Earth houses are ancient underground structures common to the British Isles and Brittany.<\/p>\n
Ardestie Earth House, likely built in the first two centuries AD, is an underground passage over 24m long, with a stone-lined drain in its floor. Excavations in 1949 and 1950 revealed a complex of buildings at ground level, with access to the earth house within one building.<\/p>\n
People have speculated on the use of earth houses, but the variation in shape and size across Scotland suggest there was no single consistent use. One suggestion is that they were used for storage.<\/p>\n
Evidence suggests that most earth houses were destroyed, or at least infilled, in the late AD 100s \u2013 coinciding with the Roman withdrawal from Britain.<\/p>\n
Visit and explore the ancient underground passage and trace the remains of long-abandoned buildings.<\/p>\n
Nearby Monifieth Bay is important for birds, particularly sanderling and eider.<\/p>\n