Black house
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The black house is a traditional type of house which used to be common in Highland Scotland, the Hebrides, Ireland and areas of Gaelic settlement in Nova Scotia. It was generally built with double wall dry-stone walls packed with earth and wooden rafters covered with a turf roof, although reed thatch was occasionally used as the roofing material. The floor was generally flagstones or packed earth and there was a central hearth for the fire. There was no chimney for the smoke to escape though. Instead the smoke made its way through the roof.
The black house was used to accommodate livestock as well as people. People lived at one end and the animals lived at the other with a partition between them.
As people moved into more modern dwellings with conveniences such as running water and central heating, the black house tended to go out of use, and many ruined or roofless examples may be seen. However, black houses are increasingly being restored, especially for use as holiday accommodation.
[edit] External links
- Lewis Black House Museum
- Gearrannan Blackhouse Village
- Nova Scotia Highland Village Museum / An Clachan Gàidhealach
- The Blackhouse of the Highlands on "Dualchas Building Design" with good drawings and plans.
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