Visiting the Scottish Crannog Centre

Scottish Crannog Centre
next to Taymouth Marina

Everything in the UK had been closed during Lockdown and we did not know if the family holiday we booked last year was going to really happen.  Technically, it didn't since our date was 10 July and our accommodation would not have been permitted to let us stay.  Taymouth Marina was fantastic when I asked them what would happen and we were able to reschedule for August when travel and staying overnight was permitted.

We had the same uncertainty with the Scottish Crannog Centre!  Museums, etc were not permitted to open until 1 August. Our dates were 2 - 5 August,  So that only gave us 2 free days.  Lucky for me, there was a phone number listed on their website and I called them and explained our timeline. They informed me the online booking system would be operational soon, and then they called me to let me know it was!  I feel we were so lucky to have had that kind act.  I booked the second day we were there and was very happy with this since the weather had taken a turn for the worse.  Being inside a Crannog was much better than being in the middle of Loch Tay on a paddle board!

It was only myself, Alan, our son, his girlfriend and our grandson who went.  The baby would have counted as a person in these days of social distancing and it was not worth keeping someone else from being able to be on this tour. So she and her parents spent some time on their own relaxing!

Again, with social distancing and Covid rules, we had to stay within our 3 bubbles - there were 3 families on our tour.  The tour was different than normal, but we would never know since we have never been here before.  The first stop was the museum, with loads of very well preserved artefacts dug up through underwater archeology.  Since the Crannogs are built on stilts over the water, many things will fall over and also through the floorboards and the pressure of how the lake bed works preserves them very well.

Waiting to go in the Crannog

Next was the actual Crannog and learning how they built it and how many people lived in one.  The work that went into building them is phenomenal considering they were doing this in the latter part of the Bronze Age with very limited tools.  The rope had to be made also, and was possibly done with nettle fibre.  The assumption is that one Crannog held an extended family, with up to 20 people. They slept in alcoves above the floor and animals could have lived on the main floor.  There is a central fireplace that was probably always kept lit.  No chimney and no hole in the thatched roof.  When they built this recently and tested it, the smoke was absorbed by the thatch and the air was not too smoky. In some ways this made me think of the Black Houses in the Highlands and Islands, but Crannogs predated them for so long, I was hesitant to ask something like that!

What the sleeping alcoves might have looked like

Look at the beautiful work put into this roof

After being inside, we were escorted to the demonstration areas.  Here, crafts such as spinning, dying wool, making pottery, and working with wood were explained and shown. Thanks to Covid rules, we could not touch anything or try the spinning with a weighted spindle.  (I used to be able to do that and was looking forward to that!). There was also a lovely and dainty shawl made out of nettle fibre.  We were not permitted to touch that either. Maybe one day I will return when Covid is not so prevalent.

Being greeted with food!

There was also a food demonstration and we could taste what the bread might have been like, along with a lovely cup of nettle, mint and honey tea.  The bread was like pita bread without the salt and the tea really was nice.

On the shore line, you could go to take better photos of the Crannog, and the log boats that had sparked my imagination were there too. But, again, we could not try them....Covid!

I loved every minute of this, not sure the rest of my bubble did, but at least they had agreed to go with me.

The kids had booked paddle boards for the afternoon, but they had been cancelled due to short staffing, which was very lucky. The weather was not great at this point. So each family went their own way - our son's - which include the grandson for this whole weekend- went on a long walk, in the horrendous rain.

Alan and I went for a drive hoping to find a stone circle or something but we were not successful.  I think we will get better maps the next time we are in this area.  So we ended up driving along and discovering things like Castle Menzies - another thing to put on the list when we return since there was no time to visit this interesting castle properly. Went to Dewar's distillery and had to get our temperature taken before entering (covid)!  It was a nice and interesting drive.

This must have been when our daughter's family, without her son! - went to Aberfeldy for cake and coffee. There is a government program called Eat Out To Help Out where each diner gets a discount of half price on their meals, up to £10 per person and not including alcoholic drinks.  The restaurant they found in Aberfeldy participated in this and had a table we could book, so dinner was all settled!

After gathering once again, we all headed off to the Fountain!  With new Covid rules, we had to go into the alleyway to enter through the backdoor (exit through the front door). Then one of us had to give our name and phone number for "Track and Trace" and then each of us got our temperature taken...thankfully we all passed!

Dinner was lovely and funny to think that this table held my entire immediate family. These times are so precious to me, especially since I moved away from my mother when I was about the age of our children.  She was amazingly brave since I was her only child, but it makes me treasure the time with my kids even more, knowing what she missed.