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SCAPE

@coastarch.bsky.social
468 followers 368 following 77 posts

SCAPE works with the public to research, investigate, interpret and promote the archaeology of Scotland’s coast. scapetrust.org

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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
We are back on Sanday Orkney, out and about with island residents doing a coastal survey and a mini-dig of a site eroding from the beach. It’s been 27 years since the island was last surveyed so it will be very interesting to see how the coastal archaeology has fared. #coastarch
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Thanks Claire!
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Evidence of coastal change is a vital part of SCAPE’s coastal surveys - but it’s not always easy to picture change over time. Our fantastic volunteers lined up along the position of the shoreline at Tentsmuir and the Eden Estuary 120 years ago, showing how much the coastal landscape has changed.
On the Eden Estuary erosion is at work, revealing hidden archaeological sites or washing them away forever.In parts of Tentsmuir the old shoreline is now almost completely out of sight, showing just how dramatic this change has been.
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
BBC article: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Intriguing markings found carved into Tentsmuir WW2 defences
Archaeologists have recorded the markings left on anti-tank cubes at Tentsmuir in Fife.
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
YOU WILL NOT PASS Etched into this remarkable concrete anti-tank cube is the famous anti-fascist slogan "NO PASARAN" alongside a cartoon-like sketch of an enemy soldier. Could its creator have fought in the Spanish Civil War before returning home to defend Scotland's coast? Press articles below>>>
Cartoon-like drawing of an enemy soldier with the words No Pasaran and You Will Not Pass etched alongside in the wet concrete of the anti-tank cube at Tentsmuir.
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
More fantastic WW2 graffiti on anti-tank cubes along the Tentsmuir stretch of the Fife Coastal Survey. They capture the moment marks were drawn into the fresh concrete. This cube "The Kiddies" has personal touch: a smiling British soldier in his unmistakable Brodie helmet. #coastarch
This concrete anti-tank block is covered in WW2 graffiti that includes a smiling British soldierAfter almost 86 years it is a bit hard to read! This photogrammetry model (thanks to Mike Arrowsmith!) helped to decipher the detail.
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Exciting find from the Fife Coastal Survey: graffitied WW2 anti-tank cubes! Inscribed with "AMPC 56 Company 1940 True Pines" - the company of Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps who constructed them. But the final line is a mystery... Do you recognise "True Pines"? #coastarch #WW2 #truepines
WW2 anti-tank cube with graffiti
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Storms exposed an exciting site this winter at Lunan Bay in Angus - the imprints of human and animal feet in clay. Fortunately two locals spotted them. It is always worth checking the coastline, particularly after heavy storms. Good work all! www.abdn.ac.uk/news/25127/ #Archaeology
abdn.ac.uk
Storms reveal rare 2,000-year-old footprints on Scottish beach
Storms which recently ravaged Britain's coastline have revealed 2,000-year-old footprints on an Angus beach - one of only a handful of locations in the UK where markings of this kind have ever been di...
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
Happy New Year from all of us at SCAPE! Thank you to our volunteers, followers, partners and funders for all your support in 2025. We look forward to seeing you as we survey Scotland's coast in 2026... #coastarch #hessupported #scotarchstrat
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
They allow us to link names, owners, and life stories to vessels whose timbers still lie on the foreshore. These photos are revelatory in showing the scale and majesty of the Moray coast herring fleet.
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 24/12/2025
#5- our final pick in our highlights of 2025 - the discovery of a photo archive of Zulu herring drifters at Findorn linked to the fishing boat graveyard we investigated with Findhorn Heritage in 2015. This stunning set of stereoscopic glass plates show them on the shore in 1917.
BF 1986 Polestar. Zulu, carvel, decked. Built 1897 Gardiner, Cullen. First registered 2/04/1897 to owners George Wood (master), John Wood, James Wood. 1917-19 owner John Mair, Cullen. Information from The Mighty Zulu, Joseph Reid, 2012 - Buckie & District Fishing Heritage Centre
Thanks to Chris Harker for sharing these historic imagesRemains of a Zulu on the beach at Binsness - the boiler still in position BF 586 Beautiful Star. Zulu, carvel, decked. Built 1901 George Thomson, Buckie.
First registered 10/04/1901 to owners Alexander Mair (master), Alexander Mair Jnr, Portknockie, Alexander Reid, George Thomson, Buckie.
1905-1919 owners A. Mair and A Mair Jnr. Portknockie and Co.
26/12/1919 register closed. Vessel broken up.
BF 1933, Grateful. Zulu, carvel, decked. Built 1896 builder not recorded.
First registered 27/04/1896 to owner James Bruce (master), Andrew Findlay, Portessie who had her to 1902.
25/03/1902 sold to James Murray, George Murray (master) Portessie, James Bruce.
1904 to 1908 Portessie, registered to J. Bruce & Co.
1909 to 1920 Findochty, registered to A. Campbell.
Not in 1921-25 almanacs. No further information.
Information The Might Zulu, Joseph Reid, 2012 - Buckie & District Fishing Heritage Centre
Thanks to Chris Harker for sharing these historic imageAerial view of two well-preserved Zulu vessels usually below the low tide line at Binsness. Photo Eddie Martin
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
... The main building is most likely to date to between 1500 and the late 1600s - with earlier structures beneath. This is our first firm indication of the site’s age and sheds light on the speed of coastal change in the historic period. #coastarch #HESsupported #scotarchstrat
Fresh erosion shows the upper and lower buildings clearly, separated by a layer of sand.
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
#4 of our #Top5 2025 - A new date for Newark, Sanday. Fish, whale & dolphin bone, recorded here over many years, suggested a specialised fish processing site. In early 2025 Storm Éowyn exposed stone buildings buried in sand. We sampled fish bone for radiocarbon dating. The result? ...
Erosion has exposed the clear edges of a buildingCod and ling bones recovered from an undisturbed layer
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
At #3 a newly identified Rocket Pole, Ness of Duncansby, Caithness Invented in the mid-1800s a mobile rocket apparatus fired a line to a ship in distress. A harness was attached to carry passengers&crew to safety. Rocket poles stood in for the ships mast in practice drills- very few survive!
Volunteer lifesaving brigades erected these poles as a stand-in for a ship’s mast – used during regular practice drills firing a line from a mobile rocket apparatus to a ship in distress.Everyone in coastal communities would have been familiar with this life-saving equipment. We even found an illustration of a rocket apparatus being used in an 1888 children’s book ‘Launch the Lifeboat’.
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 21/12/2025
#2 of our 2025 highlights - coming face to face with history revealed in eroding coast edges… As the sea cuts into the land, it reveals layers of past human activity, like layers of a cake, revealing glimpses of past events. Here’s a few favourites from the Yell and Dornoch surveys. #coastarch
At Gossaborough, on Yell, several metres of shoreline reveal tumbled masonry, burnt stone and scattered finds – strong evidence of prehistoric houses now being lost to the sea.The eroding section at Papil on Yell is a classic. Here, bands of white shell stand out against darker layers of heat cracked stone and charcoal, showing how the midden built up through repeated dumps over time.
A closer look revealed struck quartz tools, and just around the corner we spotted half of a saddle quern set within a tumbled wall.The Ness of Portnaculter in the Dornoch Firth is a wonderful example of a shell midden mixed with heat cracked cobbles, showing people once cooked and ate shellfish here.
Similar examples of seasonal shoreline feasts have been recorded in the prehistoric and up to the early medieval periods.At Basta Voe, Yell, a layer of clean white sand runs through the dark peat. This may record a major storm surge or even a tsunami that hit around 1,500 years ago. Thanks to Allen Fraser for showing us this site.
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
Many clifftop Shetland brochs are either partially eroded or teetering on the edge, giving a sense of the scale of cliff erosion over the last 2000 years. This photogenic site has been captured over the years in sketches & photos, take a look on Trove.Scot #coastarch #hessupported #scotarchstrat
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
We’ve had an amazing year of fieldwork - here’s our #Top5 2025 highlights: Pick #1 Broch of Burland, Shetland mainland. It looks spectacular from the air and like many on Shetland, is in a highly defended location - bounded by the sea on three sides and with massive banks and ditches.
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Gletness made it into the Top 5 archaeological discoveries of 2025! Thanks to our collaborators and volunteers @archshet.bsky.social - we had a great time!
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
The strong winds of Storm Bram coincided with high tides, potentially causing coastal erosion. When it’s safe you can help monitor changes by reporting any damage you see. Use Dynamic Coast's new Coastal Erosion Reporter tool at www.DynamicCoast.com Thank you! #stormbram #coastarch #hessupported
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Dig It! @digitscotland.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
In 2018, @coastarch.bsky.social raced against the tide to investigate a submerged prehistoric forest on a beach in Na h-Eileanan Siar (the Outer Hebrides) 🌳 It's one of the many sites in Scotland that are under threat from erosion and rising sea levels: www.digitscotland.com/how-to-help-...
Aerial photo of a beach with ‘shadow trees’ (pupils from the local school standing on tree stumps to represent the forest)
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
We've not been able to identify it - yet. It's possible there is some local knowledge of the boat, and we'll update our records if we find out!
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
...Bonus pictures of the zulu, a rare example of a wooden sailing drifter
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
The Dornoch Firth Coastal Survey (Mar/Apr2025) Report is out! Highlights: a monumental fish trap, Bonar bridge coastal engineering, & a wonderful discovery of zulu sailing drifter. Download here: scapetrust.org/wp-content/u... #coastarch #scotarchstrat #hessupported
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
Gletness Excavation Report is out! In May, SCAPE & Archaeology Shetland excavated an eroding Middle-Late Iron Age settlement & a Bronze Age burnt mound. Short visit, big archaeology. Download the Report: scapetrust.org/wp-content/u... @archshet.bsky.social #coastarch #CoastalHeritage #hessupported
Aerial image of the excavation trenchesPrehistoric buildings exposed by coastal erosion
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
TR Manson bought her from Hay & Co. in Lerwick, salvaging her oak timbers to build Ladybank House in West Sandwick. A remarkable journey. She may be the only surviving Lowestoft-built fishing smack in Scotland. The full biography is on our blog here: scapetrust.org/candace-the-...
scapetrust.org
Candace: The Life of a Lowestoft Sailing Drifter (1888–1919) - The SCAPE Trust
In a quiet inlet of Southladie Voe, West Sandwick, Yell (Shetland), lies the remains of an old wooden wreck. Enough survives to identify her as a probable Class 1 sailing drifter, though her design di...
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
With the name and help from local researchers, it's been possible to trace her story. Built in Lowestoft in 1888, Candace LT171 was a herring fishing smack. She came to Shetland in 1902, re-registered as LK554 to fisherman William Gear. In 1919, the Admiralty advertised her in the Shetland Times...
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
A mystery solved. . . Back in May, we asked for help identifying a wreck in Sandladie Voe, West Sandwick. Amazingly, someone gave us a possible name: Candace. #hessupported #shetlandwreck
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
(4/4) These incredible sites are under threat from coastal erosion and shifting sands. Recording and monitoring them, we gather vital information about how our coastline is changing, and protect our coastal heritage for future generations. Read our blog here: scapetrust.org/a-walk-of-di...
scapetrust.org
A Walk of Discovery: North Yell, Shetland - The SCAPE Trust
The stunning beach at Sands of Breckon is a magnet in North Yell for locals and visitors alike – but did you know that by taking a short walk around the headland you will discover a rich archaeologica...
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
(3/4) At the north end of Sands of Breckon beach sea erosion and dune blowouts have exposed layers of sand and fine gravel in the coastal section. This reflects natural dynamics of a beach system, but due to the archaeology so close by, these dunes should be monitored for any changes.
Eroding beach section at Sads of Breckon
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
(2/4) The house at Toft was occupied in 1877 and is now partly buried in sand, with traces of walls disappearing into the dunes - evidence of how quickly sand can overwhelm a place and make it impossible to live in.
Toft house and enclosure wall in the sand dunes
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
Join us on the latest Walk of Discovery in North Yell, Shetland. First up is the broch at Fillacomb point, not much to see except the faint outer traces of the bank. The coastline is exposed to the high energy of the North Atlantic Ocean battering against the rock (1/4)...
broch outer works at the edge of a cliff
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
A fantastic piece of research brought together place names, written sources, and local knowledge, along with visiting sites to test the waulking process. We recommend this 2023 Shetland Amenity Trust blog about the project - it is a fascinating read: www.shetlandamenity.org/talking-toev... (3/3)
shetlandamenity.org
Talking Toevakuddis | Shetland Amenity Trust
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
Here are two from our Shetland survey - a shallow trough type "Devakoddi" at Gletness, Mainland and a cleft type at Cruness, Breckon, Yell. Difficult to see at first, once you get your eye in to the enclosed space and gentle waves, these understated sites are rather special! (2/3)
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
Tovakuddas are coastal rock pools and clefts used by Shetlanders between the 12th to 17th century to shrink or waulk 'Wadmal' - a handwoven wool cloth. The cloth was secured in these protective pools and the motion of the sea strengthened and thickened it... (1/3) #tovakudda #hessupported
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
Aerial photographs from our May 2025 Yell Survey are helping us understand how this fragile landscape is changing. Full findings coming soon in the Yell Survey Report! stay tuned...
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
This remarkable site at Sands of Breckon, Yell, is revealing layers of history. Coastal processes have exposed prehistoric houses and burial cairns. @archshet.bsky.social @standrewshist.bsky.social #HESsupported #coastarch #scotarchstrat
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
And read about the Bressay burnt mound reconstruction too. Thanks to the landowners, supporters, and volunteers! scapetrust.org/bronze-age-b...
scapetrust.org
Bronze Age Bressay! - The SCAPE Trust
Volunteers on the Shetland Island of Bressay excavated a critically endangered eroding Bronze Age burnt mound and moved it stone by stone to the Heritage Centre, saving its story for future generation...
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
SCAPE have helped local communities on Bressay (Shetland) and Sanday (Orkney) to recover eroding complex burnt mounds before they were lost to the sea and reconstruct them for the community and visitors to enjoy. Read about the Sanday burnt mound here scapetrust.org/meur-burnt-m...
scapetrust.org
Meur Burnt Mound, Sanday - The SCAPE Trust
Volunteers on the Orkney Island of Sanday excavated a critcally endangered eroding Bronze Age burnt mound and relocated it stone by stone to the Sanday Heritage Centre. The reconstruction tells the st...
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
What were burnt mounds for? We know they were not living spaces, and their function relies on a plentiful supply of fresh water to fill a large tank with hot water. Some suggestions include beer making, cloth production, leather working, communal cooking areas, wash-houses, or saunas.
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
Our excavation at Gletness in Shetland with @archshet.bsky.social revealed the heat-shattered stones of a burnt mound, a beautiful, manly limestone paved area, and excitingly, the closing slabs at the top of subterranean corbelled structure - possibly the roof of a Bronze Age well! #hessupported
A corbelled stone structure continues beneath the visible closing slabs. An area of paving may have been a passageway or cell in the burnt mound complex, and is covered by dumps of hearth waste (peat ash, burnt clay and charcoal) suggesting the hearth area is close by.Fire-cracked stones form the burnt mound, which surrounds the main activity area.
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
Sand layer from a possible tsunami 1500 years ago. A penny road built as a famine relief project in the 1840-50s. Eroding prehistoric settlement and a giant noost! Just a few highlights from the June survey in Yell. Huge thanks to everyone. Yell is a very special place. We had a wonderful time.
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
What progress over just 4 days with the amazing @archshet.bsky.social on the Gletness dig. One or more big Iron Age buildings and a Bronze Age burnt mound. Done and dusted for now. Thank you everyone! #HESSupported #coastarch #ScotArchStrat
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Archaeology Shetland @archshet.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
Gletness Day 2 with @coastarch.bsky.social
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
Excellent first day with @archshet.bsky.social on the Gletness dig. Thank you everyone! #HESSupported #coastarch #ScotArchStrat
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
You can’t do a coastal survey in Shetland without encountering brochs. These epic monuments of the Iron Age never fail to impress and interest us. What's your favourite Shetland broch? #hessupported #coastarch #scotarchstrat
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 25/05/2025
You never know what’s round the corner. This re-used saddle quern hints of a nearby prehistoric site - and sure enough - a few paces further, an Iron Age settlement is revealed in the eroding section. We look forward to returning to Yell in June for more! #hessupported #coastarch #scotarchstrat
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 24/05/2025
Shetland horizontal mills - used for a 1000 years - now mostly ruinous. You will find them alone or in groups, like these examples in North Yell. An intact working example survives at the Crofthouse Museum in Dunrossness which you can visit! #hessupported #coastarch #scotarchstrat
Breckon MillBreckon MillToft mill was described as a stone box built over the burn. It went out of use by the 1870s.Toft Mill
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
Building of the day - a ruinous Böd – (store with accommodation associated with commercial fishing) on the shore at Lindburn, West Yell. We'd love to know more about the history of this interesting building! #hessupported #scotarchstrat #coastarch
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
Looking forward to heading up to the beautiful island of Yell, Shetland for coastal surveys with the community 20-24 May and 4-6 June. Join us as we explore this historic coast or get in touch with your knowledge of Yell’s coastal heritage and coastal change #Coastarch #Hessupported #ScotArchStrat
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SCAPE @coastarch.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
A Norse fish processing site, a rocket pole, limekilns, intertidal poetry and more – all within an hour’s walk of John O’ Groats. Read about this wonderful coastal landscape on the Walk of Discovery blog scapetrust.org/a-walk-of-di... #hessupported #scotarchstrat #coastarch
scapetrust.org
A Walk of Discovery: Ness of Duncansby, Caithness - The SCAPE Trust
Just east of John O’ Groats at a place called Robert’s Haven, you can see fragments of drystone walls and dark coloured soils full of pottery, shell, and fish bone eroding out of the dunes. Thanks to ...
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