Archaeologists excited by rare furnace find

A MYSTERIOUS iron-working site recently unearthed in the north of Scotland is being investigated by archaeologists.

A rare furnace was discovered by members of the North of Scotland Archaeology Society (NOSAS) at Craggie in Glen Oykel, Sutherland.

Forestry Commission Scotland, in partnership with archaeologists from Glasgow University Archaeological Research Division (GUARD) and NOSAS, now hope to date the site and discover whether there are more in the area.

Archaeologist Matt Ritchie said finding the furnace was "sheer luck".

He said: "Only a few furnaces have ever been found in Scotland. We hope this find can also help us date the site.

"At the moment we don't even know whether it's prehistoric or medieval."