Blackhouse
A blackhouse (also called the Scottish blackhouse) is a typical dwelling built on local available resources, protective against the harsh elements of the Hebrides but equally harsh in its way of living. In particular these were dwellings were designed for animals and people living together, without windows or a chimney, relying on a combination of an open peat fire in the centre of the space, burning slowly with the warmth of the livestock for heating. The smoke in the room, protected against insects but was clearly less than healthy.
They were occupied by crofters, with rights to graze animals such as sheep or cows in the local area, living as close to their stock as possible. The last crofters living in this way in such blackhouse dwellings vacated their properties in the 1900's, when new health regulations required byre (or barn) and the dwelling to be separated by a wall. This created a new type of dwelling. The old houses referred to as taighean or taigh-dubh (‘houses’) were replaced with taigh-geal, these new dwellings became known a white houses, whilst the older were referred to as blackhouses.
The earliest blackhouses were constructed as much as 5,000 years ago, with drystone walls, roofed using timber rafters, which were then covered in turf and thatch, in some cases turf sods were also used within the walls as a fill material.
See also: Re-thatching a Hebridean blackhouse.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Building with structural stone.
- Choosing stone.
- Caithness Broch Project.
- Conservation in the Highlands and Islands.
- Development of sustainable rural housing in the Scottish Highlands and Islands.
- Engaging communities in our Highlands and Islands.
- Finding stone to conserve historic buildings.
- IHBC articles.
- Lord Leverhulme on Lewis and Harris.
- Orkney gables.
- Macallan Distillery.
- Masonry.
- Modern Stonemasonry.
- Matthew Davidson stonemason and civil engineer.
- New architecture of Scotland’s west coast.
- Re-thatching a Hebridean blackhouse.
- Thatch.
- The architecture of the Isle of Man.
- The challenges and opportunities of conservation in the Highlands and Islands.
- The Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain DSWA
- The Institute of Historic Building Conservation.
- The Scots reed thatching tradition.
- Traditional construction materials on the Isle of Man.
- Traditional straw thatching in times of shortage.
- Types of stone.
- Vernacular architecture.
Featured articles and news
Futurebuild and UK Construction Week London Unite
Creating the UK’s Built Environment Super Event and over 25 other key partnerships.
Welsh and Scottish 2026 elections
Manifestos for the built environment for upcoming same May day elections.
Advancing BIM education with a competency framework
“We don’t need people who can just draw in 3D. We need people who can think in data.”
Guidance notes to prepare for April ERA changes
From the Electrical Contractors' Association Employee Relations team.
Significant changes to be seen from the new ERA in 2026 and 2027, starting on 6 April 2026.
First aid in the modern workplace with St John Ambulance.
Ireland's National Residential Retrofit Plan
Staged initiatives introduced step by step.
Solar panels, pitched roofs and risk of fire spread
60% increase in solar panel fires prompts tests and installation warnings.
Modernising heat networks with Heat interface unit
Why HIUs hold the key to efficiency upgrades.
Reflecting on the work of the CIOB Academy
Looking back on 2025 and where it's going next.
Procurement in construction: Knowledge hub
Brief, overview, key articles and over 1000 more covering procurement.
Sir John Betjeman’s love of Victorian church architecture.
Exchange for Change for UK deposit return scheme
The UK Deposit Management Organisation established to deliver Deposit Return Scheme unveils trading name.
A guide to integrating heat pumps
As the Future Homes Standard approaches Future Homes Hub publishes hints and tips for Architects and Architectural Technologists.
BSR as a standalone body; statements, key roles, context
Statements from key figures in key and changing roles.
Resident engagement as the key to successful retrofits
Retrofit is about people, not just buildings, from early starts to beyond handover.