Description

James M. MacLaren, 1889. Detached L-plan block of single-storey and attic cottages, with projecting two-storey wing with jerkin-head gable at southeast corner. Harled walls. Thatched roofs with thatch taken over wallhead attic windows as rounded dormerheads in the English style.

Statement of Interest

This pair of cottages is understood to be the first cottage to be built in Fortingall that was designed by James MacLaren (Calder, 2003). It has many of the design features that can be seen in the other cottages. It may also incorporate fabric from an earlier longhouse (The James MacLaren Society, 2005).

It is among a relatively small number of thatched buildings across Scotland. A Survey of Thatched Buildings in Scotland, published in 2016 by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), found there were only around 200 buildings of this type remaining, most of which are found in small rural communities.

The use of thatch saw a revival in the late 19th century as part of the Arts and Crafts movement, particularly in Perthshire, central and southern Scotland. Non-traditional thatching materials were used, often in a style more closely associated with the thatched traditions in England. For example, the use of angled thatch forming an overhang at the skews was not a common detail in Scotland because of its vulnerability to wind damage.

Statutory address and listed building record revised in 2021 as part of the Thatched Buildings Listing Review. Previously listed as 'Menzies View and Mr Todd Kirkton Cottage Fortingal'.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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