| A CRANNOG is a man-made island on which is built a house. Some houses were
built on existing islands, but many were built up from the bed of the loch, on wooden
piles. Loch Awe has about twenty crannogs among its fifty or so islands. Crannogs were
built with the trunks and branches of local trees such as alder, with a thatch of whatever
material was readily available, heather or straw for example. Some had causeways to the
shore, some were served by boats and had small jetties.
They were in use from 500 BC to 1500 AD roughly, and would either be rebuilt or a new
one built nearby when they wore out. Homes off the shore released good agricultural land
for growing crops, as well as being safe from predators such as wolves. They were not
fortified, which indicates that the country was peaceful. |
A Crannog on Loch Awe, from Kilchurn Castle
Inside the Crannog at Kenmore
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