'Kinlochbervie Wreck': Bagh Poll A' Bhacain, North Minch

(Location cited as 58 26.213'N 005 06.430'W). This wreck was discovered in May 1997 by members of RAF Lossiemouth Sub-Aqua Club, a ceramic ewer then recovered being identified by NMS as grotesque Majolica ware of Italian origin and dating from the second half of the 16th century AD. Material discovered (but not recovered) subsequently includes three iron guns of relatively large size, two anchors, pieces of lead sheet, pottery fragments and firebricks. No structural remains have apparently been identified.

The site covers a range of dynamic environments at the base of a cliff and a depth of about 27m.

Information from Mr M Dean (Director, Archaeological Diving Unit), visited 24-5 June 2000.

Side scan sonar survey on the wreck near Kinlochbervie conducted by ADU. Inconclusive results.

Magnetometer survey on the wreck near Kinlochbervie conducted by ADU. Inconclusive results in 2000.

Seabed classification survey near the wreck near Kinlochbervie conducted by ADU.

Topographic survey of seabed around the wreck using a Submatrix swathe bathymetry system near Kinlochbervie.

Designation order 2001 No. 242 made 19 June 2001 covers the area within 300m of position 58 26.213'N 005 06.430'W.

NMRS, MS/829/31.

Two trial trenches excavated on the wreck near Kinlochbervie.

NC 1863 5399 The wreck occupies an exposed situation within a cove 4 miles SW of Kinlochbervie. The upper part of the site comprises a rocky outcrop at about 4m depth which steps down into a gully at a depth of about 14m. Two anchors and a cannon lie within a sand- and gravel-filled depression in an area of high energy environment within the surf zone. The main concentration of remains comprises two distinct groups of artefacts within an area measuring about 22 x 8m at the foot of an underwater cliff and at a depth of between 25-30m. The main deposit of the pottery assemblage is scattered over bedrock, in rock crevices and in gaps between the boulders. Mobile sand has accumulated in places, while less mobile deposits of gravel and other materials are found in the deeper gullies. The flat sandy seabed (a moderate to low energy environment) is found at a depth of 34m.

Fieldwork carried out in May 2002 aimed to locate further portions of the site (particularly within the kelp zone), to delineate its extent, and to identify diagnostic features of specific artefacts (notably the guns and anchors). It was also intended to investigate the site formation processes, to establish the value of various site monitoring techniques and to explore the potential of buried archaeological material.

Diving was possible at all states of the tide but some time was lost to bad weather; both surface demand and air systems were was used. Recording was by planning frame and DSM, on the basis of established control points. The objectives were achieved through diver searches (supplementary to caesium magnetometer searches carried out by the archaeological diving unit in 2001) and these established the boundaries of the remains. The identification of a sounding lead, two anchors and a gun in the shallows confirms that at least one portion of the ship reached this area, possibly after striking one of the many offshore skerries (which have not been investigated).

Four iron anchors and two cast-iron guns were recorded in situ; a report of a further gun in shallow water remains unconfirmed. Other finds are predominantly brick, slag, tile and pottery. A metal disc and a piece of lead sheet were also found.

The size, position and pairing of the anchors suggest an identification as two pairs of bower and sheet anchors, while they may be attributed to the 16th or 17th centuries AD. The cannon include examples of saker and minion types, the remains of carriages surviving in three cases. No reliable date can be inferred, but these pieces would be consistent with the armament expected of a merchant vessel of medium to large size. A ship armed exclusively with cast-iron guns would usually be considered to post-date the Armada, falling within the first quarter of the 17th century or later. The brick and tile finds were closely spaced (although a limited sample), and so probably represent the galley rather than the remains of ballast. This suggestion is consistent with the presence of olive jars and the tripod pipkin (recovered in 2001) which bear evidence of charring.

Ceramic finds include maiolica (Majolica) ware and Iberian coarseware. The pottery finds display a random scatter, with little evidence of movement since sinking. This may suggest that the impact took place in shallow water on the rocks, the contents of the vessel being then dispersed over the cliff. The Majolica ware was presumably carried as cargo or in passenger baggage, rather than for use on board.

Limited excavation within the deeper part of the site served to demonstrate that the bottom sediments would not support the survival of organic remains, but that numerous small gullies may remain buried.

A date around the first quarter of the 17th century is tentatively suggested for this wreck. The ship clearly had strong Mediterranean origins and probably originated in the Iberian or Mediterranean basin. The identified remains are interpreted as those of the galley and holds of what was probably a merchant vessel rather than a specialist warship. Further finds may be expected over a considerable area.

Sponsor: HS

P Robertson 2002.

The indicated location falls within a plethora of skerries (most notably the Dubh Sgeirean) off the headland below Cnoc Gorm Mor, and about 4.5km SW of Kinlochbervie. The rocks drop to a sandy seabed at a charted depth of between 21 and 25m above the main drop-off into the deep waters of the North Minch. The location is open to the North Minch (to the W and SW) and to the Atlantic (to the NW).

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 14 October 2002.

HO Chart no. 1785 (1993).

The ceramic assemblage from this wreck comprises 147 fragments of pottery and 33 of brick and tile. The pottery weighs 24.038kg, with a total rim percentage of 671 and a maximum vessel count of 118. The brick and tile weighs 11.423kg in total, no two fragments being demonstrably from the same object. The following fabrics were recognised:

Grotesque maiolica (fabric 10): 17 fragments of up to 15 vessels, probably the product of Tuscan workshops at Pisa or Montelupo in the Arno valley, after about 1593. The most complete (and diagnostic piece) is the ewer, and the character of the pieces suggests that they all formed part of the same service.

Montelupo maiolica (fabric 11): 35 fragments of up to 28 vessels, all of them bowls or dishes. These pieces form a coherent group dating from the end of the 16th century.

Ligurian berettino maiolica (fabric 12): 4 fragments of a type rare in Britain.

Faenza maiolica (probable) (fabric 13): 2 fragments.

Deruta maiolica (probable) (fabric 14): 5 fragments, from a source rarely represented in Western Europe.

(Unidentified) Italian maiolica (fabric 15): 9 fragments.

North Italian Red Earthenware (fabric 20): 3 fragments of lead-glazed ware, probably from the Arno valley and dated to about 1600.

(Iberian) Seville coarseware (fabric 30): 61 fragments representing up to 44 vessels, all of them olive jars. Such vessels were widely distributed across Europe, but have not proved susceptible to chronological study. The Kinlochbervie assembly does not add significantly to this study.

(Iberian) red micaceous ware (fabrics 40-43): 8 fragments representing up to 8 vessels, from the Guadalquivir valley, and possibly intended for shipboard use rather than as cargo.

(Unidentified) stoneware (fabric 50): 2 fragments representing up to 2 vessels, possibly from Beauvais type. This is the only piece not demonstrably of Mediterranean origin, and was possibly the possession of a crew member.

The fragility of maiolica ware suggests that this was carried as cargo rather than for shipboard; it was possibly protected by being within containers at the time of sinking. The same may also be true of the North Italian redware and the stoneware vessel. The brick probably formed part of the galley structure, some pieces being blackened.

(Includes quantitative summary tables of pottery, brick and tile. The results of petrological and chemical analysis are tabulated).

D H Brown and C Curnow 2004.

UKHO Identifier : 059648

Feature Class : Wreck

State : LIVE

Status : Historic

Classification : Unclassified

Position (Lat/long) : 58.43688,-5.10717

Horizontal Datum : ORDNANCE SURVEY OF GREAT BRITAIN (1936)

WGS84 Position (Lat/long) : 58.43648,-5.10845

WGS84 Origin : 3-D Cartesian Shift (BW)

Position Quality : Precisely known

Depth Quality : Depth unknown

Water Depth : 3

Vertical Datum : Lowest Astronomical Tide

Name : UNKNOWN

Contact Description : Other

Original Sensor : None reported

Original Detection Year : 2001

Original Source : Other

Surveying Details : **HH272/690/03 24.7.01 RESTRICTED AREA RADIUS 300MTRS CENTRED ON HISTORIC WK IN 5826.213N, 0506.430W [OGB]. (SCOTTISH STATUTORY INSTRUMENT 242/01). INS AS REST'D AREA RADIUS 300MTRS, WK NOT CHARTED. - NM 3349/01.

Chart Symbol : WK HIS

Charting Comments : REST'D AREA RADIUS 300MTRS, WK NOT CHARTED

Date Last Amended : 23/07/2001

The following Historic Marine Protected Area (HMPA) designations will come into force on 1 November 2013. On the same day Section 1 of the Protection of Wrecks Act (1973) will be repealed and the statutory instrument for each designation under the 1973 Act will be revoked – see

Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 (Commencement No.3 and Consequential Provisions Order 2013

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2013/276/contents/made

(1) The Duart Point Wreck (NM73NW 8005) is to be designated as the Duart Point HMPA

(2) The Dartmouth (NM74SW 8002) is to be designated as the Dartmouth HMPA

(3) The Mingary Castle Wreck (NM56SW 8001) is to be designated as the Mingary HMPA

(4) HMS Campania (NT28SW 8001) is to be designated as the Campania HMPA

(5) The Kinlochbervie Wreck (NC15SE 8001) is to be designated as the Kinlochbervie HMPA

(6) The Wrangels Palais (HU77SW 8001) and Kennemerland (HU67SE 8001) will be designated as the Out Skerries HMPA (ie two polygons making up one designation).

Also on 1 November 2013, the urgent designation of the Drumbeg wreck (NC13SW 8007) on 18 March 2013 for a period of two years under the provisions of Section 77 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 is to be revoked and replaced by a permanent HMPA designation order.

As it will not progress to Historic MPA status, statutory protection for the site of the Blessing of Burntisland (NT28SW 8008) is to be revoked altogether on 1 November 2013 by virtue of

The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 (Commencement No. 3 and Consequential Provisions) Order 2013

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2013/276/contents/made

Entered by RCAHMS (GF Geddes) 29 October 2013

Information from Historic Scotland (P Robertson) 15 October 2013

The project was carried out in accordance with the Wessex Archaeology Risk Assessment and Method Statement. The operations took place over four days of continuous fieldwork from 30 July to 02 August 2019. Operations were conducted during daylight hours only, on a single shift system. Team size was determined by risk assessment and comprised of two Wessex Archaeology staff members, assisted by the two crew members of the survey vessel.

Survey was carried out using Wessex Archaeology’s ROV, a BlueROV2, in ‘heavy configuration’. This provided the safest and most efficient method of archaeological recording in the conditions normally encountered at this location. The ROV was piloted by suitably experienced Wessex Archaeology staff. It was deployed and recovered by hand.

The ROV carried an internal full HD (1080) colour cctv camera and LED lights. These were supplemented by a GoPro 5 and a GoPro 6 in 60m depth-rated housings and a 15,000-lumen video light. Data from the GoPro 5 was not used in this report as it was of a lower quality than that captured by the GoPro 6. In addition to standard photographs and video, sections of the site were selectively recorded for photogrammetry. Two photogrammetric models were created, the first represented the whole deeper section of the site and the second focused only on the iron features. The photogrammetric models were used to produce orthophotos, digital elevation models and site plan of the site.

Archaeological, environmental and operational data were recorded using Wessex Archaeology’s proprietary real-time DIVA MS Access recording system. Inspection and survey of the site was carried out with ROV positional data provided by a Sonardyne Scout Plus USBL system. This position was displayed in DIVA’s ArcGIS interface during the dive,

layered onto the site location data provided by HES. This provided navigational information to the ROV pilot. Digital video and still photography were recorded by the ROV internal camera and by a GoPro 6 mounted on the ROV. 3.4.6 Recovery of artefacts was not possible under the agreed fieldwork methodology and so no licenses for recovery of artefacts from the Kinlochbervie HMPA were required under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.

The work focussed on the deeper part of the site, containing Cannons 1 and 2, Anchors 1 and 2 and the original locations of the ceramic assemblage. The shallower part of the site was accessible to some degree, but no wreck material was visible under the dense cover

of kelp. Cannon 3, located at a depth of approximately 12m and resting on a ledge of the cliff face above the deeper area of the site, was also obscured by kelp, but was partially observed.

The investigation comprised a general visual inspection (GVI) of the site, to determine whether all features previously recorded were still present. Close visual inspection (CVI), a detailed examination of individual archaeological features, was also undertaken on certain features on the site. CVI of these features was used to document any visible changes from their condition as recorded in previous archaeological work. A systematic search of the deeper area of the site was performed to identify any exposed ceramic material. Finally,

dives intended to capture photographs suitable for the production of photogrammetric models were also undertaken

Information from Robert MacKintosh, Wessex Archaeology Ltd., 2nd December 2019