The 1880 map records the following features for two markedly different crofts in Totscore: MHG25971, with three roofless buildings and an enclosure; and MHG25973, with one roofless building, an attached enclosure and a field system. This comparison offers a concrete way to explore the area's history: boundaries and the layout of land are among the features of historic settlement, alongside buildings. If you are considering a stay in Totscore, you can explore the area's history through different sites and building types.

Historic crofts compared

The 1968 map records one roofless building at croft MHG25971, compared with three on the 1880 map. The 1968 map also records one roofless building at MHG25973. These two records allow a comparison over time: in 1968, one roofless building is recorded at each croft; the 1880 maps differ in the other features shown. The 1880 map records an enclosure at MHG25971, while at MHG25973 it records an attached enclosure and a field system. These maps are two snapshots in time, not a continuous building history. For the area's history, the combination of building numbers and land features is therefore more informative than simply comparing the buildings.

Sites within the Crofting settlement of Totescore

The historic description of the Crofting settlement of Totescore lists MHG33667 as an associated site, where five rectilinear structures are recorded. MHG33668 is also included in the historic description as part of this settlement. The 1880 map records at site MHG33668 three roofed buildings, two smaller roofed outbuildings, two small enclosures and associated tracks. The same historic description also records a further partly surviving enclosure at MHG33668. Unlike crofts MHG25971 and MHG25973, the 1880 map at MHG33668 shows a group comprising main and ancillary buildings, tracks and several enclosures. The five rectilinear structures recorded for MHG33667 in the historic description present a different emphasis. This distinction makes the settlement traces easier to understand than a blanket description of all the finds as old buildings.

Thatched roofs and a botanical trace

Historic building surveys record a distinctive roof form on two cottages in Totscore. The 2015 building survey describes Cottage MHG61049 in Totscore as having a thatched roof, probably made of reed or straw, and a continuous thatched ridge. The 2014 building survey also describes Cottage MHG61050 in Totscore as having a thatched roof, probably made of reed or straw, and a continuous thatched ridge. In both surveys, the material was identified only tentatively; the continuous thatched ridge was explicitly recorded in each case. Anyone interested in traditional building forms can compare these descriptions of two specific cottages without attributing their similar features to a single building.

A historic botanical trace also broadens the picture: the orchid species Dactylorhiza traunsteinerioides was recorded at Scuddaburgh Farm in Totscore, near Uig on the Isle of Skye. Thus, alongside settlement and building forms, there are also plants associated with a named place. For travellers interested in culture and nature, the particular appeal of the area's history lies in this shift in perspective: from individual buildings and enclosures to tracks and land layout, and on to a particular orchid species.

Discover more destinations: Bunchrew, Forsinard, Aviemore, Garve, Brora, Inverness, Kinbrace, Inverkirkaig

For the broader travel overview: Highland.