Thatched cottage, Isle of Tiree

Photographer

Niles, John

Date

• 1992

Summary

• Thatched houses of a traditional kind have been in active use on the Isle of Tiree until the present day. This photo, taken in 1992, is of a house with stone chimneys at either end, venting a pair of fireplaces where peat would traditionally be burned, given the scarcity of trees and the abundance of peat bog on the island. The walls are of mortared stone. They are surmounted by a wooden framework and wooden rafters that often, in the past, consisted largely of driftwood gathered at the shore. Hay is abundant on the island, and this cottage is thatched with dried hay that in turn is covered by wire mesh to keep birds or other animals from digging into it. The thatch is weighed down by a range of stones -- here, bricks. Houses of a similar kind traditionally accommodated both people and a few animals. The hedge provides a windbreak in front of one entrance. A family dog can be seen in front.