Dig diary – excavation begins in Trench TT as visitors flock to the Ness

Tuesday, July 7, 2026 (6:20 PM)

Site director Nick ponders the newly cleaned Trench TT. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

Day Two
Tuesday, July 7, 2026

A far more forgiving day, weather‑wise, saw the cleaning of the new trench completed and excavation begin.

Joining the Trench TT team were Jim Rylatt — former supervisor of Structure Twelve — and pottery specialist Jan Blatchford. The 14×12‑metre trench has been split into four quadrants, with two six‑metre rectangles laid out for initial investigation.

Excavation begins. Even Nick’s trowel saw the light of day! (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

By close of play, a handful of stone features had emerged, though their nature remains unclear. It’s still early days.

Stone features at the end of play today. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

Elsewhere on site, the shop is now open, stocked with Ness and Time Team merchandise, and the 2026 Sponsor A Square grid was in place ahead of the 9.30am public opening. As Lucy predicted yesterday, the first squares snapped up were those at the heart of the circular anomaly currently under scrutiny.

At the heart of the anomaly - the first of the Sponsor A Square boxes to go this morning. (📷 Sigurd Towrie) — At the heart of the anomaly – the first of the Sponsor A Square boxes to go this morning. (📷 Sigurd Towrie)

Over 250 visitors made their way to the site today, taking in the archaeology and joining the tours — Sigurd leading the 11am outing, with Roy guiding the 2pm crowd. We’ll finish with a reminder to visitors – the gates open at 9.30am and close at 4.30pm. Don’t trust what Google tells you!