Earliest habitations were very simple, and in fact, similar in appearance and layout to these cottages today at Boatie Row. When originally built they were similar to other homes of the poorer class. The villages were usually in neat rows, sometimes gable-end on to the sea, but seldom with any garden space and in the vast majority of cases only narrow footpaths separated the houses. There would be little room for the fishers to work on their fishing gear other than on the foreshore itself. Other local examples of this can be found in Johnshaven, Inverbervie and Catterline. These homes were built of sea rock and stones gathered from nearby shores but in some cases nearby rock quarries.

Clay was used as mortar and sometimes heather cuttings and shredded straw to strengthen the mortar. The roofs were normally thatched with heather broom or earth 'dyvots'.

There was one door, with one small window opening per room (not always with glass). In this case wooden shutters would cover the opening at night or in inclement weather. There was an earth floor sprinkled with sand or gravel. A large open fireplace with the crook hanging down from the 'rantle tree' above the fire provided cooking facilities. The inner roof was always blackened with soot from the open fire. Kebbocks hung from stout wooden boards firmly attached to the couples. The kebbocks would range from dried fish, mainly cod or ling, plus bunches of onions, peppermint, hyssop, mustard and various herbs. It must be remembered that most of the fisherman's work was carried out under the shelter of his home and his wife baited the lines with, after each day's work, the room being restored.

Besides being by the sea, the home of the fisher could always be identified by the hakes hanging outside and inside by 'hairs for tippens', hooks and in later years her ring nets.

The old houses, although still standing, are nearly all modernised, many of them have been heightened but little of historic beauty has been lost.