View of the Old Manse, Cromarty. c.1690, restored 1991.

SVBWG was set up in 1972 to provide a focus for people interested in the traditional buildings of Scotland.

A key activity of the group is publication of research about the buildings, their materials, their setting, their social role and so on. Vernacular Building now appears annually and includes a wide range of short papers. From time to time we also publish volumes dedicated to a particular area, type of building or theme - the Regional and Thematic Studies series.

A house in Fishertown, Cromarty.

The annual conference is usually held over a weekend in late April. Previous venues have included Cullen (2004), Drymen (2006), Inveraray (2008), and Thornhill in Dumfriesshire (2009). Members have the opportunity to visit a wide range of sites in the chosen locality. Often we have the benefit of experts, people who know the area well and share their knowledge of its buildings. Many of the sites are not normally open to the public. These visits, with a range of other, interested people, are the highlights of membership for many people.

Gordonstoun Doocot, near Lossiemouth, c.1600. The interior of a beehive-type doocot showing the diminishing rows of sandstone boxes, vaulted to the central throat at the apex.

The one day Autumn Conference may also be a site visit - previous venues have included the villages of Cousland and Fala, Stanley Mills, and New Lanark Mills. Or it may comprise a series of lectures focussed on a particular issue such as The Hearth in the Scottish Home (2000) or Scottish Urban Vernacular Traditions (2001).

All our meetings are informal and participatory. Non-members are very welcome and local people can attend the Spring conference as non-residents at a reduced rate.

The Regional and Thematic Studies gives a good idea of the range of our interests, including Harbour Lights, Rural Architecture of the North Isle of Man, The Hearth in Scotland, Materials and Traditions in Scottish Buildings and Highland Vernacular Building, amongst others. Over the next few years the series will be greatly expanded by a series on Scottish Doocots (ie pigeon houses). That series was launched with 'The Doocots of Moray' by Dr Nick Brown in 2004 and has continued with guides for Lanarkshire, Highland Orkney and Shetland, and East Lothian.