In early 2005 a cluster of orthostat stones was exposed by coastal erosion at Meur, Sanday, Orkney. The excavation revealed a stone trough within the centre of an open space defined by walls. It was associated with at least one compartment and a secondary corbelled cistern with an overflow drain and was surrounded by a mound of dark soil and burnt stones. This burnt mound structure, comparable with other burnt mounds in the Northern Isles, was occupied at some time between the late 2 nd millennium and the mid 1 st millennium BC. The evidence from Meur and its comparison with evidence from elsewhere strongly indicates cooking as the primary function of this burnt mound. It is proposed that such cooking took the form of communal feasts that served to optimise the limited resources of the island's land holdings and so maintain social cohesion. This accords with evidence from elsewhere on Sanday for social and economic stability throughout this period.

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In November 2002, AOC Archaeology Group carried out the archaeological excavation of a roundhouse and associated palisades prior to a housing development at West Acres, Newton Mearns. The excavation revealed a ring-groove roundhouse, bounded on the south by a curvilinear palisade trench and on the north by another two curvilinear palisade trenches, one that preceded the roundhouse and another that succeeded the roundhouse. It is proposed that these palisades represent evidence of stock management practices. Charcoal recovered from the roundhouse and the palisade features date this settlement to the second millennium BC. A considerable quantity of pottery sherds was recovered from within the roundhouse and supports a Bronze Age date for the occupation of the site.

Excavations at Carghidown demonstrate sporadic occupation of this promontory fort over a short period, during the late first millennium BC or early first millennium AD. The analysis of lead beads from this settlement adds support to growing evidence for copper mining in this area of Galloway at the time and suggests that the inhabitants were of some status within the local social hierarchy. The excavation also demonstrates that the site was only formally enclosed during the latter stages of its occupation and that within a year or two of this act of enclosure the ramparts were violently thrown down, the repair and construction of buildings within the settlement was abruptly halted and occupation ceased.

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