Dr Murray Cook gives us an update on the archaeology work which has been going on at Drumbrae. The south facing slopes of the Ochils to the west of Dumyat are an incredible resource and always busy with joggers, dog walkers and hikers. The recent work by The University of Edinburgh has transformed this landscape with young trees emerging from amidst the bracken. The bracken also hides archaeological features but the narrow paths through it don’t encourage anyone to stop and see what is there. The bracken wasn’t always there. This was once an active farmed landscape but without ploughing or grazing by sheep and cattle, the bracken takes over. One spot in a south facing bowl at Logie has a great little cluster of archaeology (a prehistoric roundhouse and a cultivation terrace) first spotted in the 1950s but never studied until very recently. What's hidden in the bracken? Image credit Murray Cook. This was a great opportunity for some research. I’m an archaeologist based in Stirling and work with local volunteers to help promote and understand the region’s archaeology. Our digs are open to everyone to join in, but places are always limited. We decided to look at the site and of course this begins with clearing the bracken. Out ultimate aim is to date the roundhouse which might be 2-3,000 years old but it’s always best to start by understanding the context so we focussed on the cultivation terrace. These are a bit like raised beds and were built to increase agricultural capacity. We soon found 5-7 terraces under the bracken as well as a few odd lumps. We worked with Dr Tim Kinnaird of St Andrews University to try to date the terraces and we found they dated to the 14th to 17th centuries AD but with something older underneath. This older something was one of the odd lumps. We think this is a substantial burial monument with views toward Meikle Bin. It probably dates to roughly 1,500 BC. This June we cleared to the top of the cairn and hope to start getting into it next year. Can’t wait! The newly discovered cairn. Image credit Roger Stewart. Get Involved There will be another community dig at Logie Homestead in 2027. If you would like to find out more and take part please email Murray Cook.You can also watch videos from the first two digs at Logie Homestead on our StoryMap. StoryMap - Community Archaeology at Drumbrae Dr Murray Cook Contact details Email: m.j.cookstirling35@gmail.com This article was published on Tuesday 28 July 2026
