Townlands Barn, High Street, Cromarty

Long rectangular barn (former house) with steeply pitched roof, crowsteps gable and original skewputts. Red sandstone rubble. Central entrance on south elevation with worn armorial tablet over the yellow stone surround with faint leaf decoration. Simple chamfered doorway opposite in centre north elevation, and additional door at north-west. Inserted floor with entrance slapped west gable. 2 paired quatrefoil vents in east and west gables. 5 square vents immediately below eaves South elevation, paired in outer bays with centre vent over entrance. Corrugated iron roof; later additions and lean-to cart shed.

List description updated and category altered from B to A in 2004 following research undertaken by Robert Gordon University and Mary Washington College, Virginia, USA in 1997. Townlands Barn is situated in an area once known as Sandilands which belonged to the Clunes family. It is thought to be the earliest surviving house in Cromarty, and may have been built for Bernard Mackenzie and Jean Clunes in 1694/95 or it may have been an earlier house which Mackenzie bought from the Clunes. Bernard Mackenzie was the parish minister from 1674'1690 (Cromarty Courthouse Exhibition). Sandilands House became known as Townlands in the 19th century and was until recently used as a barn. This is an historically important building and though it has lost some of its internal features and roofing material, the building has survived remarkably well. Its crowsteps, quatrefoil openings, armorial tablet, remains of fluted fireplace surround and arched fireplace opening, window and door openings with supporting arches all contribute to the architectural merit of Townlands. (Historic Scotland)

21 July 2006: Ross-shire Journal reports that the building will be open as part of a community consultation by Highland Buildings Preservation Trust.  

September 2008: External inspection finds the building derelict, but functionally roofed in corrugated iron, overall the condition is very poor.
A feasibility study was prepared by Highland Buildings Preservation Trust in 2005 examining options to bring the building back into use. The preferred option, by both the study and the Community Council, was to restore the building to residential use. Fund raising is continuing to allow the next stage of project planning to proceed.

October 2008: Highland Buildings Preservation Trust report that the building was acquired by Highland Small Communities Housing Trust as part of a wider land acquisition for residential development on the backland site, in partnership with Albyn Housing Association. HBPT is in the process of acquiring Townlands Barn. The Trust is working with the design team to explore options for reduced scheme/ costs with a suitable financing model. Funding has been secured from Highland Council to implement emergency works to stabilise the gables in the interim. HBPT is open to enquiries regarding partnership opportunities for this project.

July 2009: APT News features an article on the future of Townlands Barn by the Highland Buildings Preservation Trust, exploring the challenges of securing funding packages in rural locations. The article notes that cracks are opening up in the east gable and vandals have broken into the building.

20 February 2010: The North Star reports the property, having being placed on the market for sale, is generating considerable interest from a number of prospective purchasors. The solicitor's website notes the property is now under offer.

18 June 2012: External inspection finds some formerly open windows are now boarded up. However, the door in the south elevation, and the window, above have lost their boarding. Otherwise, the building appears to be largely unchanged since last visited.

26 June 2013: External inspection finds no sigificant change in condition from the previous site visit. The site is not secured and the building is not wind and water tight.

30 December 2013: The site is understood to have been purchased with a view to creating a residential care home, the Townlands Sanctuary for the Elderly, with Sandilands House incorporated.

28 February 2018: HES is contacted by the Cromarty Development Trust advising they are shortly to acquire the property with a view to restoring it and creating a community asset.

23 February 2024: The building has been acquired by Cromarty Community Development Trust with a view to restoration and conversion to community use.