Burnside, High Corrie, Arran

Burnside, at High Corrie, Arran, is a group of seven cottages and associated bothies, predominantly dating back to the 19th century, with a likely 18th-century core. These structures form a significant part of the rare surviving inhabited clachan of High Corrie. The cottages are mainly single-storey and three-bay, with some extended by two bays; one of these extensions is now a separate dwelling. Construction is predominantly white-painted rubble with sandstone margins, though one cottage, Langstane, is built with coursed sandstone. Some cottages have rubble base courses, and later additions include porches, lean-tos, and dormers. Window types vary, with mainly timber sash and case windows present, alongside some non-traditional replacements. Roofing materials include grey slates and felted surfaces, with coped gable stacks and raised skews visible. Some cottages have rooflights.

Interior features, observed in some houses during a 2010 inspection, include timber panelling, stone and timber fire surrounds, and narrow timber staircases leading to attics. Some of the houses have been modernised.

High Corrie represents a rare example of a clachan that has survived with minimal later development, retaining its traditional form and close grouping in an irregular pattern. While later porches and dormers have been added, the original layout remains clearly discernible.

Historically, clachans were common throughout Scotland, but many were abandoned after the mid-18th century when agricultural improvements led landowners to consolidate farms into larger, more efficient holdings. At the beginning of the 19th century, High Corrie belonged to the Duke of Hamilton Estate and was surveyed in 1811 by Robert Bauchope, who recommended changes to land tenure that resulted in the division of Arran into larger farms, leading to the abandonment of many clachans. High Corrie seemingly escaped this process. The village’s footprint corresponds closely to the 1811 survey map. Northbeck Cottage, formerly Burnside, was rebuilt in 1985.