Medieval boat graffiti – Isle of Luing

Image: Chris Whitmore On the outer walls of an old parish church, on the small island of Luing in the Inner Hebrides, are carvings of longships that are thought to date from the 13th century, when Norwegian and Scottish kings were fighting for control of the archipelago. The carvings include two boats with animal-head prows, several more alongside crosses, a vessel with a large square sail and possible windvane, and a series of mini longships. One suggestion has been that they depict the fleet of Scottish king Alexander II in 1249. Another is that they reflect Haakon IV of Norway’s expedition of 1263, which suffered delays, stormy weather, and a skirmish with the Scots forces at Largs,