The Murrel, Kate Randall's Cottage

Single storey 3-bay cottage to W with adjoined (former 2 bay cottage) converted full-depth, full-height stable to E, remains of recessed byre to W gable. Random rubble, lime washed S elevation, droved dressings to openings and quoins to S elevation. 2-leaf timber door (1-leaf missing, 2002) to cottage, boarded timber door to stable. Timber sash and case windows to principal elevation and rear central window, all missing glass panes, (2002) small casement windows to rear with intact glass panes, (2002). Remains of external timber shutters to principal elevation. Pitched, clay pantiles, raised coped skews. Gable apex stacks with thackstanes. INTERIOR: cottage; gutted interior, entrance leading to small hallway; doorways leading off to gable end rooms, doorway leading off to central narrow room running to rear. Fireplace openings to E, W gable walls, presses flanking openings, (doors missing 2002). Room to E, simple timber framework forming bed recess lit by small window with scalloped pelmet to rear of room. Stable; timber stall divisions; 4 along N wall, 1 to S wall. Small window to upper W gable, blocked fire opening flanked by recess to E gable. Plain collar-rafter roof.

This simple cottage with attached outbuildings is perhaps the oldest, unaltered building of its type in the parish. The name of the cottage is taken from the last resident who lived here until the mid 1970s. The window in the W gable wall of the Byre suggests that at one time the cottage had 1st floor accommodation, this was probably lost when the cottage gained the sash and case windows to its principal elevation and the ceiling levels of the ground floor rose to accommodate them. The blocked fire opening and flanking recess to the E gable suggest that the stable was initially a domestic cottage similar to its adjoining neighbour and at some later date was converted to a stable. The window in the W inside gable of the stable indicates that the cottage predates the stable, the stable being adjoined at some later date. The angle of the W skew, the evidence of thackstanes and raggles to the stacks all indicate that the cottage would originally have had a steeply pitched thatched roof. The roof to the rear is in poor condition, (2002). The cottage is located in the area known as the Murrel which in the 19th century was full of activity including an iron mill making shovels and spades and a saw mill, (the iron mill is no longer and the saw mill is disused, 2002). (ref: Historic Scotland)