The Excavation of a World War II Army Camp at Mortonhall, Edinburgh

• DOI: 10.1179/1574077313z.00000000021
• Publication Date: 2013-08-28T04:25:24Z
• Authors: Magnus Kirby; Alasdair Ross; Sue Anderson
• Keywords: army camp; World War II; Mortonhall; Edinburgh; archaeology; 930; 16. Peace & justice; 01 natural sciences; barracks; Scotland; 900; DLI; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

AbstractArchive material relating to Mortonhall, Edinburgh, indicates that there was a World War I army camp within the grounds of the estate, which was occupied by the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. However, excavations carried out by CFA Archaeology Ltd during Scottish Water’s Edinburgh Drinking Water Project revealed physical remains which relate to a later World War II army camp. This appears to have been initially occupied by the 16th Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry in 1940, who were billeted in tents, with the permanent camp being constructed by private contractors from 1942. Archive material suggests that the camp largely consisted of Nissen huts. This evidence is supported by the limited archaeological excavations which uncovered a number of concrete hut bases of the size pertaining to the standard dimensions of Nissen huts. However, there was also evidence of different architectural styles with a number of the buildings having been constructed from brick and asbestos. Reports that Mort...