Kirk Loch, Lochmaben

NY08SE 49 c. 078 822.

(Lochmaben, Kirk Loch 1 and 2). The logboats that were found in 1910-11 are probably to be identified with the unlabelled remains that are displayed in Dumfries Museum under accession numbers DUMFM 1936.5 (a) and (c).

Information from Mr R Mowat 1987.

NMRS MS/736/1.

The discovery of two logboats is recorded in Kirk Loch which is situated on the SW side of Lochmaben burgh (NY08SE 34) and in an identical topography to that of Castle Loch (NY08SE 50 and NY08SE 51 ). These are apparently the two unlabelled logboats that are on wall-mounted display in Dumfries Museum and are accessed as DUMFM 1936.5(a) and (c), although there is no documentation to confirm the identifications which are deduced from the published account of the discovery. The undersides were inaccessible at the date of visit and the screw-holes noted in each boat probably result from their display mounting.

1. In December 1910 a logboat was revealed at a depth of 3' (0.9m) during the construction of a curling rink. It measured 8'5?" (2.6) in length and 2' (0.6m) in 'breadth', and was 'rounded on the bottom both inside and outside'. The timber was identified as probably being oak.

As displayed, the boat measures 2.61m in length by up to 0.59 transversely. It has been worked from extensively-knotted timber without the use of thickness-gauges and has suffered grievously from warping, splitting and rotting so that it has been reduced to an extensively-perforated plank which is about 30mm thick, rises towards curved sides in places and has square-cut solid ends about 200mm high. On the basis of these measurements, the slenderness coefficient is 4.2. The McGrail morphology code is probably 112:1x2:112 and the form possibly that of a canoe variant.

2. In March 1911 a second boat was revealed about 12 yards (11m) from the first. It measured 12'10" (3.9m) in length and 2'2" (0.6m) in beam, and the sides had been reduced to a height of about 8" (200mm). A 'small round hole' was noted 'at the broad end' and the timber was identified as 'oak'.

Parts of the boat disintegrated when it was raised and the surviving remains comprise a flat plank measuring 2.84m in length by 0.65m transversely and between 10mm and 15mm in thickness, from which part of one side projects to a maximum height of 95mm. The 'broad end' has been lost. Warping and splitting have also affected the boat which was worked from knotted timber without the use of thickness-gauges. The surviving end has apparently been cut straight across and is roughly rounded in longitudinal section. The sides apparently taper inwards towards the end.

On the basis of the measurements recorded at the time of discovery, the slenderness coefficient was 5.9. The McGrail morphology code is 121:1x1:xxx or xxx:1x1:121 and the form cannot be determined.

TDGNHAS 1911; R J C Mowat 1996, visited December 1987.