Langskaill, Carlops

Langskaill is a row of four, single-storey, three-bay former weavers’ cottages dating from the late 18th century, with later additions and alterations. The cottages are built of rendered rubble with painted ashlar dressings. Some window openings have been enlarged, and there are canted window additions to Springbank and Carberry. A gabled timber porch addition is present at Langskaill. Single-storey, flat-roofed additions and dormers have been added to the rear.

The windows are timber sash and case with a variety of glazing patterns. The roof is covered in grey slate, and features end and ridge stacks topped with tall clay cans. Other details include ashlar skews, cast-iron rainwater goods, and scrolled skewputts at Springbank.

Originally, the ground floor plan-form of each cottage was identical, with a kitchen and workroom flanking a through-passage opening off the front door. Both ground floor rooms were originally fitted with box beds and wide lintelled sandstone fireplaces projecting on rounded corbels in the kitchen, though none of these fireplaces now survive.

The village of Carlops was established in 1874 by Robert Brown, the laird of Newhall, who laid out linear rows of cottages along the Edinburgh to Biggar road. As the textile industry declined, the village became a health resort, and now serves as a focus for visitors and walkers exploring Pentland Hill.

Langskaill, along with Springbank, Carberry, Jess, a group of six cottages (Ferndale, Houlet, Amulree, Finlaggan, Blinkieknowe, and Birkenbush), three cottages (Ashley, The Biggin, and Weavers), Carlops Church, Pentland and Elphinstone, the Allan Ramsay Hotel, and a further row of four cottages (Jess – see separate listings) form a group of buildings of group value.