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Excavations and resistivity survey, carried out between 1990-6 in and around Melgund Castle (NO55NW0019). Four trial trenches were opened in 1990 to determine whether there were any surviving traces of a barmekin wall, out-buildings or any other structures to the north and west of the castle's standing remains. Although somewhat fragmentary in places, a compact layer of pebbles and gravel situated to the northwest of the castle has been interpreted as part of a metalled road. Elsewhere, however, ploughing had penetrated as far as the subsoil, leaving no evidence of any structural remains. A resistivity survey conducted in 1990 along the northern perimeter of the castle in order to locate barmekin. No features positively identified but readings indicated ground disturbance that may show a former route into the castle and a possible course for the barmekin. In 1991, excavation revealed the foundations of the outside wall of a passage against the north wall of the castle and beyond the passage, a partially robbed area of squared sandstone flags, probably the floor surface of the inner courtyard. Against the north face of the tower was a clay bonded rubble wall, perhaps the remnants of a barmekin wall. Excavation in 1994 was carried out in four areas: the basement below the hall in the south range, the chamber to the east of the south range hall, the first floor of the tower, and the terrace outside the south wall of the castle. The south range basement: The three vaults that had supported the first storey hall had collapsed completely, leaving large quantities of rubble within the underlying basement area. Most of this material, together with other overburden was removed from the area which measured 10.8m east-west by 6.6m north-south. Recessed 1.8m into the west wall was a massive kitchen fireplace, 3.7m wide at its mouth. To the left of the hearth, 0.6m above floor level, the wall was pierced by a circular oven, 1.Om in diameter, its flue connecting with the main chimney. The remnants of a salt box were visible in the north wall of the fireplace. The floor of the kitchen and of the two other basement chambers was simply undisturbed boulder clay. The first floor chamber in the south range: This room, which measured 7.3m east-west by 6.6m north-south, was accessed by means of a spiral stair at the east end of the castle and from the adjacent hall. Below considerable quantities of rubble were the remnants of a flagged floor set into stone chips and gravel. Central to the west wall was a large, but relatively simple fireplace, to the left of which was a small alcove, interpreted as a log store. There were two vertical slots cut into the masonry of the south wall, near to its west end, which may have been associated with bench seating. The tower: Measuring 7.4m east-west by 5.9m north-south, this apartment is thought to have been the private hall of the castle's owner. Up to 1m of rubble overlay the remnants of a well-made flagged floor which survived particularly well in the southwest corner of the room. Over most of the room the stonework of the two underlying vaults was exposed. In the south end of the west wall was a fireplace, 1.3m wide at its mouth: it was largely intact although the hearth and the north side were badly affected by heat. The south terrace: About 7m from the south wall of the tower were the remains of a roughly circular structure, 3.6m in diameter within walls 1.0m thick, which stood to a maximum height of 0.3m. Its masonry comprised mainly sandstone rubble, bonded with pink clay which was identical to the underlying glacial deposits. The wall was missing in the southwest corner and no trace of a floor or of occupation debris were in evidence. It is not clear how this structure functioned, what its association with the castle was or when it was built. Investigations in 1995 by Scotia Archaeology Ltd were concentrated within three principal areas: the vaulted cellars in the hall range, the terrace to the immediate south of the castle which was partially excavated in 1994 (Lewis 1994), and the field to the north and west of the castle where exploratory trenches were opened in several locations. The hall range cellars: The easternmost of the cellars (the kitchen), below the collapsed hall, was cleared of debris in 1994, the remaining two cellars were excavated in 1996. Nothing of archaeological interest was found above the floors of these rooms which were of glacial till, a pink clayey silt. Both walls dividing the three chambers were only 0.8m wide and had been robbed down to foundation level. The south terrace: In the east part of the trench, post-abandonment debris lay directly on glacial deposits and bedrock, further west several structures were uncovered. The most interesting of these was a circular masonry building located near the edge of the slope and measuring 5.4m in diameter over walls about 1.1m thick. Its rubble masonry, bonded with pink clayey silt, was completely robbed on its south side, it stood to a maximum height of 0.8m on its north side wherein there was a narrow (0.55m) doorway. About 1.5m to the east of the entrance was another ground level opening which was evident only on the inside of the building, and had been completely blocked at some stage. Two sockets, presumably for timbers, were set into the north wall, some 0.5m above the floor of crude sandstone flags. The field wall at the west side of the trench overlay the remains of an earlier wall which ran 31m south from the castle to return west before petering out after about 50m. Running slightly east of south from the castle was another wall, presumably earlier, the remains of which were too fragmentary to interpret properly. Exploratory trenching: Trenching to the north of the castle revealed fragmentary, but definite, evidence of a boundary wall running east-west some 80m from the building. About 22m from the northeast corner of the castle were traces of the possible barmekin wall partially revealed in 1991 (Lewis 1991). Ploughing had removed most of the evidence of these structures in each case.
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Historic Environment Records (HER) 
Angus
HER -
NO55NW0109 - MELGUND CASTLE