all proved very interesting, with one particularly challenging!. The original building from the 2004 excavation was explored fully and in the other building, the support system for the tailfork was investigated. But perhaps most intriguing of all were the remains of the third building. From its siting on the edge of the river bank, and its construction it appears to predate the other two buildings - our research and interpretation are continuing. Report due out soon.

Hope to see you at a HAF event. New members please make yourselves known at the seminar, we will have a display stand (volunteers to take a turn at manning it welcome). We look forward to Johns presentation on this years findings at Loch Hourn.
Meryl Marshall, 10 Riverford Crescent, Conon Bridge, Ross-shire, IV7 8HL, tel 01349 861824 or email Meryl.Marshall@tesco.net

Welcome to new member:-
Jenny Nicholls, 7 Ruisaurie, Beauly, IH4 7AJ. Tel -01463 782636. Email - jenny@ecosse.net
Change of email address - Christine Yuill is now wrcby@tiscali.co.uk. Sorry Christine you let me know back in March, but I mislaid the message

The NOSAS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING will be held in the Ramada Jarvis Hotel, Church Street, Inverness at (approx) 5pm, Saturday 14th October 2006, in other words immediately following the Saturday seminar of HAF.
Agendas for the meeting will be circulated to all members with this newsletter.
We are always keen to see new faces on the committee so if you wish to join us please make your feelings known to any committee member.

Highland Archaeology Fortnight - Sat 30th Sept to Sun 15th Oct 2006. By this time most people will have received their programmes. If not contact Hazel Bews, Rowan Tree Consulting - tel 01463 718505 or email hazel@rowan-tree-scotland.co.uk

STOP PRESS - The Autumn Weekend which was planned for the Kilmartin area in late October has been deferred and will possibly take place next year. One of the principal reasons for putting it off was that we had difficulty finding group accommodation at a reasonable price.

Scotlands Rural Past Project -
Steady progress is being made on this exciting project which is being organised by the Historic Rural Settlement Group. It involves a substantial grant from various sources.
NOSAS has "volunteered" to survey and record archaeological remains in Strathconon, Ross-shire and this particular piece of work will be used as a pilot project. We anticipate that it will start very soon, possibly October. I will circulate more info to members by email. If you are interested in helping please let me know (particularly if you are not on email).
More projects are to follow, so if you have an idea for an area near you and are willing to "head it up" please let any committee member know (lots of help and advice will be available if required).
(The Historic Rural Settlement Group are running their very popular and successful field trainig weekend at Glen Banchor, Newtonmore once again. Rumour has it that it is to be the weekend of the 7th - 8th October. I will circulate info once it is to hand, but usually it is sent to me only a couple of weeks before! - keep this date free if interested)

A short report from Emma on the Sinclair Girnigoe Excavation - During August a number of NOSAS members joined Caithness Archaeological Trust on the excavation of Castle Sinclair Girnigoe near Wick. We got underneath the post medieval to find surfaces and structures that probably relate to the castle period. We had a glimpse of some exciting archaeology to come (including a possible West Barbican) before having to temporarily close the trench. We are hoping to go back to the site next year. If you are interested in being involved in future excavation (dates still to be organised) please contact me at the trust: email@caithnessarchaeology.org.uk or phone 01593 731269.

Inverness Field Club lectures this Aurumn:
18 Oct - "An Island apart - An Archaeology of Mingulay" - by Jill Harden NTS
15 Nov - Man and Landscape: 9000 years of Vegetation Change - by Donald Paterson, University of Aberdeen
13 Dec - Queen Victoria's artists of the Highlands - by Susan Owens, Assistant Curator, Windsor Castle
All lectures to be held in Millburn Academy, at 7.30pm. Admission for non members £2.50, concessions £1.50

Glen Feshie Book
The book continues to have a good reception and is selling well. It is available from me at a cost of £8, cheques payable to NOSAS Publications or from local outlets. MM

Thanks to Andy Puls, HC Archaeology Unit, for the following Period Thesaurus:
CL PALAEOLITHIC 8001 BC +
CL MESOLITHIC 8000 BC - 4001 BC
CL NEOLITHIC 4000 BC - 2401 BC
CL BRONZE AGE 2400 BC - 551 BC
BT EARLY BRONZE AGE 2400 BC - 1501 BC
BT LATE BRONZE AGE 1500 BC - 551 BC
CL IRON AGE 550 BC - AD 560
BT EARLY IRON AGE 550 BC - AD 1
BT LATE IRON AGE AD 2 - AD 560
NT ROMANO-BRITISH AD 79 - AD 215
NT PICTISH AD 300 - AD 900
CL EARLY MEDIEVAL AD 561 - AD 1057
NT PICTISH AD 300 - AD 900
NT NORSE AD 800 - AD 1300
CL MEDIEVAL AD 1058 - AD 1559
NT NORSE AD 800 - AD 1300
CL POST MEDIEVAL AD 1560 - AD 1900
BT 18TH CENTURY AD 1701 - AD 1800
BT 19TH CENTURY AD 1801 - AD 1900
CL MODERN AD 1901 - AD 2100
BT 20TH CENTURY AD 1901 - AD 2000
NT FIRST WORLD WAR AD 1914 - AD 1918
NT SECOND WW AD 1939 - AD 1945
BT 21ST CENTURY AD 2001 - AD 2100
CL UNKNOWN ?

For the future:
Christmas Dinner - We are investigating holding this, so far, very successful. annual get-together in the Dornoch/Tain area, probably on the 8th December. More later
Rogie - is still on the "back burner". The winter months is the time for this work and it is likely to be arranged on an ad hoc informal basis so let me know if you are interested in helping. We will be clearing vegetation off a deserted settlement and tidying it up in order that it is better presented for inclusion on a family cycle route. The plan is also to include some research into its historical background.

NOSAS has accepted an invitation from Moidart History Group to spend a long weekend in their company/area - Saturday to Monday - 11th, 12th & 13th March 2007. They will be showing us some of their prime sites and we will be surveying one in more detail.