Crannogs, Culross and Scone (Not necessarily in that order.)

Exterior of a Crannog

Saturday  was the bus tour to the Crannogs, then onto Scone (pronounced Skoon) and Culross.  Stirling was off the agenda for the time being. We left about 8:30 a.m. with Duncan driving.  There was also a guide on board by the name of Richard, who kept up a fairly entertaining patter for much of the trip.  He was also a fund of historical information.



Herbs and Grains Hanging to Dry





Wooden Lathes at the Crannogs



What and where are the Crannogs?  Well, they’re located on Loch Tay near Aberfeldy, Perthshire.  Crannogs were the homes of some of the earliest Scots and not built as you'd expect.  The one we saw has been reconstructed from the archeological remains discovered on the bed of the lake.  They are wooden structures built on the water with posts and a bridge linking them to the land.  Sizeable, they were meant to house an entire family, as well as their livestock.  Pens inside kept the stock where they belonged and the roofs over the pens were used for storage of goods or fodder, perhaps even for sleeping quarters.  The floors were laid with moss and wool.  The middle of the structure was the cooking and living area with fire pit and either benches or chairs covered with hide.  Herbs hung from the lower rafters, drying and used for medicines, teas or seasonings.  Outdoor kilns were made for the baking of bread.  Lathes were used to form rafters, utensils and other necessities.  Though muscle powered, they were semi-mechanized using treadles and rope type pulleys and engines.  These were an innovative and inventive people who cared for an extended family under one roof and all had their tasks and place within the family life.  No one knows exactly what happened to the people, though.  There are no remains to be found and eventually the weather and winds caused the homes to collapse into the water.  They just seem to have disappeared.





Scone Castle



As far as Scone goes, this is a castle currently owned by the Lord and Lady of Mansfield, if I am remembering correctly.  There is a small chapel on the site and a replica of the Stone of Destiny.  It is said that Scone was the place where the kings and queens of Scotland were crowned.  There is a large amount of land and the family lives on the premises.  The public is allowed to view the ground floor and to wander the grounds.  It must be very difficult to choose between having to sell the property or to allow strangers to be constantly poking around your home to help finance the upkeep.  It isn’t something I could live with well.

Culross Home



Culross is on the water and completely under the Scottish Historical Trust.  It too, is a beautiful place.  Winding cobblestone roads, just over a car’s width and with houses on both sides meander around with no seeming rhyme or reason.  At the top of the hill, there are the ruins of an Abbey.  Some of it has collapsed, but other parts are still very much intact.  The houses are extremely picturesque and romantic.  Many are identified by the former use of the place.  The shoemaker, for example, or the snuff house.  While I could easily live in one of the stone cottages we saw in our travels, I’m not sure how I would do with no bit of land to go along with it and it’s easy to forget that today’s families live there with a modern day reality.