Black houses

[Deleted User]

As I assemble my Covenanter army & start thinking about a first game (October?), my mind turns to terrain.

I thought I had plenty of hills & mountains but not enough for a game set in Scotland. So, the MD insulation sheets are being cut, carved & flocked. Easy.

I have a suitable stretch of rubber watercourse lengths for a burn, a stone bridge & a number of lengths of rough road pieces. I’m OK for rough ground & gorse patches.

Habitation wise, I have the ruined church & pele tower (on order) from Any Scale Models & two small medieval hovels: all resin pieces. I don’t think this is enough, as I’m aiming for two small villages.

Any recommendations for houses that look medieval Scottish? My figures are mostly 20mm Tumbling Dice (they call them ’25’ but the Revell 1/72 plastic figures are not too different)?

Anything else I might use?

 

donald

 

[Cameronian]

My, you do like to give yourself challenges.

Pele towers were a border (both sides) phenomenon and were if you like mini castles.  Likewise bastle houses of the less well endowed and were basically fortified dwelling houses. Black houses as I understand it were found in the Highlands and Islands, whereas the lowlands tended to be more like Burns’ cottage in Ayrshire.  If you Google Scottish Vernacular Architecture, you should be able to get an idea what things were like in your period.

A deal of compromise will be necessary to avoid anchoring a scenario in any one particular cultural area.  Mind you, unless you are an absolute stickler for these things, one wee hoose is pretty much the same as any other wee hoose

'The time has come" The walrus said. "To talk of many things: Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--Of cabbages--and kings--And why the sea is boiling hot--And whether pigs have wings."

[Deleted User]

Cameronian wrote:

My, you do like to give yourself challenges.

Indeed. Scottish wargaming is, of course, a labour of love.

Unlike the good folk at Project Auldearn 1645, I’m aiming for generic, Scottish terrain. So, yes, any medieval domicile might do….can you recommend a manufacturer in my scale?

 

donald

[Not Connard Sage]

Housing in the Debatable Lands seemed to be well built and defensible.

http://www.biggararchaeology.org.uk/rp_bastlehouse.shtml

 

Some current bargains

https://www.propertypigeon.co.uk/property-search/hexham/ne47-1167463047?utm_source=newsnow.co.uk

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/43873434

https://www.onthemarket.com/details/5115315/?utm_source=trovit&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=trovit_feed&utm_source=trovit&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=sale

https://homes.trovit.co.uk/listing/house-united-kingdom-england-northumberland-allendale.1T1F1AX1i1U1T1Z

 

Obvious contrarian and passive aggressive old prat, who is taken far too seriously by some and not seriously enough by others.

[Deleted User]

Interesting reading, CS.

The farm house my wife was born in, in Abruzzo, had the animals stabled in winter on the ground floor.

The arrangement meant the heat of the animals, arising, helped keep the human inhabitants on the next floor warmer.

I did, once, ask about the smell but the question received a look that meant “drop it….or else”. I am, of course, a city boy & not always appreciative of the agricultural way of life.

 

donald

[Deleted User]

Got ’em.

http://www.wargamescenics.com/products.html

(scroll down: Highland village pieces)

 

Hudson & Allen are, evidently, “small” 25mm so will suit.

The “other” forum provided the link: there’s still valued advice to be gained there.

donald

[Rhoderic]

Seeing those reminded me of the Scheltrum range, but it seems to be OOP since a few years back. Here’s pictures anyway: LINK

[Deleted User]

I looked at Scheltrum, but @ 28mm, definitely too big.

 

donald

[Etranger]

Deleted User wrote:

Got ’em.

http://www.wargamescenics.com/products.html

(scroll down: Highland village pieces)

Hudson & Allen are, evidently, “small” 25mm so will suit.

The “other” forum provided the link: there’s still valued advice to be gained there.

donald

The Hudson and Allen range are lovely, but they aren’t that small. I’ve only seen one of the Scottish crofters cottages in the resin. It’s nice.
https://www.nobleknight.com/Miniatures-And-Games/Publisher/Hudson-and-Allen-Studios also have them, but sadly mostly OOS.

[Etranger]

Deleted User wrote:

Interesting reading, CS.

The farm house my wife was born in, in Abruzzo, had the animals stabled in winter on the ground floor.

The arrangement meant the heat of the animals, arising, helped keep the human inhabitants on the next floor warmer.

I did, once, ask about the smell but the question received a look that meant “drop it….or else”. I am, of course, a city boy & not always appreciative of the agricultural way of life.

donald

That same arrangement was common in the UK until quite recently too. In a single storied building, the livestock would get one end, there would be a central passage way and the family would be up the other end. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dartmoor_longhouse (I hadn’t realised that the design wasn’t common in other parts of the UK)

I’ve stayed in houses with the same arrangement that you describe, in Nepal. TBH you wouldn’t even notice the smell after a few days.

[Author]

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