Excavation of a Possible Neolithic Structure, Lithic Finds and Later Ditch Features at Kingarth Quarry, Isle of Bute

Topsoil stripping in advance of an extension to sand and gravel quarrying operations at Kingarth, Isle of Bute, revealed a series of ditches, the remains of a small oval structure and discrete concentrations of worked stone artefacts. The site is situated on a raised beach deposit on the east-facing Kilchattan Bay. The ditches formed a discrete grouping on the higher, gravel deposits in the westernmost part of the site whilst the oval structure, defined by a shallow slot trench and enclosing an area measuring 7m by 3.5m, lay in the eastern part of the site on fine sand deposits. Despite the absence of reliable dating material, the ditch features are probably relatively modern features and correspond closely to field boundaries shown on the Ordnance Survey 1st edition map (1863) whilst the oval structure is thought to be a habitation site of possible Neolithic date. Neolithic stone tool working debitage was recorded from a scatter 200m away. If correct, then the discoveries at Kingarth potentially add to the limited corpus of information on Neolithic settlement structures in the West of Scotland and Britain in general .