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MHG39194 - Terraced houses - Manitoba, Oskaig

Summary

The stonebuilt terrace of six houses lies on an east to west axis with doors and windows only in the south elevation.

Type and Period (2)

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Full Description

Surveyed by ACFA 1995
Terrace of Six houses known as Manitoba

Feature 12. At the northern extremity of Oskaig on land falling gently northwards to the sea lies a substantial and impressive ruin known as Manitoba. The stonebuilt terrace of six houses lies on an east to west axis with doors and windows only in the south elevation. the structure is 46m long x 5.3m wide built with mortared stonework. The eastern gable is almost intact at a height of 3.45m while the western one is ruinous at barely lm high. The north wall, apart for some 7m at the west, is also largely intact at a height of 2m.The south front is pierced by six doors and twelve window openings; a door with a window on either side serving each of the six dwellings. The wall head course and the lintels are mostly missing. The dwellings are separated by stone built mutual walls with back to back fireplaces and flues within the wall thickness. All walls including the gables are 0.7m thick.

Each house unit is 6.8m long x 3.9m wide. A series of 75mm square sockets cast into the concrete floor slab indicate a small hallway behind the door with a room on each side; the room to the west being around 300mm larger than that on the east. The fire opening in each room is 0.9m wide x 0.3m deep x 0.95m high and separated from that in the adjoining house by 0.tom thick stone work. The ope�i.ngs each have large stone lintels 0.35m high x 0.10m thick behind which the flues are quickly tapered to 0.3m square. Above the lintel a 12mm diameter steel bar is set across the flue for hanging utensils over, the fire basket still in situ in a number of instances. The door openings are 0.9m wide at the exterior with 0.15m reveals and 0.05m checks. The door jambs are splayed to give an internal opening width of 1.05m.

No evidence of a roof remains but it is reported that the structure was of timber trusses with purlins clad with corrugated iron sheeting. It is believed that the range of houses was built in 1889 for widows and paupers. The name Manitoba is said to have been coined from a remark questioning why people should wish to go to Canada when such fine facilities were available on Raasay. <1>

NGR adjusted based on 2020 vertical aerial photographs. <2>

Note; aerial photgraphs since 2000 indicate that the terrace has been reroofed. (TB 16/10/26)

Sources/Archives (3)

Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NG 5476 3848 (47m by 24m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NG53NW
Geographical Area	SKYE AND LOCHALSH
Civil Parish	PORTREE

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