Skip to main content
Kiln uncover

The Hidden Landscape of Pittodrie Estate

Home > Bennachie Landscapes Project > Archaeology > The Hidden Landscape of Pittodrie Estate
Crown
Photo Credit - Iain Ralston

The Hidden Landscape of Pittodrie Estate

What began as a side project during the Bede House investigations soon took on a life of its own.

Overlooking the eastern slopes of Bennachie, the team spotted a series of intriguing shapes an enclosure, a trackway, and other mysterious features that were hidden in a LiDAR image. On the ground, these features turned out to be very real. 

A small test trench in 2018 confirmed that archaeology lay just beneath the surface, and what followed was a deeper dive into this overlooked corner of the landscape. In 2019, a series of trenches helped begin the story: what were these structures, when were they built, and how did they relate to life in the surrounding area? 

Since then (with the exception of 2020), the Bailies have returned each year. With every dig, the site continues to reveal more about the people who once lived and worked around Bennachie, and there's still so much more to uncover. 

Read more about the ongoing work and discoveries: 

Pittodrie 2019 report: (pdf in drop box with this write up) 

Pittodrie 2021 report: (pdf in drop box with this write up) 

Pittodrie 2022 report: (pdf in drop box with this write up)  

Pittodrie 2023 report: (pdf in drop box with this write up) 

Pittodrie 2024 report: (pdf in drop box with this write up)