Daviot

NH74SW 25 714 407

In March 1977 an object which was tentatively identified as a logboat was discovered during road construction across afforested moorland about 1.4km WNW of House of Daviot, at an altitude of about 220m OD and at least 1.6km from the nearest possible navigable water. It is in store at Inverness Museum under accession number INVMG 983.165.

The object bears a superficial resemblance to a logboat but its present form is apparently the result of rotting or similar natural processes. It is probably of no archaeological significance but the possibility that it is an unfinished or crudely-worked log coffin, trough or similar artifact cannot be entirely excluded. Examination by a tree scientist is reported to have indicated that the form of the object is typical of rotted oak trees and confirmed that no human activity need be indicated.

After shrinkage, it measures 3.24m in length by up to 0.62m transversely. It has been formed from a tree-trunk, the bark of which has not been removed, and from which project several branches. There are several large knots in the timber, which has suffered from both warping and splitting. The supposedly-hollowed central section measures 0.16m in maximum depth, beneath which there is up to 0.2m thickness of unworked timber. Neither thickness-gauge holes nor toolmarks are to be seen. Both the narrow 'bow' and the 'stern' are ragged and unformed; the former has been bent downwards by warping while the latter rises about 70mm above the interior and bears no evidence of a transom. September 1987

Information from Miss J Harden (Inverness Museum); R J C Mowat 1996, visited September 1987.