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The walls of this modern blackhouse are a single solid structure
which externally looks similar to the authentic blackhouses pictured right. But
a blackhouse actually is a double skin dry stone wall with the cavity between
the two filled with peat and topped off with a layer of clay to prevent water
getting in to the wall. The clay is then capped with turf to absorbs any excess
water.
The roofs of the blackhouses are timber framed and thatched with
oat straw. The thatch in this windy part of Scotland, the Isle of Lewis, is kept
in place with a web of ropes held in place by stones. This is a technique also
used in other windy locations like
Seongeup,
Korea.
You can read more about the design of a blackhouse
here. |
