A former harbour inn now anchors Lochmaddy's museum and arts life, showing how a working public building can gather new uses without losing its older form.
Quick facts
- Date
- Designation: late 18th or early 19th century; Taigh Chearsabhagh describes an origin in 1741
- Architect / designer
- Unknown
- Type
- Two-storey former inn over a raised basement, adapted as a cultural and community venue
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB17573)
- OS grid reference
- NF 91916 68257
Architecture, archaeology and continuing use
The three-bay, harled building rises two storeys above a raised basement. A forestair marks the shore-facing elevation, while inserted garage doors and altered openings record successive practical adaptations beneath a slate roof with end stacks.
Its story
The national designation dates the visible former inn broadly to the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. Taigh Chearsabhagh's own history traces the site's origin to 1741 and records a post office from 1802. The present museum and arts organisation opened in 1993 and has extended the building's public role.
Why it is included
Category B listing protects a compact early commercial building whose continuing adaptation connects travel, postal service and contemporary island culture.
What to notice
- The raised basement responding to the shore-side site.
- A central forestair leading to the former principal floor.
- Altered openings that reveal changing uses over time.
Reading the surroundings
Use the venue only during its published opening hours and follow staff guidance. Harbour-side working areas and any non-public rooms remain outside ordinary visitor access.
Timeline
- 1741 Taigh Chearsabhagh's institutional history gives this as the site's origin.
- 1802 A post-office role began according to the present organisation.
- 1993 The museum and arts centre opened in Lochmaddy.
- Present day Cultural, café, retail and postal services share the historic premises.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The national designation dates the surviving fabric later than the 1741 origin described by Taigh Chearsabhagh; both claims are retained rather than forced into a false single date. Its older statement that the building was derelict is superseded for present use by the organisation's current information.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Taigh Chearsabhagh, Former Lochmaddy Inn, LB17573 — Designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Taigh Chearsabhagh: building history — Organisation history, post-office role, 1993 opening and present cultural use.
- Taigh Chearsabhagh: visitor information — Current public identity, facilities and opening information.
Location
OS grid reference NF 91916 68257 · Location confidence: High: the national designation supplies an official mapped National Grid Reference; an additional source confirms the Place relationship, history or current identity. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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