Introduction

This evening, I am reporting on Scottish crannogs in general and the reconstructed dwelling on Loch Tay in particular.

The Loch Tay crannog is located at Kenmore, in central Scotland, about eighty miles north of Edinburgh. This is the heart of an excellent visitor experience known as the Scottish Crannog Centre.

More information on Scottish crannogs

Crannogs were timber buildings built on wooden stilts or man-made islands close to the shores of lochs. These were high status homes for extended families and their (valuable) animals for around 2000 years. Crannog building started in prehistory and continued through to the Iron Age and even into medieval times. Research has shown that crannogs were widespread in Scotland and Ireland. There are over six hundred recognised crannog sites in Scotland alone.

The Crannog featured here is a reconstruction. This was based on diligent underwater archaeology undertaken at Oakbank on the opposite side of Loch Tay.

Escorted tours of the Kenmore crannog are available at regular intervals and include experimental archaeology. Latter entails participants joining in activities such as wool-spinning, fire lighting and wood-turning.

There is also a gift shop with a wide range of products inspired by the Iron-Age era.

Visiting

Kenmore is a relatively quiet village situated at the north end of Loch Tay. A wide range of accommodation is available including time share. A useful base for exploring the magnificent scenery of Highland Perthshire.

More information

For more information on Kenmore, Scottish history and many aspects of Scotland please refer Visitors’ Guide to Scotland, ISBN 978-1-9161332-0-4.