When you think about the type of job an archaeologist might do a day-to-day basis, you might imagine it involves a lot of standing in a shallow ditch in the middle of a field armed with a brush and trowel. But archaeological work is a little different here at the Scottish Crannog Centre.

Emma, Rich and Rachel all work at the centre, doing a range of jobs that might not typically be associated with the role of an archaeologist. From guided tours on the crannog to experimenting with authentic technologies, no one day is ever the same for them!

Guided tours are an essential part of the Crannog Centre experience and using their wealth of knowledge, our archaeologists can paint a fantastic picture of what life might have been like 2,500 years ago in Prehistoric Scotland. Ask them about Iron Age technologies, textiles or cooking and they'll show you first-hand how to turn wooden objects, spin wool into thread or let you sample an authentically prepared stew.

When they aren't guiding visitors around the site, our team can usually be found either maintaining our site or dabbling in some experimental archaeology. Being authentically made means that equipment needs some TLC now and again, and who better to fix it than the people who work with it every day? Whether it's our smoker oven, pole lathes or the crannog itself that needs fixing, they know from experience that best way to get the job done!

Experimenting with different prehistoric techniques could possibly be the most fun job at the centre. Our archaeologists try to make the most of any free minute by testing out ideas and inventions from Scotland and sometimes even further afield. In the past few months, Emma has built bellows, smelted bog iron and has even begun the process of tanning a deer hide in bark. A lot of the work involves getting your hands dirty, but that's all a part of the learning.

There are even days when the team manage to leave the office for the day, delivering outreach to different communities in the local area. Schools, residential homes and heritage societies can all get an insight into life at the crannog. Rich is our resident Community Archaeologist, making sure that our story remains accessible to everyone, even those who don't necessarily have the luxury to make a trip out to our centre.

So, are you still imagining the trowel and brush?

There's a lot more involved to archaeology than fieldwork - community engagement, educational outreach, manual labour and even a little bit of fun thrown in!