Laidhay Croft Museum | Caithness

Laidhay croft museum in a 200 year old thatched longhouse, A9, Dunbeath

Laidhay croft museum was opened to the public in 1974 and is run by the Laidhay Preservation Trust. The croft was restored in the 1970's and you can see how it was before restoration on the museums website. For current information on Laidhay museum check the Facebook page.

Laidhay Croft

Laidhay Croft Museum

A small charge is made for entrance to the croft (£3 for adults, £1 for children). When you enter the croft you will see how people lived in the 1800’s to the early 1900's, the living space is a lot more compact than we expect in a home, yet you will probably feel more at home in this dwelling, with all the pictures and memorabilia built up by a family over the years, people lived surrounded by their memories and treasured possessions. A small stable and byre were the animals were kept are part of the building or nearby. The croft museum also has a modern shed that has the museums collection of farming implements.

The Laidhay croft is between Dunbeath and Latheronwheel and is on the right side of the road when travelling north. Plan to take around an hour to explore the museum, then pop into the Laidhay tearoom for coffee and cakes. Free car parking is provided and the museum is open from mid-April to September.

Laidhay Croft Longhouse

Laidhay Croft longhouse

Laidhay longhouse

Thatched Barn at Laidhay

Laidhay thatched barn

Farm Equipment including ploughs pulled by horses

Laidhay farm equipment

Outside is a collection of farm equipment from past times when horses were used to plough and carry out other farming tasks including cutting hay, turning the hay to dry it out before putting it into the barn for winter feed.

Inside the stable

Collection of horse harnesses and farming equipment

Inside the stable / barn there is a collection of farming tools and equipment, along with horse harnesses.

Horse yoke

Box Bed at Laidhay

Box bed at Laidhay Croft

Beds as were people, smaller. A box bed at Laidhay Croft Museum.

Bedroom at Laidhay Croft

Nightime involved toilet pans and there were no indoor toilets.

Fireplace at Laidhay Croft

Fireplace would have burned peat / wood and in later years some coal.

Kitchen table at Laidhay Croft

Small rooms, kitchen, living space and a bed all in one room. Notice the stone floors, scrubbed clean.

Kitchen area

Clothes ringer at Laidhay Croft

"Modern" clothes ringers would have made life a lot easier when drying clothes that has been hand washed.

Box bed at Laidhay Croft

Box bed allowed rooms to be multi-functional and also help to keep out drafts.

Thatched Croft

Thatched croft building