Field Visit

Date 12 July 2015

Event ID 1011474

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1011474

Scottish Thatched Building Survey

NH 79002 67380 Early 18th century two-storey cottage, made famous by being the birthplace of geologist Hugh Miller. The cottage is owned by the National Trust for Scotland and is part of the Hugh Miller’s Birthplace Museum. The building was last re-thatched in 2010, in reed with a straw ridge, by Thatcher Graham Carter. According to NTS literature on display in the building, the roof would have been thatched in turf topped with straw, or in heather. The longevity of the reed is why they chose this material for its last thatching. The straw ridge has been scobed with hazel spars, and extended decoratively below the chimney stack to the north. On the south east (front) elevation the thatch has been sculpted at the eaves above the three first floor window openings, whilst on the north west (rear) elevation there are two recessed window openings within the thatch, below which the roof has been slated to the eaves. The roof has been netted along the ridge only, whilst the rest of the thatch has been left uncovered.

Visited by Zoe Herbert (SPAB) 12 July 2015, survey no.082