julie has beenjoined by doctor ingrid mainland, from the university of the highlands and islands archaeological. to explore the middens, which remains of ancient domestic waste that are being lost to coastal erosion. we are sitting on the beach which is near the part where they are interested in some of the archaeology that's coming out of the cliff section. there are the remnants of fish middens, that are being eroded away by the sea. it is very important because they tell us about humans activity in human behaviour in the past. from the size of the fish, we think that it is telling us that the site probably dates to the mediaeval period. this tiny place here up in the north of scotland was part of a vibrant trade in fish, it tells us about fishing stocks that were present in the medieval period. that information is relevant for understanding conservation practises today. this is a bit of cow skull that tells us with the people were eating themselves. so this is a viking norse cow from a thousand—odd years ago. we are losing an awful lot of information about the past. i feel like there is some