Cottage north of 6 Ellishadder (formerly Elishader Folk Museum), Isle of Skye, Eilean á Chèo, Highland

Description

Dating from the 19^th century, and reconstructed and refurbished in around 1976, the cottage to the north of 6 Ellishadder is a single-storey, three-bay Skye-type traditional cottage. It is set back from a linear road running east to west, north of Loch Mealt, in the north of Skye.

The cottage is rubble-built with slightly battered walls, curved corners and a central entrance opening to the front (south) elevation, with a window on either side. There is a single central window opening in the rear elevation. The piended roof is covered in corrugated iron (previously thatched) with cast iron rooflights in the rear (north) roof pitch. The cottage has end chimneystacks dating from the late-20^th century.

The interior has not been seen (2023), except for one photograph (2022) of the underside of the roof, which shows that the timber roof structure dates from the later 20^th century. The original listed building record from 1982 noted that the interior comprised a roughly paved entrance lobby with two flanking rooms.

Historical development

This traditional cottage to the north of 6 Ellishadder was built before 1878 and is shown on the 1^st Edition Ordnance Survey map (1878). The Ordnance Survey Name Book of 1876-78 describes Ellishadder as a district with around 12 croft houses, the property of Captain (later Major) William Fraser, who was the owner of Kilmuir Estate in the mid to late-19^th century (OS1/16/7/82).

The cottage fell into disuse after the last full-time occupant died in 1919. By the 1970s, the building was roofless and some of the walls had partially collapsed. The cottage was reconstructed and refurbished in 1976, as part of a museum project grant-aided by the Highlands and Islands Development Board (information courtesy of the owner).

Historic photographs, taken between 1980-82, show the cottage interior included a roughly paved entrance lobby, earthen floors to the end rooms and centre chamber, and whitewashed rubble walls. Photographs from this time also show that hessian sacking lined the internal roof structure and there were various agricultural implements and domestic fittings (Canmore). At the time of listing in 1982, the cottage was known as Elishader [sic] Folk Museum. The cottage is no longer a museum and now appears to be used as an outbuilding as part of croft 6, Ellishadder.

Statement of Interest

The cottage north of 6 Ellishadder meets the criteria of special architectural or historic interest for the following reasons:

It was reconstructed and refurbished in the 1970s but it continues to show characteristic 19^th century vernacular building traditions.

The battered walls are representative of the building type and appear to contain a significant amount of original fabric.

While no thatching material survives, on balance, the cottage retains its traditional rounded roof shape and much of its historic character and rural setting.

Architectural interest:

Design

The typical plan form of a traditional Skye-type cottage is two rooms with a central chamber accessed via a centrally positioned door. The cottage north of 6 Ellishadder was refurbished in the 1970s, but it continues to show regional traditional building methods and materials, and retains a significant proportion of its historic wall fabric, footprint, vernacular form and character. Notable features include the thick, battered rubble walls with curved corners, and the proportions of the principal elevation of the building.

When the cottage was refurbished in around 1976, some sections of wall were rebuilt, a replacement timber roof structure was added, and the roof covered in thatching material. The openings in the front (south) elevation were added at this time to replicate a traditional appearance. Stone-built end chimneystacks were also added, as well as three traditional cast iron rooflights in the rear (north) roof pitch (information courtesy of the owner).

The thatched roof has since been replaced by corrugated iron. Photographs taken in 2022 confirm no thatching material survives, however, overall, the cottage still retains its traditional rounded roof shape. The reconstruction of the building and the addition of later fabric does not detract from the overall historic character and setting of this building. It is not uncommon for thatched traditional buildings to have been refurbished or in some cases entirely rebuilt, for example Gearrannan Blackhouse Village on Lewis, listed at category B (LB19265) and traditional cottages on Berneray (such as LB46101, which is listed at category B).

The cottage north of 6 Ellishadder retains enough of its historic fabric and vernacular character, traditional plan form and historic setting to be of interest in listing terms. The battered walls are representative of the building type and appear to contain a significant amount of original fabric. Overall, the cottage continues to show characteristic 19^th century vernacular building traditions.

Setting

The location and setting of rural vernacular dwellings can often provide information about changes in farming and lifestyle over the centuries. The cottage to the north of 6 Ellishadder is located towards the western end of a linear road, west of the A855 road, within the historic crofting township of Ellishadder. The 1^st and 2^nd Edition Ordnance Survey maps of 1878 and 1901 show Ellishadder as a roughly linear settlement of around 12 crofts, in close proximity to the northern shoreline of Loch Mealt. Ellishadder was serviced by a school at the eastern extent of the settlement (now Staffin Dinosaur Museum).

The immediate setting of the cottage has changed since that shown on the 1^st and 2^nd Edition Ordnance Survey maps. The accompanying building than ran parallel to the immediate southwest of the current cottage was removed sometime between 1901 and 1964. A detached, single-storey house with an attic was built on the opposite side of the road in the mid to late-20^th century (as shown on the 1964 Ordnance Survey map), and the outbuildings to the rear of the cottage were added around the later 20^th century.

The road that connects the settlement of Ellishadder to the main road (A855) was added in the mid-20^th century. This replaced an earlier footpath/track that ran largely to the north but extended south to wrap around the south of the cottage. These incremental changes have partially altered the setting of the cottage but it retains much of its rural landscape character and 19^th century design features.

Historic interest:

Age and rarity

These vernacular buildings, once prolific across the Highlands and Islands, are now extremely rare. There are around 40 thatched or formerly thatched buildings within the Highland Council area that retain much of their vernacular character, of which around 15 survive on the Isle of Skye. Many of these share features in common with the northwest Highlands and Na h-Eileanan Siar.

While authenticity of material can be an important factor in assessing the significance of thatched or formerly thatched buildings, those that have been repaired over time (perhaps with new roofing material or other fabric) can also be listed. The retention of the overall traditional character of vernacular buildings is therefore important in determining their special architectural or historic interest. The cottage north of 6 Ellishadder has been restored but it retains much of its vernacular character and continues to demonstrate traditional building skills and materials.

Social historical interest

Social historical interest is the way a building contributes to our understanding of how people lived in the past, and how our social and economic history is shown in a building and/or in its setting.

The cottage north of 6 Ellishadder is a good surviving example of a vernacular building within the historic crofting township at Ellishadder, as such, it is a tangible reminder of Skye's crofting history and vernacular building traditions.

Association with people or events of national importance

There is no association with a person or event of national importance.

Statutory address, category of listing and listed building record revised in 2023. Previously listed as 'Elishader Folk Museum'.

External Links

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