Dendrochronological Studies of Alder (Alnus Glutinosa) on Scottish Crannogs

Abstract On most Scottish crannogs that have been investigated alder is the species most extensively used for construction and therefore has the potential to provide fine chronological resolution for these sites. Dendrochronological studies of alder have now been undertaken on three crannogs, with mixed results. At Buiston the construction of a single comprehensive alder chronology has contributed significantly to the overall chronology of the crannog, whereas at Oakbank and Cults Loch 3 it was only possible to construct numerous small chronologies which have limited value for chronological resolution on the sites. Comparison between the datasets suggest that factors such as the structure of the parent tree, i.e. whether it comes from multi-stemmed coppice or single maiden trees, and the presence of multiple sources are likely to be significant factors in the successful dendro-dating of the species.