- Museum
- Auchindrain Township
- Date
- 1860s
- Object Number
- ACHDN.E
- Title
The Slate House
- Object Category
- Buildings
- Object Name
- Tthe Slate House
- Description
This building was named ‘The Slate House’ by the people of the township because it was the only one to have a slate roof.
It is currently used as a hen house, but inside it has standings for two very large working horses. It was built between the 1840s and 1860s, when the McCallum family had the contract to transport the nickel and copper ore produced by two local mines, to the ships which took it to berefined into metal. For a while in the 1860s, Argyll was the largest producer of nickel ore in the British Isles.
The Slate House was rebuilt in 1897. On the north side of the building, you can still see where its builder, who lived at Auchindrain, carved ‘D Munro 1897’ and his mason’s mark. There are other historical graffiti on the building, including one referring to the township as ‘Thornfield Manor’. In English, Auchindrain means ‘field of the blackthorn (or sloe) tree’.
- Acquisition Number
- ACHDN.E
- Method
- Purchase
- Location
- Auchindrain