MHG25855 - Bog Butter - Plockton, Loch Carron
Summary
No summary available.
Type and Period (1)
- FINDSPOT (Undated)
Protected Status
- None recorded
Full Description
ME 174. Keg, 18ins (457mm) high, 11ins (279mm) diameter, filled with butter, from Plockton, Loch Carron.
NMAS 1892.
In 1888 a 'barrel or keg hollowed out of a birch-tree trunk' was found during peat-digging; it contained a 'mass of bog butter'. The keg itself is in store at the Royal Museum of Scotland under accession number RMS SHC 5.
NMRS, MS/736/1.
In 1888 peat-digging at a depth of 4' (1.2m) in the An Cnatharan moss revealed a 'barrel or keg hollowed out of a birch-tree trunk'; a 'cover and bottom' were 'let in'. The keg (which is stored in the Royal Museum of Scotland under accession number NMS SHC 5) contained a 'mass' of bog butter, in which cattle hairs have been identified. It measures 1'6" (0.46m) in height by 11" (0.28m) in diameter, weighs 371 lb (16.8 kg), and has a capacity of about 2 litres.
The peat-moss where the discovery was made cannot be located, but the village of Plockton is situated at sea level on the S shore of Loch Carron.
W I Macadam 1889 <1>; J Ritchie 1941 <2>; C Earwood 1993 <3>; R J C Mowat 1996 <4>.
(Location cited as NG 80 33). Two 'similar' kegs were found within ten yards of each other; the form of the surviving keg (NMS ME 174) is similar to that from Morvern (NM75SE 1 and/or NM75SW 12).
NMRS, MS/996/1.
This findspot was noted in ARCH's 2010-2012 Heritage Along the Kyle Line project. A photograph of the object in 2012 was submitted. <5>
Sources/Archives (7)
- --- SHG2585 Text/Publication/Volume: NMAS. 1876. Catalogue of the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland. 88.
- --- SHG28278 Dataset/Database File: National Museums Scotland. 2019. Highland Finds from the NMS Catalogue. National Museums Scotland. Digital. SHC 5.
- <1> SHG1210 Text/Publication/Article: Macadam, W I. 1889. 'Notes on the analysis of additional samples of bog butter found in different parts of Scotland', Proc Soc Antiq Scot Vol. 23 1888-9, p.433-4. Proc Soc Antiq Scot. 433-4. 434.
- <2> SHG50 Text/Publication/Article: Ritchie, J. 1941. 'A keg of "bog-butter" from Skye and its contents', Proc Soc Antiq Scot, Vol 75 (1940-41), p 5-22.
- <3> SHG2155 Text/Publication/Volume: Earwood, C. 1993. Domestic wooden artefacts in Britain and Ireland from Neolithic to Viking times. 100, 101, 274.
- <4> SHG2548 Text/Publication/Volume: Mowat, R J C. 1996. The logboats of Scotland, with notes on related artefact types. 83-4, 112, 145, no. A11; tabs. 1 and 11.
- <5> SHG25822 Dataset/Database File: Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH). 2010-2012. Heritage Along the Kyle Line. Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH). Yes. MDB. Site 27.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NG 7999 3299 (4m by 4m) (2 map features) |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NG73SE |
| Geographical Area | SKYE AND LOCHALSH |
| Civil Parish | LOCHALSH |
Finds (2)
- KEG (Undated)
- BOG BUTTER (Undated)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Investigations/Events (1)
External Links (2)
- http://www.archhighland.org.uk/heritage-along-the-kyle-line.asp (Link to ARCH project page)
- https://canmore.org.uk/site/114421 (View RCAHMS Canmore entry for this site)
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