Cromarty’s earliest surviving house became a barn, leaving armorial carving, crowsteps and domestic archaeology inside an agricultural shell.
Quick facts
- Date
- Circa 1694–1695
- Architect / designer
- Unknown; possibly built for Bernard Mackenzie and Jean Clunes
- Type
- Former laird’s house later adapted as a barn
- Designation
- Listed building, Category A (LB23695)
- OS grid reference
- NH 78739 67457
Architecture, archaeology and continuing use
The long red-sandstone building has a steep roof, crowstepped gable, original skewputts and paired quatrefoil vents. Opposing central doors, an armorial tablet and traces of fireplaces reveal domestic origins; a later floor, cart shed and horse-powered machinery record agricultural conversion.
Its story
The building may have been constructed in 1694–95 for minister Bernard Mackenzie and Jean Clunes, or adapted from an earlier Clunes property. It later formed part of Townlands and served as a barn. Excavation in 2006 found domestic floors, shoemaking evidence and successive horse-engine remains.
Why it is included
Category A listing recognises an exceptionally important survivor whose fabric documents both late seventeenth-century status and long agricultural adaptation.
What to notice
- Quatrefoil ventilation openings in the gables.
- The worn armorial panel above the south doorway.
- Changes in floor level produced by later farm machinery.
Reading the surroundings
Do not enter or approach through private working ground unless permission is explicit. View from lawful public space and assume internal floors and masonry may be unsafe.
Timeline
- Circa 1694–1695 A substantial house was established at Sandilands.
- 19th century The property became known as Townlands and acquired agricultural use.
- 2006 Trial excavation exposed domestic craft and horse-engine evidence.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
It is unclear whether the Mackenzies built anew or acquired an earlier Clunes house, and no current condition survey was reviewed.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Townlands Barn, LB23695 — Designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Trove: Townlands Barn — Excavation results, alternative names and mapped national-record context.
Location
OS grid reference NH 78739 67457 · 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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