Wednesday 17 April 2013

Why blackhouses are called blackhouses

Arnol blackhouse
Arnol, Isle of Lewis, Scotland
June 27, 2012 

These shots are from the Arnol blackhouse museum on the Isle of Lewis.  As you may have noticed, there is no chimney in the structure, simply an open peat fire burning in the middle of the room.  The smoke seeps out through the cracks in the walls and the thatched roof, leaving plenty of soot behind.  Hence, the name: blackhouse.  This structure was occupied in this manner until the 1960's and remains a great example of an original blackhouse.


Arnol blackhouse
Arnol, Isle of Lewis, Scotland
June 27, 2012

The acrid smell of the peat smoke was overpowering, I had to leave the building several times to get a gasp of fresh air.  As you can see in the image above, there was plenty of smoke in the air....inside!  I can't imagine what it would have felt like to live around an open peat fire for your entire life.

If you find yourself in the Outer Hebrides, be sure to visit the Arnol Blackhouse and the nearby Gearrannan Blackhouse village.  If you want to step back in time, consider spending a night in one of the blackhouses at Gearrannan!  Don't worry, they have chimneys.