Castle Loch, Lochmaben

NY08SE 51 c. 08 81

For Lochmaben, Castle Loch 1 logboat (NY c. 090 811), see NY08SE 50.

(Lochmaben, Castle Loch 2). This logboat was found in 1949 when the water level was low. It is probably to be identified with that stored in Dumfries Museum under accession number DUMFM 1936.5 (b).

Information from Mr R Mowat, September 1987.

NMRS MS/736/1.

The discovery of two logboats is recorded in Castle Loch which is situated on the SE side of Lochmaben burgh (NY08SE 34) and is dominated by its royal castle (NY08SE 8). The area is one of cultivated clayland and rounded relief at an altitude of about 45m OD. The discoveries of a possible crannog or 'artificial wooden structure', the 'remains of lake dwellings' and 'oaken mortised beams' (NY08SE 9 and NY08SE 30 respectively) have also been noted in the loch.

2. The logboat that was revealed in 1949 when the level of the loch was lowered was found to measure 14' (4.3m) in length and 2'10?" (0.9m) in beam; evidence for a 'plank superstructure' (presumably in the form of washstrakes) was noted.

On the basis of the published account of the discovery, this is probably to be identified with one of the unlabelled logboats that are in store at Dumfries Museum, where the available records mention only the accession of one of the Castle Loch examples as DUMFM 1936.5(b) without specifying a particular discovery.

This boat has been reduced by drying and splitting to a nearly-flat plank which measures 4.28m in length by up to 0.73m transversely and has been reinforced for display with iron bands. The underside was inaccessible at the date of visit. The bottom of the boat varies between 25mm and 40mm in thickness, being thickest near the edges which have become rounded through wear, and the sides are noticeably rounded in plan. The boat was possibly formed as a canoe with a slenderness coefficient of 4.9.

No evidence can be discerned for the proposed extension, but an unlabelled block of wood (measuring 1.5m by 130mm, and 80mm in thickness) which is stored with the boat may have formed part of the vessel or be associated with it in some way. September 1987.

Archaeological News Letter 1950; R J C Mowat 1996, visited September 1987.