In heraldry, birlinns are often known as "lymphads"

A Birlinn comprised a class of small galleys with 12 to 18 oars, used especially in the Hebrides and West Highlands of Scotland in the Middle Ages. Variants in English and Lowland Scots include "berlin" and "birling". It probably derives ultimately from the Norse byrðingr, i.e. a ship of burden. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A French galley and Dutch men-of-war off a port by Abraham Willaerts, painted 17th century. ... An oar is an implement used for water-borne propulsion. ... This article is about the Hebrides islands in Scotland. ... This article is about the country. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Scots refers to the Anglic varieties spoken in parts of Scotland. ...

They appear in Scottish heraldry as the "lymphad" (a corruption of the Scottish Gaelic long fada, meaning "long ship" - confusingly long is actually the word for "ship", and fada means "long" in Gaelic) Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ...

Birlinn Chlann Raonaill (the Birlinn of Clan Ranald), by Alasdair MacMhaighstir Alasdair is one of the notable literary representations of the birlinn. Alasdair MacMhaighstear Alasdair (c. ...

"Birlinn" is also the name of a Scottish publisher, who publish books under a number of imprints, including Birlinn, John Donald, Polygon and Tuckwell. Birlinn are based in Edinburgh. For other uses, see Edinburgh (disambiguation). ...

External links

• Clan Sinclair
• Birlinn.org
• Stormy seas ahead in boat battle
• Mallaig Galleys