Building record 14518 - Croft 5, Garenin, Carloway, Isle of Lewis

Structure 5b:
situated directly to the south of, and on the opposite side of the road from structure 5 (smr 14517). On the 1895 OS map a building is present on this site, though it is not clear whether it is the same structure standing on the site today. In 1895, the structure measured 24m x 6 and had a barn on its south side. Today the structure measures 15m x 6m, and has the fragmentary remains of a barn on its south side. This indicates that the structure has been shortened or rebuilt at some time after 1895.
This building is considered to be a concessionary building on croft 5, though in 1895 it would appear that the structure on this site was the main one on the croft and the structure standing where structure 5 (smr 14517) now stands was a concessionary or ancillary building to this.
The only access to the building is a door in the north wall; there is a window at the east end of the south facing wall. It is unclear whether this window is a later addition or an original feature. Remains of a barn may be seen on the south side of the building, surviving as one upstanding wall at the east and and an earth bank on the south side. It measures 4.5m wide, but the length is unclear due to damage at the west end. Within the barn alow buttress has been built against the south face of the south wall of the main structure to prevent bulging.
Internally much of the floor is oscured by rubble. A fureplace is just visible in the east gable, but no other features can be made out. There is no evidence of an internal partition.
At the west end there is an elaborate apsidal buttress designed to take much of the weight of the structure and roof, which appears to be part of the original construction. Internally, on the north face of the south wall, one large upright stone stnads at the point where coursing within the wall face is deliberately stepped down, taking the weight of the downward slope.
A line is visible in the north facing elevation which may indiacte rebuilding of the western end wall, supporting the theory that the building was reconstructed.
Burgess 1995, 21-25

Christopher Burgess, 1995, Garenin Landscape Survey: interim report 1a 1994-1995 (Unpublished document). SWE41175.