# Not perfect, but it's mine



## Capt Lightning (Mar 31, 2014)

My house in Scotland.  This is what they call a 'traditional' house - built with local red sandstone and a slate roof.  The walls average 30inches thick.  The front of the house as built around 1830  and the 'modern' extension was added in 1896.  In contrast, Aberdeen is known as 'The granite city' as most of the tradition buildings are built from grey granite.  We've been renovating it for years now - trying to keep to the original style, but using modern materials.






This is my house and it's fine,
It's where I spend the vast majority of my time.
It's not perfect, but it's mine.

From 'Not Perfect'  by Tim Minchin.


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## SifuPhil (Mar 31, 2014)

I think it's beautiful.

Is slate as expensive to repair there as it is here? We even have trouble finding roofers who know how to work it ...


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## Bee (Mar 31, 2014)

I love the old traditional houses as apposed to the more modern houses of today.


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## Ina (Mar 31, 2014)

Capt. Lighting, a really nice looking home. Does it have yard area to garden in?


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## hollydolly (Mar 31, 2014)

I was born and raised in a similar Red Sandstone house in Scotland too...


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## Falcon (Mar 31, 2014)

Are those solar panels on the roof...or skylights?  A beautiful home.


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## Denise1952 (Mar 31, 2014)

Thanks for showing it CL!  I love to see the different homes in other countries. I bet it's neat on the inside as well, denise


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## Knightofalbion (Mar 31, 2014)

It's a fine house! Plenty of character.


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## Capt Lightning (Mar 31, 2014)

Ina, I expect that we use different words.  To us Brits, a Yard is a paved, or hard area, while a garden has grass,plants, trees etc...

The village was designed in the 1760's with each  house sitting on a plot of about 1/5 acre.  So, behind the house is a 'yard' where we park the motorhome (RV?).  Then there is another stone building that I converted to a utility area, a fuel store and a workshop.

Then there is the garden.  About half is used for gtowing fruit and vegetables, and in the other half is a small summer house and flowers and shrubs.

Behind and in front of the house are fields.   These are mostly used for growing barley for the whisky industry.

Falcon - roof lights.  Wrong direction for solar panels.
SifuPhil - good slate is very expensive, but Scottish slate will last up to 150 years.  There are good craftsmen, but work is expensive too.

Nwlady, I've just finished restoring the landing....


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 31, 2014)

Your home is lovely Capt Lightning, thanks for sharing your photo!  It sounds like it's very well built also!


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## That Guy (Apr 1, 2014)

I love it, Cap'n!


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## Ina (Apr 1, 2014)

Capt. L. Thank you for the clarification. In our neighborhood we live on 5 to 25 acres plots of land. Lots of green. :cool2:


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## Capt Lightning (Apr 1, 2014)

Ina, I've been through 11 of the US states, but not Texas.  (Most of my time has been in Minnesota & Rhode Island).  States like Texas are larger than the whole of the UK, let alone Scotland.
It also has much less than half the UK population , so  most British homes have little land.   5 to 25 acres is what we call a 'smallholding'.  In Scotland, we also have the concept of 'crofts'.  This has a legal meaning are refers to houses with an area of agricultural land AND a right to the use of common land.

Some friends who live nearby have 11 acres where they grow and sell fruit and vegetables.  We help out in ruturn for fresh produce, and also jointly raise 'rare breed' pigs for pork.

In Britain, a lot of city dwellers think that they would like to live in the country, keep animals etc...  then they realise that it's hard work and they don't fit in with the local cultures!


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## Ina (Apr 1, 2014)

Capt. L, Since childhood I have been reading of Scotland. Texas and cowboys must seem as different as your land and myths does to me. We can get to the city within 20 minutes if and when the need arises. But I much prefer the country living. Until this spring we had a selling garden/pick your own system working, and we sold fresh eggs straight form the chickens in our back yard. It was a way to give to the community. :star:


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## Capt Lightning (Apr 2, 2014)

INA, have you seen my post 'A taste of Scotland' under 'Travel'?  The city scenes are of Aberdeen  which is Scotland's 3rd. largest city.  Pop around 230,000.


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