Traditional baronial style self-build, Highlands

Best Timber Frame

Ian Scott Watson has designed a remarkable one-off home for private clients in the Scottish Highlands. The home, which sits on the site of a country house demolished in the 1970s, uses the surviving tower as inspiration for its Baronial style. The new home makes the most of the views and is built out of timber frame with a blockwork outer shell, onto which harling has quite literally been thrown to give a solid, rough finish. The interiors draw on a range of antique fittings to give visitors the impression that this new home has been on the site for centuries. The house cost £950,000 (£1,727/m²) to build over 18 months.

Tweets On This Property

"Everything that self-build should be: glamorous, full of vision, beautifully designed and completely off-the-wall – this modern-day fairytale is the ultimate country retreat."

Jason Orme, Editor of Homebuilding & Renovating magazine

"In fitting with a traditional country house, the interiors are elegantly proportioned, with period plaster mouldings, panelled doors and traditional paint colours."

Michael Holmes, Editor-in-Chief of Homebuilding & Renovating, Period Living and Real Homes magazines

"Green acres down to salmon river. Totally right for new aristo pastiche of Scottish baronial style home. Clever but questions over some design details."

Peter Harris, Managing Director of Centaur Special Interest Media

"If you’re going to build a traditional home, then you should definitely build a castle. Love the towers and scaled-down, hen-house version."

Angela Pertusini, former Editor of The Daily Telegraph’s award-winning Property section

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