Arnol Blackhouse
No. 42 Arnol is a unique and precious relic. Once the home of a Hebridean crofting family and their animals, the thatched house is preserved almost as the family left it when they moved out in 1965.
This traditional, fully furnished thatched house once sheltered a family and its animals under the same roof.
The ruined blackhouse at no. 39 can also be seen, together with the 1920s ‘white house’ that replaced it.
White houses – in which a wall separated byre and dwelling – replaced many blackhouses around this time.
- Smell the peat smoke – even today the fire at the heart of the blackhouse is never allowed to go out
- Peek inside the cosy box-beds in the bedroom, still complete with their original fabrics and furnishings
- See the byre just as it was left in 1966, only without the cows
- Imagine how living in the white house would have compared to life in the blackhouse
Gaelic-speaking members of staff are usually on hand to answer queries about the crofting life on Lewis.
Open all year, times vary. Get in touch via the details below for all enquires . Thank you.
42 Arnol,
Bragar,
Isle of Lewis,
HS2 9DB