Country Diary: A rare sighting around the Highlands - a thatched roof | Tom Allan

Glenisla, Angus: Scottish thatchers are few and far between, so I'm lucky to be working on this roundhouse in a glen that's rich in wildlifeAs I drive north through Angus, birch and rowan begin to replace ash and oak, and by the time I reach the foot of the glen, the purple-streaked tops of the Cairngorms have come into view. Glenisla is the last lowland valley before the mountains begin, and it's home to a rare sight on either side of the Highland line: a thatched roof.The building is a lodge house on the Knockshannoch estate, and is believed to be the only remaining thatched roundhouse in Scotland. I've driven three hours north from the Scottish Borders to repair a hole in its roof (Scottish thatchers are few and far between, so travelling long distances is not unusual here). Continue reading...