Toberaie

NJ01NE 44 NJ 06351 18164.

This farmstead comprises a cottage, which is now used as a holiday home, and an L-shaped range immediately to the NW. The one-and-a-half storey cottage faces SE and there is a central entrance (with a wooden porch), flanking windows and three dormer windows on that side. In addition, there is a ground-floor window in the SW gable and on the NW there is a rear door and a central window. The range, the open side of which faces S, is also in good condition and is now largely used as a store, except for the SE end of the NE wing, which has been converted for domestic use

The present disposition of the cottage and range reflect the depiction on the 2nd edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire 1902, sheet LX); however, the 1st edition of the map (1874, sheet LX) shows the range as two separate buildings, possibly meaning that the present range is of late 19th century date. The Ordnance Survey Name Book (Inverness-shire Book 2, p. 30) describes Toberaie as 'a small farmsteading having a dwelling house, one storey, and a few small offices each one storey, all thatched and in bad repair, the property of the Earl of Seafield'.

The first edition of the OS map also depicted two limekilns immediately NE of the steading. Nothing is now visible of the NW one (NJ 06354 18220), which is not shown on the 2nd edition of the OS map, and the position of the SE one (NJ 06405 18176) is now marked only by a heavily overgrown hollow in a steep SW-facing slope. This kiln is marked 'Old Limekiln' on the 2nd edition of the map.

Visited by RCAHMS (JRS, TP) 10 August 2006.