Townlands Barn
Date 14 August 2007
Event ID 906806
Category Management
Type Site Management
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/906806
Long rectangular barn (former house) with steeply pitched roof, crowsteps gable and original skewputts. Red sandstone rubble. Central entrance on south elevation with worn armorial tablet over the yellow stone surround with faint leaf decoration. Simple chamfered doorway opposite in centre north elevation, and additional door at north-west. Inserted floor with entrance slapped west gable. 2 paired quatrefoil vents in east and west gables. 5 square vents immediately below eaves South elevation, paired in outer bays with centre vent over entrance. Corrugated iron roof; later additions and lean-to cart shed.
List description updated and category altered from B to A in 2004 following research undertaken by Robert Gordon University and Mary Washington College, Virginia, USA in 1997. Townlands Barn is situated in an area once known as Sandilands which belonged to the Clunes family. It is thought to be the earliest surviving house in Cromarty, and may have been built for Bernard Mackenzie and Jean Clunes in 1694/95 or it may have been an earlier house which Mackenzie bought from the Clunes. Bernard Mackenzie was the parish minister from 1674'1690 (Cromarty Courthouse Exhibition). Sandilands House became known as Townlands in the 19th century and was until recently used as a barn. This is an historically important building and though it has lost some of its internal features and roofing material, the building has survived remarkably well. Its crowsteps, quatrefoil openings, armorial tablet, remains of fluted fireplace surround and arched fireplace opening, window and door openings with supporting arches all contribute to the architectural merit of Townlands. (Historic Scotland)
