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Heritage, history and histrionics.....

The heritage and history of our house is proving quite elusive. We've been trying to do our research for various reasons. To learn more about where we live, the people who lived here before us, how and why it was built, how it looked then compared to now etc. Talking to our lovely neighbours who are born and bred here has given us a great insight already, their stories are wonderful and I'm sure they have many more to share over time. We knew our little conservation village of Tomich was built by the local estate owner, Lord Tweedmouth, supposedly for his retired estate workers who had previously lived not too far away on the other side of the river in 'crofts'. What we hadn't realised until recently was how unhappy they were at being forced to leave their old homes. Crofting is a way of life and one they obviously treasured. Reference was made to them in some local history books we've been reading .... "Although the houses that were provided for them in the village were tidy, slate roofed stone dwellings with wooden floors, they seemed to prefer their old tumbledown ruins which they would visit every year. They must have longed for their previous way of life because the procession of the old people to their former homes was a very sad one." What a sad image it paints..... We managed to track down the architects who designed not only the stunning 'Guisachan' house of Lord Tweedmouth but also the village. We found out that there was a collection of architectural drawings being held in a library by the local heritage society. We requested to view them and a lovely, helpful lad at the society phoned to say they had arrived from the archives so we were welcome to come see them. He was very excited himself as he'd rarely seen such beautiful drawings. Needless to say we couldn't wait and set off the next morning. What we were hoping for was to get a good copy of the drawings of our cottage to frame. We have some structural issues that would be better understood by seeing the original layout. The 'Guisachan Collection' is quite beautiful. The plans show incredible detail, awash with watercolours that are a work of art in themselves. The collection should contain some 60 odd plans of which there were only 23 for us to see and most guttingly not one for our house. So disappointing.... We had been told that a fire in the archives some years ago may have caused some misfiling as a result, so our contact has said he will try his best to find any more for us. I think he likes a challenge. All we can do is wait and carry on researching and learning. As obsessed as we all are by documenting everything with photos these days it's an awakening to remember that unless you were an estate owner paying a photographer to take pictures of your fine house or shooting party, chances are there is no photographic or pictorial evidence that either you or your home ever existed. I don't suppose these old crofters had the time or energy to write a diary, so much living history that may be forever lost. The search goes on though ....down but not defeated 😊 Onwards and upwards

#livinghistory #crofters #scottish highlands #heritage #historylovers #tomich #guisachan #lovewherewelive #villagelife #victorian #strathglass #architecture #historic architecture

The old Police Station by Tony Via Flickr: Cannich is a small village at the southern end of Strathglass, in the Highlands of Scotland, about 26 miles (42 km) west of the city of Inverness. The village is at the confluence of two rivers, the River Cannich and the River Affric. Scottish Highlands at its most picturesque.