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Loch Ruthven crannog is an Iron Age to medieval artificial island settlement located in a freshwater loch 490 metres south-south-west of Tullich in Inverness-shire. Crannogs of this period were constructed by driving timber posts into the loch bed and building domestic structures on the resulting platform, providing defensible settlements with access to water and fish stocks. The monument's longevity, spanning from the Iron Age through the medieval period, indicates successive phases of occupation and demonstrates the enduring appeal of lacustrine settlement in the Scottish Highlands.
The crannog rests upon bedrock of the Grampian Group, ancient psammite and semipelite deposits formed during the Neoproterozoic era. This solid foundation beneath the loch provided stability for the timber superstructure and would have influenced the choice of location for construction. The shallow waters of Loch Ruthven offered ideal conditions for crannog building, with sufficient depth to create an island refuge whilst remaining navigable for the small boats essential to daily life.
The crannog is protected as a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11490, recognising its archaeological significance. Crannogs survive as rare evidence of Iron Age and medieval domestic life, preserving organic materials and artefacts that illuminate settlement patterns, building techniques and material culture across a thousand-year period in the Scottish Highlands.
Loch Ruthven, crannog 490m SSW of Tullich is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11490. View the official record →
Loch Ruthven crannog is an Iron Age to medieval artificial island settlement located in a freshwater loch 490 metres south-south-west of Tullich in Inverness-shire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM11490.
Loch Ruthven, crannog 490m SSW of Tullich dates from the iron age–medieval period, and is classified as a crannog 490m ssw of tullich. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Loch Ruthven, crannog 490m SSW of Tullich is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM11490.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ballachar, settlement, hut circles and field systems 275m NNW of (1.9 km), Dhuallow, cairn 195m E of (1.9 km), West Croachy House, cairns 1000m ESE of (2.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Loch Ruthven, crannog 490m SSW of Tullich's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Loch Ruthven, crannog 490m SSW of Tullich stands on Grampian Group, bedrock that formed in the Neoproterozoic. The rock here is psammite and semipelite.