A programme of archaeological watching brief was commissioned by the landowner during the development of an agricultural barn at Easter Coltfield, Moray. The fieldwork was designed to identify and record archaeological remains that may have been disturbed by the proposed development. The watching brief was undertaken on 15th May 2023 in cloudy but bright conditions with spells of sunshine and occasional showers. The construction type of the barn meant that only the main supporting pillars required excavation to a depth that exceeded the depth of the topsoil. These were excavated under supervision by a qualified and experienced archaeologist. No archaeologically significant features, deposits or artefacts were encountered. Some sieving of topsoil was undertaken but no flints or other artefacts of interest were recovered. No further work is recommended.
Lynne McKeggie (Sun,) studied this question.