Addyman Archaeology were commissioned to undertake a programme of archaeological work at the Category A listed Cranshaws Castle, a well preserved 15th century tower house. Proposed refurbishment of Cranshaws Castle necessitated an initial record and assessment of the structure, monitoring and building recording during interior works, and monitoring of associated services excavations within and in the vicinity of the tower (see previous reports 2012 and 2013). An additional stage of recording works and monitoring followed the decision to remove cementitious harl from the tower exterior. Further ground works to the exterior, the expansion of the parking area on the west side of the tower, were also monitored. Overall a comprehensive reappraisal of the understanding of the evolution of the structure was carried out and, with many areas newly exposed an extensive formal survey of the structure was completed. Much evidence for the original appearance and internal arrangement of the tower was recorded both externally and internally. It was also possible to closely relate recorded secondary modifications to historical sources for works carried out in the later 18th century, the early 19th century, in c.1895-1900, and in the second half of the 20th century. Excavations to the west of the tower failed to identify significant archaeological remains.
Morrison et al. (2013) studied this question.