Laidhay Croft Museum
Preserved thatched Caithness longhouse near Dunbeath showing how a crofting family lived, with a barn and farm implements.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Laidhay Croft lies just north of Dunbeath beside the A9 and is a typical example of the older style of Caithness croft house that was common before the agricultural improvements of the 18th and 19th centuries. The croft, with 16 acres of arable land and rights over 15 acres of rough grazing, came to the Bethune family in 1842 and stayed with them until 1968, when William Beil, the last occupant, left.
The building was sold in 1969 to Malcolm Cameron. Around this time the owner of a hotel in Lybster suggested turning the croft into a museum, the Laidhay Trust was set up in 1970, and the museum opened to the public in 1974. The main building is a longhouse with the dwelling in the middle and a stable and byre at each end. A detached barn with an original cruck roof, a cart shed and a modern shed holding the large collection of farm implements complete the site.
The listed winnowing barn on the croft lost its roof and part of a wall in heavy snow in 2022. The Lappan and Laidhay Trust, which now looks after the museum, began a restoration led by the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust in 2026.
Highlights
- Rush-thatched longhouse over 200 years old
- Box beds and a peat-burning hearth
- Byre and stable under the same roof as the dwelling
- Cruck-framed barn
- Large collection of farm implements
Permanent exhibitions
- Croft longhouse – The furnished dwelling with box beds and a peat hearth, with the stable and byre under the same roof, shows daily life on a Caithness croft.
- Barn and farm implements – A cruck-framed barn, a cart shed and a modern shed show threshing machines, tools and other equipment from the farm.
- Founded
- 1974
- Operated by
- Lappan and Laidhay Trust
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £3 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | £1 |
Prices as listed by the regional tourism portal Venture North.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
A regional tourism listing describes the museum as accessible for wheelchairs and prams.
Kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 60 min |
|---|
Getting there & parking
By car
Free parking
Free parking next to the museum and tearoom.
The museum is just off the A9 about a mile north-east of Dunbeath and can be seen from the road.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
A tearoom next door serves homemade cakes, and toilets are available.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
