Digging the Loch Achilty Crannog in September 25

Added at 11:49 on 02 December 2025

A fabulous week of excavation at Loch Achilty took place in September. NOSAS and the Nautical Archaeology Society opened 3 trenches on the known crannog and also confirmed that there are two other previously unrecorded crannogs in the loch. Samples are now awaiting analysis, as well as possible radi...

The Crannog Project Excavation at Loch Achilty

Added at 09:55 on 12 March 2025

NOSAS's Crannog Project has investigated several sites recently - Loch Achilty and Loch Kinellan amongst them. Read the full Crannog Projects Report here. Two timbers recovered from the Loch Achility crannog by NOSAS have recently been dated to the Medieval period, c. 1046-1221 and 1323-1421 CE. In ...

Tarradale: Post Medieval Digging and Mesolithic Finds Sorting!

Added at 09:25 on 09 February 2025

In early May we opened a trench over the possible site of a distillery shown on the 1788 estate map, SW of Tarradale House. Unfortunately we didn't manage to locate the distillery, but we did find an extensive wall in a different trench, which we have been investigating since. We continued excavatio...

Repairing the Ord Map

Added at 17:50 on 01 February 2025

Thank you Glen Wyvis Distillery Goodwill Fund for funding the repair of our map. The missing 1829 map of the Ord Estate, near Muir of Ord, was traced to Somerset and it has just returned to the Highlands. However, it is a little the worse for wear, so NOSAS has undertaken to get it repaired at the t...

The Conan Stone

Added at 17:30 on 06 January 2025

A previously unknown Pictish cross slab, discovered by NOSAS members near Conon Bridge, was unveiled at Dingwall Museum in December 2020. A successful fundraising campaign had The Conan Stone removed from its find site, professionally conserved and then installed on permanent display in the museum. ...

NOSAS in Orkney

Added at 18:40 on 05 August 2024

In July 2024, several members of NOSAS gathered in Orkney to visit a number of archaeological sites and ongoing excavations. In particular they enjoyed fabulous guided tours of the Ness of Brodgar (in its final season) and the Cairns broch in South Ronaldsay, as well as Swandro multi period site in ...

Further Digging at Tarradale

Added at 18:40 on 10 July 2024

In Autumn 2023, the Tarradale Archaeological Team (TAT) reopened and extended a Mesolithic shell midden trench dug in 2017 (see blog post). Here, several important antler tools had been previously discovered which were dated to over 6000 years old. The 2023 excavation found a further antler "T axe" ...

Talks, Blogs, Reports and 25 years of NOSAS

Added at 18:35 on 01 June 2024

In 2023 we celebrated 25 years of NOSAS with talks by Adrian Maldonado of NMS about his research in the Pictish and Viking eras - see the video here - and Tony Pollard on the archaeology of Culloden Battlesite - see video, Tony also led a fascinating battlesite tour. See all of our recorded talks on...

Gorse Clearing at Archaeological Sites

Added at 17:45 on 14 March 2024

NOSAS, along with the help of other organisations, has recently been clearing vegetation from two scheduled sites in the area - Carn Glas Chambered Cairns at Essich, near Inverness, and Teanagairn Henge at Culbokie. Read Jonathan's blog, BBC News and the Current Archaeology article. In Nov 22 NOSAS ...

Kate Britton, the Picts and Rosemarkie Man

Added at 17:45 on 05 November 2023

Professor Kate Britton gave a fascinating talk to NOSAS about the mobility and early childhood origins of early medieval Scots (ie Picts!). This is now available to watch on the NOSAS YouTube channel. See also the recent Talk by Gordon Noble given to NOSAS. Kate, Gordon and members of the Rosemarkie...