Relatively few wreck sites pre-dating the early 19th century have survived in Scottish waters (Wessex Archaeology 2012a), and well-preserved examples that remain largely undisturbed are particularly rare across the UK. Initial investigations of this recently discovered wreck have confirmed excellent degree of survival of both hull structure and small artefacts within a burial environment that appears conducive to the preservation of organic and non organic artefacts. These conclusions, together with the likely 17th or early 18th century date for the wreck and the relatively undisturbed nature of this site mean that this site is considered to be of national importance. In particular, the wreck at Drumbeg retains an inherent potential to make a very significant addition to our understanding of ship construction, life on board, and trading activity around the Scottish Seas during the postmedieval period.
Designation can help by promoting the heritage value of this site, encouraging responsible behaviour by divers and others, and ensuring that any future investigations of this wreck take place in accordance with archaeological best practice.
Intrinsic characteristics
Scallop divers identified evidence of a post-medieval period wreck close to Drumbeg around 1994-9 and carried out preliminary investigations before bringing their discovery to the attention of Historic Scotland around 2011. A field evaluation was undertaken on Historic Scotland's behalf by Wessex Archaeology in 2012.
These investigations have revealed a wide range of material. The finder identified two iron anchors which have not been included within the proposed boundary for the Historic MPA: one anchor has been moved and is now out of context; the location of the second has not been verified but is reported to lie in deeper water approximately 200m to the NE of the main complex of material. The Historic MPA boundary focuses on the core of the site, located within a sheltered bay, and comprising structural evidence of the wreck, and surrounding debris. Three cast iron guns of possible Swedish design overlie a section of wooden hull structure comprising futtocks and possible ceiling planking. This hull structure is partially buried and appears well preserved by accumulations of soft sediment. Probing of sediment adjacent to visible frames and planking suggests hull survival to a length of at least 15m. Small artefacts identified on the site include a dead-eye rigging block, a small number of orange and yellow-coloured bricks, cannon balls of various sizes, and the upper half fragment of a blue Delft tile depicting a three-masted ship flying the Dutch flag. Archaeologists have dated this tile by typology to the period 1650 - 1750. As such a terminus post quem for the wrecking of this ship of 1650 is suggested. However, the actual date for the wrecking may be significantly later given the long time depth of the Delft tile designs and their variable use as ballast on board ships, as cargo consignments, or as personal posessions. Investigations to date have been limited in scope. As such, given the relatively sheltered, tidally benign and sediment-rich seabed burial environment at this site, there is significant potential for preservation within seabed sediments across the area, of a far wider cross section of organic and non-organic artefact types, together with substantial sections of the ship's structure.
Contextual characteristics
Eddrachilis Bay is a wide, open bay exposed to the coastal waters of the Minch. However, the site of the wreck itself is relatively sheltered. The remains of the vessel have come to rest within a smaller bay that is sheltered from the prevailing S and W winds by the small islands of Eilean Dubh Dhroimbaig and Cul Eilean. The bay and islands are separated from the mainland by the channel of Dornaidh an Fheor, 150m in width. Two offshore reefs 450m and 700m NE of the wreck are awash or mostly so at low water. Both reefs are a hazard to navigation. The discovery of one anchor lying between these reefs and the main complex of material might suggest a wrecking process which began with an initial impact on one of the outlying reefs, a failed attempt to anchor, and a secondary impact on the point of Cul Eilean. This wreck is not the only such loss reported to have taken place in the vicinity. Located 250m to the SE is the carted position of the wreck of the steamship Bermuda, lost in 1931 after she broke her tow on route from Belfast to Rosyth.
Preliminary searches within documentary records have not yet identified with any degree of certainty the name of the ship but on the basis of the very small sample of finds so far identified, a northern European connection may be tentatively postulated. If this is the case, the remains at Drumbeg should be considered as part of a group of wrecks of wooden sailing vessels of international origins that occurred around the rocky headlands of Scotland during the 16th - 18th centuries while in transit on a north-about route around Scotland, including some vessels of Dutch origin. The site at Drumbeg would represent a particularly well preserved example that has not been disturbed by intensive salvage activity such as occurred to many of the sites identified during the 1970s and 1980s.
Associative characteristics
If the wreck at Drumbeg has connections with north European trading it has probably resulted from a chance loss of a vessel in transit. Any connection with Eddrachilis Bay prior to the wrecking incident would be liekly to be tenuous. Drumbeg is amongst the earliest recorded settlements in Assynt and certainly dates back to the 16th century. A small settlement of 'Trombag' appears in Roy's map (1747-55) and a detailed view of the village is available on Home's Survey of Assynt (1774) which shows a township around the bay. By the time of the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey mapping (1878) a road has been built and the crofting township already has much of its present layout. Given existence of a settlement close by at the time of the wrecking, it would seem likely that some contemporary salvage took place. Indeed, it is interesting to note from documentary sources that the Earl of Sutherland was exploting salvage rights in relation to wrecks within his estates during the 18th century. As for possible names for the wreck, the available evidence suggests that the most likely candidate may be Crowned Raven, lost on the Assynt coast sometime around 1691 as recorded in the papers of the Privy Council:
'Act Tier Jelles 16 June 1691 - Petition by Tier Jelles, skipper of the Crowned Raven, belonging to Amsterdame: ""Being loaded with severall sorts of limber, such as masts, knappell, hemp and lint, from the port of Rigow and from thence to goe to Portugall with the said fraught and being cast in upon the north coast of Scotland among the islands thereof (to witt Assint) and there being ane laick struck in the said ship before ever she came to land wes overflowed with water, yet by the providence of Almighty God the ship and men with the fraught [won] to shoar, but thereafter the countrie people came down and broke all the said ship to pieces, where the poor petitioner lost both his pass and bills of loadneing."" A certificate under the hand of Kenneth Mckenzie, chamberlain of Assint, is produced. A good part of the goods is preserved in the keeping of Mr John Mckenzie chamberlain to the Earl of Sieforth. He craves the lords to grant warrant to him to seize his goods where he can find them and to direct such methods as they think fit. The Lords give power to [ ] Ross of Balnagowne to make enquiry if the goods truly belong to the petitioner and to cause those in whose hands they shall be found to deliver them to the petitioner, if they find they belong to him'