Overview

I absolutely love the Scottish Crannog Centre and I’m saying this even though it was pouring rain both times that I’ve visited so far! The Scottish Crannog Centre is located on the beautiful shores of Loch Tay, in a similar location to where real Iron Age crannogs and settlements have been found. As you arrive, you first enter the main building. It houses the reception and shop, a café and an exhibition of things found in the area that inspired the village that greets you once you go outside. At first, one of the guides will show you around the exhibition and tell you about the historical context, before you go outside to take part in some experimental archaeology. There are lots of hands-on activities, such as baking and tasting your own flatbread over the fire, trying out the lathe in the woodworking area, making pinchpots from clay in the large hut or trying to spin wool into yarn. In every area you will find lovely interpreters, who are passionate and knowledgeable, and will tell you all about what life was like on the shores of Loch Tay 2,500 years ago. There are also some special souvenirs available for a donation, such as naturally dyed and handspun wool or metal jewellery made at the forge. They are currently in the process of rebuilding the crannog after it burnt down a few years ago and everyone working there is involved in the process, learning the skills it takes to build a house out over the loch. I’m excited to visit again when it is finished – and probably before that as well.

Transport & Parking

Coming up from Glasgow, the drive is not necessarily easy, with plenty of narrow and winding stretches of road, but it is gorgeous! I recommend giving yourself a little bit of extra time to admire Dochart Falls on the way. There is plenty of parking at the Scottish Crannog Centre, including three disabled spaces about 20 meters from the entrance. There is also an electric vehicle charging point. The 839 bus service between Killin and Breadalbane run by Docherty’s Midland Coaches stops at Rustic Lodge, right by the entrance to the carpark.

Access

Surprisingly accessible for a place built to represent a time thousands of years before my electric wheelchair was invented – turns out inclusion is timeless! There is step-free access to all of the venue, I just sometimes had to take a different way. None of the doors are automatic, but I found them all to be wide enough for my powerchair (62 cm). The narrowest bit to navigate is the walkway from the main entrance around to the left through the gift shop and the café. There are moveable chairs with backrests and no armrests at every table in the café as well booth seating along the wall. While the display cases in the indoor exhibition are designed to be looked at from the top, there is also some glass around the sides that allows you to see from a seated position. There are a good number of chairs with backrests dotted around the exhibition space. Once you head outside into the Iron Age village, everything is made with era-appropriate materials, usually by the very people you will talk to. That means that there is no paving, but even though I visited in very wet conditions, there was no mud for me to get stuck in. There are French drains made from pebbles around the buildings, which can be a bit trickier to navigate on wheels, but I always managed to cross eventually. Since my first visit, they also put down flagstones at the entrance to the largest hut to improve wheelchair access and it works a treat! There are several benches in every hut, but none of them have backrests or armrests. There is not much written information in the village part, as it is all about trying things out yourself and talking to the interpreters. I did not ask about alternative formats, BSL or induction loops and did not notice any, but I recommend getting in touch with the Crannog Centre before your visit, as I have found them to be keen to be accommodating.

Toilets

The toilets are in a separate building to the right of the main entrance. There is step free access and a medium-sized accessible bathroom. As far as I know, the toilets are locked when the Scottish Crannog Centre is not open. The door opens to the outside. There is no door opener. There is a vertical bar door handle on the outside. There is a fixed vertical handrail and a horizontal handrail that can be lifted and moved out of the way to the right of the toilet and a fixed horizontal handrail on the wall to the left of the toilet. There is a toilet paper dispenser on the wall to the left of the toilet, but when I was there, rolls of toilet paper were instead balanced in the handrail. There is also a little shelf with period products on that side. The flush is a lever on the wall above the right side of the toilet. The toilet paper holder is to the left of the toilet. There is space for a left-side transfer. The red cord is to the left of the toilet. There is a vertical handrail left of the sink. There might be one on the other side as well, but I forgot to take a photo and can’t remember now. There is a wall-mounted baby change that folds down on the left wall.

Staff

The staff are the real highlight of this place. They are so enthusiastic and kind and make sure that everyone can join in the joy of Iron Age community. Even though the interpreters are incredibly knowledgeable, they are genuinely interested in conversation rather than just lecturing the visitors. The last time I visited, I had booked a woodcarving workshop as a birthday gift for my friend. As soon as we arrived and throughout the day, everyone wished them a happy birthday and was curious to see what we had made in our workshop. I have rarely felt more welcome anywhere!

Anything else you wish to tell us?

Keep an eye out for workshops and events. If you gift-aid your ticket, it turns it into an annual pass!

Photos