90 Covington Road

This is an early 19th-century row of seven single-story cottages located on Covington Road, Scotland. The cottages are each three or four bays wide and originally had thatched roofs; Numbers 82 and 86 retain reed-thatch roofs, while the others have corrugated iron roofs. The exterior is built of random rubble with sandstone ashlar window surrounds. The cottages feature timber-boarded front doors and timber sash windows with four panes of glass. Short stone chimneystacks topped with clay cans are also a feature.

The row is an unusually long and well-preserved example of traditional cottages. The distinctive corrugated-iron roofs contribute to a striking and picturesque appearance, and the lack of later rooflights, dormers, or rear extensions – particularly on the rear elevations – is notable, with most extensions dating from the early 20th century. Originally, all of the cottages would have been thatched, with the thatch on Number 86 being replaced in the early 1990s.

These cottages represent a rare survival, being among the small number of traditional buildings in Scotland with a thatched roof. A 2016 survey by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) identified approximately 200 such buildings remaining, primarily in small rural communities. Thatched buildings offer valuable insight into traditional building methods, materials, and earlier ways of life.

The row appears on the 1864 Ordnance Survey map. The building was reclassified as a Grade B listed building in 1989, and the listing record was revised in 2019 as part of a review of thatched buildings.