Black House and Peat, Port of Ness, Lewis

Black House and Peat, Port of Ness, Lewis

ID: QZP99_94157_05_06 DESCRIPTION: Black houses were common across the Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland. The houses were long and narrow with an outer and inner wall of un-mortared stones. The gap between the two walls was filled with earth and peat. The roof was usually thatched and based on a wooden frame which rested on the inner wall of the house. This meant there was a wall ledge all the way around the outside of the house. There was generally no chimney and old thatch which had been smoked by the peat smoke was used as a good fertiliser. The family lived at one end of the black house while their animals were housed at the other. The term 'black house' does not come from the dark and smoky atmosphere inside the house. Instead the term was used to distinguish the old houses from the new houses introduced at the end of the 19th century. These new houses were covered with white lime wash and became known as 'white houses'. Outside the house in this photograph there is a peat stack. Peat was used as a fuel across the Western Isles. The peat was cut from peat bogs in blocks and then left to dry before being used. This image comes from a collection gifted to Edinburgh Central Library by Dr Isabel F. Grant. The collection includes photographs taken by a number of different photographers. PLACENAME: Port of Ness DISTRICT: Lewis OLD COUNTY/PARISH: ROSS: Barvas SOURCE: Edinburgh and Scottish Collection, Edinburgh Central Library COLLECTION: I F Grant Photographic Archive Asset ID: 38774 KEYWORDS: