Crannogs are either artificially or
naturally created small islands found in Lochs throughout Scotland,
whereupon are constructed habitable buildings. Sometimes the
buildings were of stone and other times they were constructed of
timber. The islands were linked to the land by either a
stone or timber causeway. In either case, the way onto the
island was easily defended against either hostile humans or animals.
Crannogs are probably one of the
oldest forms of habitation known excluding caves. They
certainly go back over 5000 years into the Neolithic period and
continue right through into the 17th Century. The shape of a
crannog was normally circular or oval, from about 15 to 30 metres
wide, following the contour of the island. On mainland
Scotland, they were often constructed of wood, however, on the
Hebrides they were usually made of stone. Construction
logically followed the availability of local materials.
To identify a Crannog, look out for a
small promontory of rock well away from the shore, but not too far
as to make construction difficult or a causeway too long. On
Lewis the sites still have substantial piles of stone on them,
although rarely can you identify a structure.
A good place to find out more information
