Six Castles and a Bastle in Upper Clydesdale
This report features a localised grouping of castle sites and a bastle house that are given as a guide to defensive sites dating from the 12th to the 17th centuries in Upper Clydesdale, South Lanarkshire.
Map showing locations of sites...
Excavations and consolidation works at Covington Tower and Doocot, South Lanarkshire
Covington Tower and doocot represent the best sites of their types in the Upper reaches of the River Clyde in South Lanarkshire. The site is located at NS 975 400 and lies immediately on the west side of an...
Biggar Town – Urban Archaeological Project and brief history
Limited excavation was undertaken at Covington Tower and Doocot in 1982 in advance of proposed consolidation works on the site to make it safe as a visitor attraction. The restoration scheme as envisaged was never completed. A few archaeological details of the...
Glenochar Bastle House and Fermtoun
An account of the discovery, survey, consolidation, excavations and research of a 17th-century defensive farmhouse and buildings in Clydesdale, with supplementary contextual information.
This Glenochar Bastle House and Fermtoun report replaces all previous works on the site, but much is...
A mixed prehistoric lithic collection recovered from fields at Wester Yardhouse Farm
A mixed assemblage of pre-historic lithics including several tools was picked up from fields surrounding Wester Yardhouse Farm near Carnwath, circa NT 010 520, by the late Mr George Elder, farmer there, and perhaps also by his ploughman Mr...
A Miscellany of Bastle Houses – updated report
Since 1981 after the discovery that Windgate House near Coulter was a bastle house, search, survey and in some instances excavation, has revealed a series of hitherto unknown such houses in Upper Clydesdale. Research continues on the subject of...
New heritage display panels installed in Daer valley
As part of Biggar Archaeology Group’s (BAG) initiatives in local heritage matters, five new display panels have been installed in Daer valley for the benefit of walkers to the area.
Two A1, fully illustrated colour panels have been installed on part of...
An appeal to the professional world of archaeology
Biggar Archaeology Group PDF Reports. info@biggararchaeology.org.uk
Lamington Stone Report
Biggar Archaeology Group PDF Reports. info@biggararchaeology.org.uk
Daer Valley and Clydesdale Mesolithic Report
Biggar Archaeology Group PDF Reports. info@biggararchaeology.org.uk
Archaeology in the Scottish Borders
Latest excavation reports and archaeological news from the Biggar volunteer archaeology group in the Scottish Borders. info@biggararchaeology.org.uk
Latest Reports – Crossing the Clyde, On Tintock Tap, two reports on mesolithic Daer...
Biggar Archaeology Group PDF Reports. info@biggararchaeology.org.uk
Brownsbank 3rd Interim Report
Biggar Archaeology Group PDF Reports. info@biggararchaeology.org.uk
17th Century Settlement of Coom partial excavation in
Download – Partial Excavation of the 17th Century Settlement of Coom in the Daer Valley | 1.5MB | Tam Ward, BAG |
Survey and excavation trenches produced evidence of a series of buildings, their floors and finds dating to the...
Glendorch Bastle House partial excavation in 1985-86
Download – The partial excavation of Glendoroch Bastle House, near Crawfordjohn, South Lanarkshire | 1.5MB | 2015 | Tam Ward, BAG | Partial excavation of a previously unrecorded building showed it to belong to the Bastle House tradition of...
Broughton Heights Archaeological Survey in 1999
Download – Broughton Heights Archaeological Survey | 1.5MB | 1999 | Tam Ward, BAG |
Field walking and survey of an upland landscape in Borders Region has produced a new level of data on pre-historic and post medieval monuments. A...
Excavation report of the three Early Christian graves at Lyne, in 2005
Download – Excavation of three Early Christian graves at Lyne, near Peebles | 2005 | 1.5MB | Tam Ward, Bag |
The discovery of a single cist found to be eroding from a gravel bank led to the detection of...
Harehill Knowe survey & excavation
Download – Harehill Knowe near Broughton, Peebleshire survey and excavation | 2015 | 554KB | Tam Ward, BAG |
As part of a larger research project, itself originating from a programme of survey work in Upper Tweeddale by Biggar Archaeology...
Building bastle houses and associates buildings
Download – The logistics of building bastle houses and associated buildings in Upper Clydesdale | 2015 | 3.2MB – Tam Ward, BAG
This report attempts to answer questions regarding the selection, acquisition and use of materials to build bastle houses and their associate buildings...
Latest News
Survey of Kirkurd Churchyard
In the spring of 2023 the members of the Biggar Archaeology Group with the support of Peeblesshire Archaeological Society and Scottish Borders Council surveyed...
