People had no running water or electricity. Large families often lived in a
small but and ben. They could be moved out whenever a laird wanted. Everyday
habits were different too. People were often very superstitious. For
instance, when at sea they did not like to turn their boats against the
direction the sun was travelling in; at home they would always sleep with
their feet pointing towards the door.
Getting married was very different too. As one writer noted, "the greater
number of marriages are between youths of nineteen and maids of thirty two.
Furniture was basic. One important piece of furniture was the restin
chair. This was a kind of sofa made of wood which had no cushions. It was
six foot long with arm rests at each end. The restin chair was the best
chair reserved for guests and senior members of the family, others had to
sit around the fire on stools. There was also a wooden table used during the
preparation of food and at meal times but it could rarely seat all the
family. Often the family put plates or bowls on their laps and sat on the
stools. There were usually plenty of chests for storing clothes and
sometimes for sitting on. There was also a tall press or cupboard for
holding kitchen utensils and a rack for holding crockery.
People slept in box beds large wooden boxes about six feet six inches
long and four feet wide. These were raised off the floor on four wooden legs
that extended upwards to form the main framework of the bed. The entrance to
the bed took up about a third of the front side and this could be closed by
wooden doors.
There was no lavatory but privacy could always be found in the byre when
the weather or home commitments prevented one from finding a secluded spot
outside!
By the end of the century the houses had improved. For example, most
houses had proper chimneys, a front door, windows, wooden floors and even
felt roofs.
