Totscore: Discover Crofting Traces and Nature

Totscore is a destination for anyone who wants to combine their stay with specific discoveries. Historical mapping records of farmsteads and crofting settlements meet evidence of the orchid species Dactylorhiza traunsteinerioides. In addition, there are two cottages with thatched roofs presumably made of reeds or straw. This creates a multifaceted picture shaped by settlement history, rural architecture and nature.

Farmsteads Through Changing Mapping Surveys

The past is particularly vivid in the features recorded for the farmsteads. For Totscore farmstead MHG25971, the 1880 mapping survey records three roofless buildings and an enclosure. In the 1968 mapping survey, one roofless building is recorded there. For Totscore farmstead MHG25973, the 1880 mapping survey lists one roofless building, an attached enclosure and a field system; in 1968, one roofless building is likewise recorded at this location.

These details invite you to view Totscore not merely as a place name, but as a landscape bearing traces of earlier use. The years 1880 and 1968 mark different historical snapshots. For families, this can provide a special topic of conversation: How were buildings, enclosures and field systems used, and what changes can be traced across several mapping surveys?

Sites of the Totescore Crofting Settlement

Further clues lead to sites that form part of the Totescore crofting settlement. Five straight structures are recorded for MHG33667. At the 1880 mapping survey, site MHG33668 comprised three roofed buildings, two smaller roofed outbuildings, two small enclosures and associated paths. An additional partially preserved enclosure is also recorded there.

It is precisely the combination of buildings, outbuildings, enclosures and paths that makes the historical information varied. You can therefore plan your stay around different interests: those interested in rural settlement forms will find points of connection in the crofting structures, while anyone paying closer attention to architectural details can use the information about roofs, enclosures and paths as a guide for exploring the site themselves.

Thatched Roofs, Orchid and Northern Skye

The architectural character of Totscore includes cottages MHG61049 and MHG61050. Both have a thatched roof presumably made of reeds or straw, with a continuous thatched ridge. The cautious description of the material remains important: not every detail of the construction can be inferred from the designation, but the roof form offers a distinctive insight into rural building culture.

Nature adds its own particular accent. The orchid species Dactylorhiza traunsteinerioides was recorded at Totscore on Scuddaburgh Farm near Uig on the Isle of Skye. Totscore is also shown within sheet 6 S.E. of the Northern Skye geological six-inch map series, surveyed in 1934–36. Anyone interested in plants, landscapes and historical maps can combine these themes when planning their trip.

Choose Accommodation to Match Your Travel Focus

When you choose Totscore as your destination, you can tailor your search for a holiday apartment or holiday cottage to your personal interests. Travellers interested in culture and history will have different priorities from guests who mainly want to explore plants or geological maps. Accommodation in Totscore should therefore suit your planned mix of discoveries and relaxing days.

Other destinations you can include in your research are Tomatin, Dornoch, Boat Of Garten, Halkirk, Kyle, Bunchrew, Cannich and Kirkhill.

For the overarching travel overview: Highland.