Before modern methods of transport brought wooden posts and beams to Skye, the only building materials available were those that could be derived from the land - and pretty much the only long-lasting building material was stone.
Around us here in NW Skye, the local stone is volcanic basalt - a hard, black rock which can be dressed to create roughly cubic building blocks. However, basalt is seriously heavy - a one-foot cube weighs around half a hundredweight (25kg), which is as much as I would want to lift these days. There are many, many blocks of double that size (and more) embedded in walls all over Skye...and even in Roskhill Barn!
 |
Roskhill Barn
During our first works at The Barn, the original stonework was substantially restored |
Today, the human endeavour involved in creating stone walls is mostly forgotten, and many of the ancient walls are tumbled and becoming re-absorbed by the surrounding moorland. I offer below just a tiny number of the photographs I have taken of stone walls in our local area of NW Skye. Can you even begin to imagine the skills required to create such structures...??
(Throughout this blog - click on any picture to view a full-screen gallery).
 |
| Large animal enclosures above Loch Bharcasaig. |
 |
| Lichen-covered wall at Claigan |
 |
| Long-abandoned township boundary wall, Cnoc na Pairce |
 |
| Huge stones in the wall of the derelict sawmill at Dunvegan |
 |
| Large animal pen - Eabost |
 |
| Even larger animal pen - Glen Colbost |
 |
| Today, it is easier to erect a new fence than to repair an old wall... |
 |
| Fireplace and gable end wall of derelict cottage in Lorgill |
 |
| Old wall - newer fence -Lyndale |
 |
| Beautiful stonework - Orbost |
 |
| More Orbost walls |
 |
| Interior - St John's Chapel, Caroy |
 |
| Boundary wall, Sumardale |
