EDINBURGH ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SOCIETY

Resistive Linear Array Survey at Ogilface Castle

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Armadale West Lothian *
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1. Summary

A single resistive linear array section survey was made, approximately E-W, along the
promontory on which the remains of Ogilface Castle stand. The line was laid out to
intersect the main area of visible features. The promontory had previously been the
subject of both area ground resistance and magnetometry surveys so it was known
that a line through the main topographic features intersected both resistive and
magnetic anomalies.

High resistance features, detected in the area resistance survey, appear at about the 6
and 9m marks on the linear survey and extend to a depth of over 1m. A square
resistive feature (?tower), shown on the area resistive survey was crossed twice by the
linear array and appears as high resistances at the 21 and 27m marks. The resistance at
the 27m mark angles downwards and could represent a set of steps found during an
excavation by Armadale Academy pupils a number of years ago. Two high
resistances, at the 34 and 37m marks, align with less clear high resistance features on
the area survey that have been interpreted as part of a complex of buildings to the W
of the purported tower but less substantially constructed. Slightly raised resistances at
the 12 and 15m marks align with a large area of magnetic anomaly that only shows
amorphous areas of raised resistance on the area survey.

2. Introduction

The remains of Ogilface Castle lie at NGR NS 92692 69028 and it is recorded as
NS 96 NWl in the RCAHMS register. This report should be considered as an
addendum to the area resistance and magnetometry report, Ref 8.1. These surveys
were made, by the Society, in 2007 and the report gives firther details of the site.

The survey objective was to use the resistive linear array to augment the resistive data
acquired during the 2007 surveys. In particular it was hoped that the linear array, by
showing the depth of high resistance features, might provide information linking to
the limited excavation made by Armadale Academy.

The resistive linear array equipment was capable of examining the previously
detected area high resistances in a vertical section to a depth of 2m. A single array
line, laid out across the visible and known positions of the resistive features at the
eastern end of the promontory, provided the data required to interpret these main
features in depth.

3. Method

The survey was made on 5 August 2008 in fine dry conditions. The grid of 20 by 20m
squares was relayed out based upon the pegs, left in the ground fiom the 2007 survey,
and was checked against still upstanding blocks of masonry of the castle 'tower'. The