Blackhouses were the traditional thatched homes of crofters in the Outer Hebrides, a place where families could live under one roof with their animals due to the harsh weather outside. Blackhouses had no chimneys, which made the home warmer and also killed bugs. The smoke also had an adverse effect on the owners' lungs. The Gearrannan Blackhouse Village dates from the end of the 1800s. Gearrannan saw electricity arrive in the mid-1960s and its last resident leave in 1974.

Be the first to comment