The Biggin, Main Street, Carlops

This is a row of three single-storey, three-bay weavers cottages dating to circa 1785, with later additions to the rear. The cottages are located on Main Street, Carlops, and form part of a larger group, alongside six other cottages (Ferndale, Houlet, Amulree, Finlaggan, Blinkieknowe, Birkenbush), a separate row of three cottages (Ashley, Weavers), Carlops Church, Pentland and Elphinstone, the Allan Ramsay Hotel, and a row of four cottages (Springbank, Carberry, Langskaill, Jess).

The cottages are constructed of harled rubble with freestone dressings, and have limewashed exteriors. Various rendered brick, stone, and timber single-storey additions and dormers have been added to the rear, mostly in the 20th century. They feature timber-framed windows with a variety of non-traditional glazing patterns. The roofs are covered in grey slate, and the cottages have ridge stacks with clay cans, along with cast-iron rainwater goods.

The original ground floor plan of each cottage consisted of a kitchen and former 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, although these features no longer survive.

The village of Carlops was established in 1784 by Robert Brown, the laird of Newhall, who laid out rows of cottages on either side of the main Edinburgh to Biggar road. Following the decline of the textile industry in the late 19th century, the village became a health resort for visitors from Edinburgh and it remains a popular destination for walkers and day trippers. The village retains its traditional character due to its linear layout influenced by the surrounding geography. The cottages retain their original scale and massing and contribute positively to the architectural and historic character of Carlops.