Tag: Lewis

  • Gearrannan Blackhouse Village

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    The Gearrannan Blackhouse village was definitely high on my must-visit list and after seeing the blackhouses in Arnol, I wanted more and spent the rest of the day at the Gearrannan village near Carloway.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    This settlement of blackhouses facing the Atlantic gives us an impression of how life was in Lewis. “Modern life” is compared to the Iron Age settlement at the nearby Dun Carloway. Gearrannan dates back to the 17th century—the houses we see today date back to the late 1800s.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Life was hard, people had to go far away to make ends meet. While men travelled up to Virginia for the whaling season, the women…

    In May 1920, as part of an annual cycle, seven teams of three women from the village left for Stornoway to process fish. They then followed the herring to the east coast of Scotland then down to eastern England, only returning home at the end of the season. (Undiscovered Scotland)

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Life in the village only changed slowly. Inside the museum blackhouse, we see a bedroom and a lounge dating from the mid-1900s.

    In Gearrannan, oil lamps were replaced by electricity from 1952, and in the 1960s piped water arrived in the village, though it still had to be fetched from outside taps. This brought to an end the tradition of communal washing of heavier laundry in the loch, with water heated over open fires on the shore. And from 1965 a daily milk delivery started, ending the need to keep a cow and grow the crops to feed it. (Undiscovered Scotland)

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    We find a loom at the end of the house, including some weaving demonstration.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    By the 1970s most had left for easier accommodations nearby, and only five residents had remained in Gearrannan. But the very last resident then left in 1974 and Gearrannan became a ghost village of the past!

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Lucky for us the Urras nan Gearrannan (the Garenin Trust) has been restoring the derelict blackhouses and surrounding areas since 1989 to recreate an authentic settlement with modern facilities.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    There is a shop and café for visitors and villagers and you could even stay in the village. Some of the blackhouses are available as holiday lets sleeping between 2 to 16 people and there is also a hostel.

    It must be lovely to be awakened by the waves and enjoy the village before the day visitors arrive and after they leave.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    After a lovely lunch provided by the café, I continued exploring the village. Walked down to the beach and up the hill. The view from the hill over the village was probably my favourite one.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Peeking into one of the guesthouses.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

    Visiting the Gearrannan Blackhouse Village in the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

     

     

     

  • Arnol White House

    From the Arnol White House to the remains of other blackhouses.

    Arnol No 39 right opposite the Arnol Blackhouse is a “White House” which can also be visited. The cottage is furnished as it was in the 1950s and shows the world into which blackhouse residents moved.

    From the Arnol White House to the remains of other blackhouses.

    From the Arnol White House to the remains of other blackhouses.

    A different type of house appeared when new health regulations required byre and dwelling to be separated by a wall. The single-walled dwellings cemented with lime mortar were such a contrast they were called taigh-geal (‘white house’). The term taigh-dubh (‘blackhouse’) was used to describe the old houses from then on. (Historic Enviroment Scotland)

    The White House at No 39 was built in the 1920s and lived in until 1976. It looks like a modern-day house. It has solid walls. windows that open, chimneys and a pitched roof.

    From the Arnol White House to the remains of other blackhouses.

    From the Arnol White House to the remains of other blackhouses.

    After visiting the White House I did another walk around Arnol, this time I went to the nature reserve, not to look out for birds, but just to enjoy the beautiful landscape.

    From the Arnol White House to the remains of other blackhouses.

    And I found more remains of blackhouses, like this one – where a modern house was built next to a white house that was built next to a blackhouse. I always loved to see these little “stairs” leading up to the former thatched roof.

    From the Arnol White House to the remains of other blackhouses.

    From the Arnol White House to the remains of other blackhouses.

    View of the three houses next to each other.

    From the Arnol White House to the remains of other blackhouses.

    From the Arnol White House to the remains of other blackhouses.

    From the Arnol White House to the remains of other blackhouses.

    Blackhouse used as a playground, such a lovely idea.

    From the Arnol White House to the remains of other blackhouses.

    From the Arnol White House to the remains of other blackhouses.

    A watchful neighbour looking out…

    From the Arnol White House to the remains of other blackhouses. From the Arnol White House to the remains of other blackhouses. From the Arnol White House to the remains of other blackhouses. From the Arnol White House to the remains of other blackhouses. From the Arnol White House to the remains of other blackhouses.

     

  • The Arnol Blackhouse

    It was time to visit the restored Arnol Blackhouse finally. Or taigh-dubh as a blackhouse is called in Gaelic.

    Visiting the Arnol Blackhouse on the Isle of Lewis.

    Right next to the blackhouse is a little information centre and tiny shop, telling more about the blackhouse and the people who used to life there. I really enjoyed seeing this overview of the house.

    A blackhouse usually comprised a long narrow building, often with one or more additional buildings laid parallel to it and sharing a common wall. The walls were made from an inner and outer layer of unmortared stones, the gap between them filled with peat and earth. The roof would be based on a wooden frame, resting on the inner stone walls, giving the very characteristic wall-ledge. (Undiscovered Scotland)

    Visiting the Arnol Blackhouse on the Isle of Lewis.

    The blackhouse didn´t have a chimney, the smoke of the peat fire would find its way out through the thatches and also helped keep insects at bay.

    The smoked thatch was also an excellent fertiliser and was used on the fields after it was stripped down and renewed every year.

    Visiting the Arnol Blackhouse on the Isle of Lewis.

    The animals would be on one side of the house with earth flooring, without any flagged floors like in the living areas. The whole design of the blackhouses was based on the housing we know from Skara Brae 5000 years ago, but the houses themselves were built more recently. This specific at Arnol No 42 was built in 1875.

    And in 1960 there were still nine blackhouses in use in Arnol: while the group now restored as the blackhouse village at Gearrannan, further along the coast, was only abandoned in 1974. (Undiscovered Scotland)

    Visiting the Arnol Blackhouse on the Isle of Lewis.

    Visiting the Arnol Blackhouse on the Isle of Lewis.

    The Arnol Blackhouse at No 42 gives a good insight on how living in a blackhouse might have been, even if it is a slightly “cleaned up” version. The thatched roof is built differently and wallpaper had been removed. But one still smells the smoke of the peat fire and this smell lingers in the clothes forever.

    Visiting the Arnol Blackhouse on the Isle of Lewis.

    Visiting the Arnol Blackhouse on the Isle of Lewis.

    Visiting the Arnol Blackhouse on the Isle of Lewis.

    Visiting the Arnol Blackhouse on the Isle of Lewis.

    Visiting the Arnol Blackhouse on the Isle of Lewis.

    On the other side of the road there is not only a “White House” included in your visit (see next blog post) but also the remains of other blackhouses, which had a bit different layouts.

    Visiting the Arnol Blackhouse on the Isle of Lewis.

    Visiting the Arnol Blackhouse on the Isle of Lewis.

    Visiting the Arnol Blackhouse on the Isle of Lewis.

    Visiting the Arnol Blackhouse on the Isle of Lewis.

    Visiting the Arnol Blackhouse on the Isle of Lewis.

    Visiting the Arnol Blackhouse on the Isle of Lewis.

    View back to the Blackhouse at No 42.