Oakbank Crannog, Loch Tay
Fearn Crannog · Loch Tay Crannogs
Iron Age (~800 BCE – 100 CE; Oakbank 460 BCE – 200 BCE)·Atlantic Scottish Iron Age (Caledonian)·🇬🇧 Perthshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
About
About Oakbank Crannog, Loch Tay
One of 18 Iron Age timber islets in Loch Tay, Oakbank comprises a 30-m oak pile ring with horizontal alder floors still preserved 2 m deep in cold waterlogged peat. Excavation since 1980 by the Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology recovered preserved wooden spoons, butter churns with intact dairy residues and Bread wheat chaff. The Scottish Crannog Centre's reconstruction on Loch Tay burned in 2021 and is rebuilt as an experimental archaeology centre.
Why it mattersOne of 18 Iron Age timber islets in Loch Tay, Oakbank comprises a 30-m oak pile ring with horizontal alder floors still preserved 2 m deep in cold waterlogged peat. Excavation since 1980 by the Scotti
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Absence of causeway – boat-only access signifying status or defense?
- 02Butter caches preserved 2,500 years – votive deposit or storage accident
Theories
- 01Elite lake fortress displaying timber wealth and controlling loch trade
- 02Ritual island cosmogram separating domestic orb from wild forest
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.460 BCE (Oakbank dendrochronology; re-occupied 19th century CE)
- Period
- Iron Age (~800 BCE – 100 CE; Oakbank 460 BCE – 200 BCE)
- Culture
- Atlantic Scottish Iron Age (Caledonian)
- Purpose
- Artificial island dwelling and high-status lake fortress
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c.460 BCE (Oakbank dendrochronology; re-occupied 19th century CE)
Initial construction
c. 1116 CE
Major expansion
On the ground
Structures & features
56.5178° N · 4.0022° W · 105 m · 2 mapped features
Oakbank Underwater Timbers
crannogOval oak pile ring 30 m with preserved alder flooring and midden
56.5178° N · 4.0022° WScottish Crannog Centre Reconstruction
reconstructionExperimental roundhouse built on stilts using Iron Age techniques
56.5140° N · 4.0010° W
Gallery