Friday 22 July 2011

Evolution of a Croft House

Sanna (Norse, sandr, sand, and ey, island) is a jewel of a village, situated on the north-west coast of Ardnamurchan and renowned amongst visitors for its wonderful white-sand beaches and miles and miles of uninterrupted walking. It was once a busy crofting village, the place where Alasdair Maclean, who wrote Night Falls on Ardnamurchan, lived.

A few years ago, with crofting still in decline, it faced a crisis when its resident population fell to one, the fear being that it would become a village of sheep and summer holiday-makers. It has since recovered, its year-round numbers rising to nine, though these only occupy four of its houses, while crofting activity has begun to show some increase.

For some years, one of Sanna's old croft houses stood derelict. It's visible in the right foreground of the above picture, which shows the houses of northern Sanna, with the Sanna burn beyond.

The original house was a typical croft house, with a kitchen/living room at one end, a parlour at the other, each warmed by open fires, and a small lobby between. The porch at the front - so necessary in Sanna's exposed environment - and the extension at this end would have been added later.

In 2009 the house had new owners who set about a complete refurbishment of the property. This picture was taken in January 2010.

By October that year, building work was well advanced....

....and this is the completed project, the picture taken in April 2011.

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