Longship Havhingsten visited Islay

The longship Havhingsten is a reconstruction of the Skuldelev 2-wreck found on the bottom of Roskilde Fjord in 1962. Scientific research has proven that Skuldelev 2 was built by Vikings in Dublin in 1042. The Havhingsten or 'Sea Stallion from Glendalough' to give her her English name, was built from oak using only traditional Viking axes. No saws were used. She is 30 metres long with a beam of 3.8 metres and carries up to 80 crew who pull 60 oars. Her sail is made from linen and covers 118 square metres. She has no engine, being only driven by the wind and the oarsmen and women in her crew. She left Roskilde in Norway on a voyage to Dublin on 30th Jun, stopping in Kirkwall in Orkney and Kyleakin in Skye before passing Dunyveg Castle when entering Lagavulin Bay on 30th July.

The Havhingsten, packed with electronic equipment for navigation (you wonder how they did it 1000 years ago), has now arrived in Northern Ireland. Port Oriel, on the Irish east coast, was the first port of call in the early morning of August 10. She is expected to arrive in Dublin on August 14. If you like to follow the route of the Sea Stallion you can have a look at a specially prepared Google Map.

More information is available at the Havhingsten Official Website