Log boat’s maiden voyage is plain sailing

A REPLICA Bronze Age log boat has successfully completed her maiden voyage across Loch Tay.

Staff from Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust launched the boat yesterday, following a three-week project.

Tools and techniques from 3,000 years ago were used to create the log boat from a single 39ft-long Douglas fir trunk.

Trust staff, volunteers, and workers from the Scottish Crannog Centre at Kenmore worked under the supervision of Damian Goodburn, a specialist in ancient woodworking.

The project was inspired by the discovery of a Bronze Age log boat in Loch Tay in 2007, dating from about 1500BC.

Trust outreach officer Steven Timoney said the vessel’s launch was a success.

He said: “It went really well. The boat was paddled from the north of the loch, to the Crannog Centre on the south bank. It took around 20 minutes.

“It was an incredible learning experience for everyone involved.

“The log boat is going to be added to the collection at the Crannog Centre, and visitors will be able to see it.”

He added: “I think the project’s been a great success. It certainly seems to have captured the imagination of the public.”