6.10.4 Rivers as routeways

Priority 1:

The high-status forts of Dundurn and the King’s Seat control river valleys which are also important terrestrial routes connecting the area to the west and north of Scotland respectively.

Priority 2:

The 6th century AD Errol 2 logboat is a reminder of the importance of watercraft for the transport of people and goods. Such vessels would have been used around the Tay estuary, in lowland rivers and on lochs. The evolution of plank-built, sail-carrying ships over the period saw increased seaborne travel, however, and the connectivity of rivers and lochs should be explored both within the area, and with respect to trading networks beyond. We know from documentary sources that by the 11th century ships came up the Tay to deliver goods to Scone Priory. Perth’s early harbour was critical to this but archaeologically we know almost nothing about it. The reuse of ship-timbers in the buildings of Perth, some of them from earlier levels, could offer a valuable route into the scale and form of early shipping. 

Research Questions