Crannogs are fortified man made or modified natural islands built on the edges of Scottish Lochs, dating back to the same period as the stone Broch's and Dun's. Due to their wooden construction the actual dwellings have all long vanished, but the artificial islands that provided their primary defence can be found in many Scottish lochs. In Perthshire alone there are 24 crannogs, with the reconstructed Loch Tay Crannog being the only one that provides us with a glimpse of what these Iran Age fortifications once looked like.

I thought long and hard whether to include crannogs alongside the stone Broch's and Dun's that were the castles or tower houses of their day, but given their defensive roles, the difference is one of wooden construction like so many hillforts, rather than stone that still survives today for us to explore their ruins.

There are 13 submerged crannogs in Loch Tay, 8 of which are totally submerged all year round, whilst 5 can just be made out above the surface of the loch during the summer months. These date back to between 600-400 years BC. Some of these ancient, abandoned fortifications were reoccupied during the turbulent Dark Ages. Later during Medieval times many of these crannog islands had stone castle built upon them.

The reconstructed Crannog on Loch Tay is a fascinating place to visit where they really do bring to what life was like in and around the lochs of Iron Age Scotland 2,500 years ago.

An absolute mist visit place to include on your travels when visiting Perthshire.