View of threshing barn from W Digital image of C 61047

Description View of threshing barn from W Digital image of C 61047

Date 15/8/1995

Collection Scottish Farm Buildings Survey

Catalogue Number SC 737998

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of C 61047

Scope and Content Threshing barn, Skelbo Farm steading, Highland Skelbo Farm steading was built on the huge Sutherland estate which by 1873 comprised almost 1.3m acres, more than 90% of the county. By 1829, 36 lowland mixed farms had been created mostly along the coastal strip between Bonar Bridge and Helmsdale. Skelbo was one of these estate 'improvements' and in 1853 it was completely rebuilt. Situated at the back of the complex, adjoining the stable, straw room and byre, this picture shows the threshing barn from the west. Like the façade, this barn has crowstepped gables, but has lost its slate roof in favour of corrugated iron. There is a small engine room tacked on to the left of the building where the waterwheel mount would once have been. As nearly all the coastal farms were situated near streams, the threshing machines were usually worked by a waterwheel. At Skelbo a 1.2m full dresser, electric-powered mill was installed in the 1940s by Reid's of Dingwall. A few farms tried growing wheat instead of barley and sometimes potatoes were grown with turnips. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/737998

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap