Sharing crofts and houses, and a description of the old crof...
Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1973.36.A2
Original Tape ID
Summary
Sharing crofts and houses, and a description of the old croft house.
There were eighteen crofts in Balemore, North Uist, and thirty six families. Fathers divided their crofts among their children. If there were two married sons, one normally lived with his parents: the other built a house on the croft. An extra room was built onto the parents' house.
The houses were small and the families large, with five or six sleeping in one room. Everyone sat round the only fire, which was sometimes in the middle of the floor. The kitchen was the main room, and each house would have two or three bedrooms. The kitchen would be in the middle of the house, with bedrooms at either end plus the 'clòsaid' [closet].
The parents slept at the east end of the house, which was warmer. Doors faced east or north. Some houses had two doors, facing north and south. Over one hundred years ago, the byre was at one end of house, with a stone wall partition.
Item Location
County - Inverness-shire
Island - North Uist
Parish - North Uist
Language
English
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Reel to reel
Audio Quality
Good