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Tay log boat

Contributed by Dundee Art Galleries and Museums

This log boat is a great example of how local people used the vast natural resources of the Tay Valley to improve their own lives and develop the technology that was available to them. It was very deliberately and carefully made to assist with travelling along the River Tay.

Log boats have been in use since the Mesolithic, although this boat was carbon dated to 485 AD. Travel by boat rather than on foot was easier in the heavily wooded landscape. Children and other members of the community who could not travel long distances on foot could be transported from place to place, as well as gear and game. It was also much easier to navigate rivers than dark forest paths - small rivers lead to large rivers, which lead to the sea.

This boat is 8.8 metres long and was cut from a single tree. There are indentations along the sides, suggesting that there may have been seats. It also had a separate stern board. It is estimated to have taken 150 hours to build.

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About this object

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Location

River Tay, found near Errol

Culture
Period

485 AD

Theme
Size
H:
60cm
W:
120cm
D:
880cm
Colour
Material

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