This website came about following a conversation with Mike Jarvis after GalGael’s Birlinn:400 conference. Bringing together many of Scotland’s foremost Birlinn enthusiasts for a day in November led to much engaging discussion. Picking up from this, Mike offered to share material he’d gathered and researched over the years. Mike had previously published this on the web and after chatting with us at GalGael we agreed that it would be a great way to take forward what came out of the Birlinn:400 conference and to continue the sharing of knowledge that had taken place at the conference.
The event took place in the 400th year since the Statutes of Iona signaled the demise of the Birlinn along with bards, the plaid and other symbols of Scotland’s indigenous culture. The event explored the historical context, the Birlinn’s construction and design as well as looking at what it would have been like to sail these boats.
Once these boats were the main form of transport on the West Coast of Scotland. They would have linked the constellation of settlements scattered on the western seaboard at a time when water united a mountainous country.
Through the conference the Birlinn again brought communities from throughout Scotland together as people from boat yards as far away as Skye, Harris and Shetland came together to hear some of Scotland’s most passionate Birlinn enthusiasts share their knowledge on the subject. Denis Rixson, author of the book West Highland Galleys joined Dr. Colin Martin of St. Andrews University in setting the historical context of the Birlinn. John MacAulay, boat builder from Harris and himself an author spoke about the Birlinn’s design and construction. MacAulay was followed by journalist and keen sailor Sir Maxwell MacLeod and Søren Nielsen from the world renowned Viking Ships Museum Roskilde in Denmark who spoke of the Danish experience in building and sailing large scale reconstructions. Søren travelled round the coast of Scotland last year in the impressive Sea Stallion.
The event was hosted by community organisation; the GalGael Trust who have long used the Birlinn as a symbol of cultural renewal for some of Scotland’s most hard pressed communities. The event closed with the launching of the plan to construct a 50-foot Birlinn – the first full-scale Birlinn to be built in Scotland for over 400 years.
A key part of GalGael’s approach will be to use the building of the boat as an inspirational learning opportunity for people from backgrounds of mental health, unemployment and homelessness. The project will be particularly aimed at supporting our young people to acquire the tools they need to succeed in making the journey to adulthood.