River Carron

NS88SE 88 unlocated

Possibly to be located on map sheet NS98SW, and within Falkirk, Grangemouth or Larbert parishes.

Not to be confused with the logboat from 'Falkirk', for which see NS88SE 89.

In May 1726 erosion revealed a logboat in the 'washings of the River Caron' and at a depth of about 15' (4.6m) beneath several layers of what were presumably natural deposits. The location of the discovery was not recorded but it was probably in the extensive estuarine carseland along the lower course of the river.

Sir John Clerk of Penicuik noted that the boat measured 36' (11m) in length, 4'6" (1.4m) in beam and 4'4" (1.3m) in depth; the sides were 4" (102mm) thick. The stem was 'sharp' and the stern 'square' while the timber was knot-free 'oak' which had been 'finely polished'. On the basis of these measurements the slenderness coefficient was 7.9, the beam/draught coefficient was about 1 and the displacement under standard conditions was about 11.8 cubic metres. These figures indicate a large logboat of narrow and dissimilar-ended form (presumably with a solid stern) and having a considerable speed potential.

Although the account of the discovery does not describe the stratigraphy in detail, it is likely that the boat was found in the carse clay that was laid down during the marine transgression between 6000 and 4000 bc; it thus probably dates from the late Boreal or early-to-mid Atlantic periods.

This discovery is noted by Munro as being found in the Carse of Falkirk, but is distinguished from that found at Falkirk (NS88SE 89).

Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica 1790; R Munro 1898, 272; R J C Mowat 1996.