# well preserved croft, Highlands, Scotland - summer 08



## Alir147 (Apr 17, 2009)

A lot of you might not be aware of 'crofts', but basically, they are like small farms and very much a traditional way of life for people in the north of scotland. The croft house is usually a small cottage. Without going in to too much history of crofting in scotland, one thing for sure is that it is generally dying out. The houses are now more appealing to incomers as holiday homes rather than the locals who are feeling forced to move to the cities for more work. Of course, this isn't the case entirely and on the western isles for example, it's still a popular way of life.

These were places the whole family would get involved with. Whether it was droving cattle to markets, collecting seaweed to improve the soil, creating "lazy bed" furrows for tatties etc. there was always work to be done. due to lack of contraception and i suppose the requirement for help on the croft, families were often large and so as you can imagine, conditions were often cramped.

Hundreds lie abandoned all across scotland and are a reminder to an old way of life. They range from simple ruins to intact farmhouses. 

This one though, i felt was quite a good example of one due to what has been left behind many years a go. 

the approach











the neighbours





view





a book from the 1920's





tea bag strainer? This croft was packed with old plates, pottery, ornaments and other things. might seem like stuff you'd find in your average old house, but crofts have a very particular and traditional style especially when it comes to pottery. things like plates were often stored on a big wooden cabinet in the main room which often had multiple uses; if you were lucky, maybe just living room and kitchen, although it wouldn't be uncommon to also use this as a bedroom.





Gaelic bible with canadian stamp





this is very significant. firstly, the bible, in the native gaelic language, was a very important part of most crofting families. At the time these would have been used, the sabbath day was very strictly observed and faith shaped a large part of the communities. I found the canadian stamp next to the bible. during the 1800's, one of the biggest tragedies to crofting and highland way of life occured at the time of the highland clearances. here, rich land owners often *brutally* evicted families from their crofts in the hills to make way for profitable sheep farming. the families were forced down to the barron costal fringes where the soil was poor and it was hard to scrape a living. this brought about mass emigration to canada and new foundland (where today it is believed there are more gaelic speakers than in scotland itself due to the emigrations). all this may seem out of the dark ages but this is not that long out of living history - all within the last 200 years. this stamp could well have come from family or descendents of family who were forced to start new lives in canada as a result of these hard times.

bedroom




in more traditional crofts you can still see remains of 'box-beds', which as they sound, were boxes built in to the walls with the bed inside and ofen a curtain running along the gap. this croft may well have just had old spring beds but can't quite tell.

personal belongings, including a hairbrush, jewlery box and most significantly, an army badge. there were also miitary buttons lying about. i have since found from what was lying about here, that the occupant had fought in the boer war, and possibly world war 1. there were many crofting men in the area at the time who had fought in these wars. he was in the highland light infantry.





fishing nets hanging up in the next room suggest a connection with fishing - another traditional 'industry' in the area. puzzles, old toys and a small pair of glasses are reminders of children who would have once grown up in this cottage.

a nearby ruined croft. a local woman who has lived in the area her entire life remembers the last occupant, angus macaskill, a soldier who like our man at the croft above, fought in the boer war. he was a batsman. angus died in the 1950's and was the last of a long line of macaskills to live in this croft. it slowly got in to disrepair and by the 80's, was little more than the roofless shell it is today. some of his uniform and other items though can still be found submerged in the grass.


----------



## RichardB (Apr 17, 2009)

I wonder how long it's been empty, could be over 50 years. It's in amazingly good condition, is it still watertight?


----------



## Seahorse (Apr 17, 2009)

I'm always amazed that when the elder members of the family either die or move on to pastures new, the reminders of the old life are just left to decay along with the main fabric of the dwelling.

In one particular place, I have also come across a Canadian connection. The guy having left to make a life over there, but eventually being forced to return to Scotland due to a lack of work. He was originally employed on a ship that worked the Great Lakes, but after the vessel was laid up for a while, and with no other income and unable to qualify for relief, he had no choice but to return to his family.

All that from a few pieces of paper. Sometimes this exploring malarky can be very sobering and sad. 

Excellent report Ali. One of my all time favourites.


----------



## foz101 (Apr 17, 2009)

That's a good find and a good read Ali, nice.


----------



## james.s (Apr 17, 2009)

That is amazing, really well preserved and some great artifacts. Is the roof still on the croft? Or is some of it missing?

Great report!
James


----------



## Alir147 (Apr 17, 2009)

cheers boys.

aye the roof is still mostly on. On the right hand side as you look from the front, there's a bit missing there and that side of the house is generally quite delapidated. Overall though still mostly wind and water tight, and upstairs where the army stuff is. is quite sturdy. the other side of the house upstairs is sloping downwards now.

and seahorse, you're quite right about it being sad. As a wise man off these forums said to me today, it can only be too easy to forget about the human cost involved with all our explorations, wether it be redundancy or whatever. (thanks pincheck!  )


----------



## lost (Apr 17, 2009)

Very nice, much better than I was expecting.
I think I should start giving crofts a chance.


----------



## escortmad79 (Apr 18, 2009)

Exploring a few crofts/cottages around Kirkcaldy way is what got me my first proper taste of UE.


----------



## Seahorse (Apr 18, 2009)

You can pretty much break down rural dwellings in Aberdeenhire into two types: farmhouses and crofts where there was more or less continual habitation, sometimes for generations. And cottar houses, where tenant farmers and their families might only be there for a season, moving from farm to farm depending on the vagiaries of the feeing markets, and moving all their possessions with each new employment.

The latter are most often totally empty, but the former can reveal wonderful surprises, as we have seen here and on other threads.

A fantastic source of info can be had fom books by local authors. David Toulmin for instance writes about his family and his farming days from early childhood, and really opens up a whole new world.


----------



## Foxylady (Apr 19, 2009)

Amazing history and sobering, too. It's a beautiful place and so many interesting things left remaining.
Apparently, I have a great-uncle who emigrated to Canada, and although my family has no Scottish connections, the thought of a part of the ancestry being lost and untraceable to another continent is somehow sad.
Thanks, Alir. Excellent explore.


----------

