Birlinn

The birlinn (spelt bìrlinn in Scottish Gaelic) was a type of boat used especially in the Hebrides and West Highlands of Scotland in the Middle Ages. Variants of the name in English and Lowland Scots include "berlin" and "birling". The Gallo-Norse term may derive from the Norse byrðingr, i.e. a ship of burden. However, a local design lineage can be traced to the Broighter-type boat of Dál Riata, equipped with oars and a square sail, dating from the first century BC, without the need to assume a specific Viking design influence.