Mull, Bailemeonach
Findspot, Trough (Wood)
Site Name Mull, Bailemeonach
Classification Findspot, Trough (Wood)
Alternative Name(s) Fishwick Bay
Canmore ID 22459
Site Number NM64SE 7
NGR NM 6577 4153
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/22459
- Council Argyll And Bute
- Parish Torosay
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Argyll And Bute
- Former County Argyll
NM64SE 7 6577 4153.
A trough-like object dug out of the trunk of an oak tree, open at one end and closed at the other with a large circular hole cut out in the bottom near the closed end, was found in peat at Fishwick Bay, Mull. The external length is 4' 3", height 19 1/2' and breadth 19". The hole measures 12" x 11" in cross diameters.
Donated to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland [NMAS] in 1936 by the Forestry Commission.
Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1937.
NM 6577 4153. The find spot was indicated by Mr Russel who was present at the time. The find was made whilst digging a drain at a depth of six feet.
Visited by OS (DWR) 3 May 1972; Information from J Russel, Bentalla Crescent, Salen.
Carved trough, open at one end and with a circular hole in the base. Attributed to the late prehistoric period.
C Earwood 1993.
In 1936 a 'Trough-like object' from Fishwick Bay was donated to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (now the Royal Museum of Scotland). It was allocated accession number MP 580, but cannot be identified in the collections. This object may, however, be one of the two unprovenanced timber artifacts that are stored in the Museum (NT27SE 439).
The object from Fishwick Bay is described as being 'dug out of the trunk of an oak tree, open at one end and closed at the other', and measured 4'3" (1.3m) in length, 1'7?" (0.5m) in height and 1'7" (0.48m) in external breadth. The bottom was pierced near the closed end by a hole which has cross-diameters of 1' (0.3m) and 11" (0.28m). On the basis of the measurements cited, the capacity appears to have been somewhat under about 98 litres.
In 1972, officers of the Ordnance Survey interviewed a witness to the discovery and established its location at an altitude of 20m OD and at the head of a small valley about 1km from the NE coast of Mull. Although its discovery near to a stream may suggest that it formed part of a watermill or similar installation, it is said to have been found at a depth of about 6' (1.8m) during drainage works; it was most probably a bog butter trough. Earwood has suggested that it is late prehistoric in date.
PSAS 1937; C Earwood 1993; R J C Mowat 1996.
