Just got back from the Crannog

[StJon]

Just got back from the Crannog this evening as I could only manage the afternoon. By the time my daughter, wife and I arrived the meet was in full swing. As I had only met a few of the team before first thing was introductions, then check out what was going on.
Andy had skinned and butchered the deer some was on as stew and Patrick was using some to smoke and dry. There was bread being made using the Crannogs clay ovens, going to have a go at making one of those, and onions were being chopped ready to start the curry. Graham was sharpening someone's knife so I asked him for some advice on sharpening my hook knife, later on he gave it run over and strop, thanks G.
I had brought my smoker and some mackerel so set about preping the fish and setting them going with a light sprinkling of chili flakes. Time for some chat around the fire, Nikki and Libby went on the tour to return in time for venison stew. I watched the stall for Eric so he could have a break, though had to get him back as I couldn't remember the prices.
More chat around the fire and then time to do the dishes down at the loch and then prep to head back down the road.
Highlights, venison stew, fire steel I bought from Eric, Libby now understanding what and why we are into what we do, Nikki persevering and getting smoke from the fire bow, thats ma girl.
Lowlights having to go back down the A9 instead of pitching the Lavvu and stopping the night.
Thanks go out to Toddy for the invite and organising a great event
jon

 

[spamel]

Did you get any pictures? I think I may have to move further north so that i can explore Scotland, I've never been!

 

[MagiKelly]

Did you get any pictures?

I did

The Crannog

Warthog1981 working and Toddy doing her talk

A man with surgical gloves

Eric manning his stall and making some belts

Eleanor (my daughter) and Warthog1981 still watching the stew.

Gwen (my other daughter) trying to make flour faster than ducks can eat it

It was a great day and it was a shame I could not stay over but it was good to meet up with old friends and make new ones.

 

[bothyman]

I did seriously think of going to this, I wish I had now.

Who was the basketmaker ???

When's the next one??

 

[sandbender]

lovely pictures John

:You_Rock_

In the picture with Eleanor and Warthog1981, is that some of Mary's wool hanging in the background?

 

[robin wood]

Nice pics, looks like a great time. We visited a few years ago and I would recommend a visit to the site to anyone who happens to be in the area though it is a sod of a long way for us folk who like to think of ourselves as Northeners but aren't really. Oak Bank Crannog further down Lock Tay is incidentally the site of the earliest evidence of woodturning in Britain at around 600BC.

 

[MagiKelly]

Who was the basketmaker ???

All three tables where PatrickM's work

In the picture with Eleanor and Warthog1981, is that some of Mary's wool hanging in the background?

Yes Later she was teaching Eleanor and Gwen to braid so they are now obsessed with that

 

[bothyman]

All three tables where PatrickM's work

:

Many Thanks for that , John.

I've been passed it several times , even stayed in Kenmore and looked over at it, but it has always been deserted.

 

[fred gordon]

Just got back myself. Many thanks are indeed due to Mary for organising and also to the staff at the Scottish Crannog Centre who made us very welcome. Also thanks to all the folk on here I met as this was my first meet. When's the next one!
By the way I agree that the superb stuff made by Patrick is depressing!
Also thanks to Eric for my new belt. All in all a super event.:You_Rock_

 

[Gailainne]

Really good weekend, heres a few photos, bonus on Saturday was this...

Barrie making sure there was enough smoke

The kids in a marshmallow..burn....eh toasting competition

Graham cheating with a doubler to ensure a win.

All in all an excellent weekend, good to renew old friendships and make new. Typical of me, I got home, and realised one of my bags was still up there !, even worse it contained my self made flat pack wood stove

Stephen

 

[Grooveski]

I thought I'd make my way down from the other end of the loch. The weather was moody and gusty with a tailwind that had me drifting along at walking pace even when I stopped paddling to make dinner.

Can anyone help out with an bird id? Not a silhouette I'm familiar with. It followed me down for about a mile gliding slowly into the wind then swooping round ahead of me again in quite tight circles. Only flapped it's wings twice in all the time I saw it.

Looking back to Killin.

Passed a hammock spot to remember for some calm midgiefest, Eilean nam Breaben. To the left of it are rocky piles presumably marking the crannog there(I was crannog bagging for the weekend, this was my second of four - counting the new one).

The home stretch, camp in the distance. Was dark by the time I got there.

Some pics from the crannog.

Moon over Tay from the Dalerb site.

Great time, thanks everyone.

Josh

 

[jamesoconnor]

Great pictures guys. Unfortunately work got in the way for me.

 

[andy_e]

Was really good to put some more faces to names and catch up with some familiar ones. Thanks to all for their hospitality and excellent company, to Toddy for the heads up and to PatrickM for the lesson in hide prep and tanning

BTW can anyone source some DPM Marigolds to go with my pinnie?

 

[robin wood]

Can anyone help out with an bird id? Not a silhouette I'm familiar with. It followed me down for about a mile gliding slowly into the wind then swooping round ahead of me again in quite tight circles. Only flapped it's wings twice in all the time I saw it.

Josh

That one will be an Osprey,

Nice pics too.

 

[Eric_Methven]

Cameron and I had a brilliant time at the Crannog at the weekend. Here's some photos. I'll let the pictures tell the story.

Thanks to everyone for making it another great event.

Eric

 

[warthog1981]

Big Thanks to everyone who came along and made it an excellent meet as always

 

[Wayland]

Looks like you had a good time.

Sadly it clashed with a meet I was already committed to. Maybe next time.....

 

[Mike Ameling]

WOW! Such ... pure mischief ... reflected in the faces of those youngsters in the "support crew"! Especially the one in the red cape. I bet they had at least as good a time as you did.

*** Oops, those pics are in your post over on the Mountain Man forum *** The crew gutting/skinning the deer seemed a bit ... hesitant/tentative ... in their task. But a lot of that comes from repeated experience - or lack thereof. Any specific reason for splitting the hide up the back - other than to get to those tenderloins?

Ah, the toys we get to play with sometimes.

I only got to go over and bug some of those War of 1812 soldiers at Prairie du Chien WI this weekend. The original battle took place July 17/18 in 1814, so they hold the gathering and mock battle somewhere around the third weekend of July - but on the original site. Interesting time. I almost made a big "trade" to take home a "jesuit boiler" brass kettle (a new made 12 gallon tin lined brass kettle) - almost. But I'll probably still end up with it in "trade" within a couple weeks. They do work well for camp stews, parching wild rice, and helping the natives cook ... the occcasional jesuit. They also make a good "bathtub" in camp on a HOT afternoon for the wee tykes.

Mikey - yee ol' grumpy blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

 

[Toddy]

The deer was roadkill I found still hot that morning. It 'looked' like a head blow and broken neck but when Liz opened it up it was obvious the gut had burst so we just stopped there and took only the fillets and some of the rump meat and disposed of the rest of the carcass pretty sharpish.
There was no point in doing any more since we weren't going to butcher it properly. The hide was too damaged to be of much use so it was a quick and neat in and out from the back, take what would be used and clear the decks before the public got on site.
Not how we'd normally do it, but......
Liz, Mrs Morch, slaughtered and butchered their own tamworth's and hill lambs, so really does know what she was doing, a tarp load of slippery intestines or still attached to the remains......we let it be.......of course there's always 'someone' with a camera

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Driftwood]

Thanks to Magikelly I got to meet some of the good people at the crannog on saturday, it made a great day out. Some excellent pictures folks, and some very impressive craftworks and bushcraft going on. Did you ever finish your spoon Russell?

Thanks to all for a warm welcome and the chance to see some real skills in action.