Black and white houses

Between Eilean Fraoich campsite and Butt of Lewis, while Chris and Andrew were cycling, I visited a preserved Blackhouse and Whitehouse. I learned that original Hebridean houses were made from walls of stone, with roof timbers made principally from driftwood (because trees are rare), thatched with Oat straw, secured by spun rope weighted down with rocks.

Latterly, when the population began building 2 story houses that were limewashed inside they began calling these 'whitehouses'. They then began calling their original houses 'blackhouses'.Read more