A new architectural book titled "New Scottish Houses: Contemporary Architecture and Living in the Landscape" celebrates modern residential design across Scotland's remote regions, featuring eight distinctive homes that blend contemporary innovation with traditional Scottish building methods. Published by RIBA and authored by journalist Isabelle Priest, the collection showcases houses from the Outer Hebrides to the Highlands that exemplify what Priest calls "a new Scottish vernacular."
The book emerges in response to a significant proliferation of new architectural practices and projects across Scotland over the past decade. According to Priest, these developments are "defined by locality, context and tradition," representing an evolving architectural movement that remains deeply rooted in Scottish heritage. "You could definitely call it a new Scottish vernacular, and what's exciting is it's still developing," Priest explained. "That's why it is the first book of its sort and so relevant to now."
Among the featured properties is Caochan na Creige in the Outer Hebrides, designed by local studio Izat Arundell and shortlisted for Dezeen Awards 2024 rural homes category. This small home sits respectfully in a sheltered inlet on the eastern coast, constructed using blocks of local Lewisian Gneiss stone to blend seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. The building's irregularly angled plan resulted from "working with the landscape rather than against it," according to Eilidh Izat, director of Izat Arundell.
Another standout project is Tidal House by architecture studio Brown + Brown, created for a retired couple relocating to Dumfriesshire in southern Scotland. Situated on the Solway Coast, the residence balances privacy with optimal exposure to natural light and landscape views. "We weren't trying to create something that hides away but at the same time the building sits comfortably on the shoreline," explained studio founder Andrew Brown.
Iorram cottage by Baillie + Baillie Architects represents a contemporary interpretation of traditional Scottish crofters' cottages or black houses commonly found in the Highlands. The architects adopted a low-tech, natural materials-led approach, incorporating locally sourced Douglas fir and emphasizing craftsmanship. "We wanted Iorram to communicate the value of craftsmanship, locally sourced timber and the inherent quality and calmness that natural materials bring to a space," said co-founder Colin Baillie.
Nedd House in Sutherland, designed by Mary Arnold-Forster Architects, features a cross-laminated timber structure wrapped in burnt larch planks. The house is divided into three distinct pods - living spaces, master bedroom, and guest bedrooms - connected by large windows and glazing that frame views of rocks, heather, and nearby Loch Nedd.
The collection also includes Ardoch in Aberdeenshire by Moxon Architects, a decade-long project that repurposed three 19th-century farm buildings into a home and artist's studio. Cuddymoss in Ayrshire by Ann Nisbet Studio showcases a timber-framed house built within a stone ruin, comprising two gabled structures connected by a glass corridor. Spyon Cop in Cairngorms National Park, another Brown + Brown project, features a three-bedroom dwelling with a concealing green roof and bold black cladding.
The final featured project, An Office and Two Houses in Inverness by Loader Monteith, demonstrates how contemporary Scottish architecture can create cohesive developments using consistent material palettes of timber and metal across different building types.
Priest emphasizes that all featured projects share "an ambition for the architecture to be deeply contextual," with designs that uniquely respond to their environments by drawing on geology, climate, heritage, building conditions, and sense of identity. The book aims to inspire architects, clients, and homeowners by showcasing "the amazing possibilities of commissioning, designing and building beautiful contextual contemporary homes in the landscape," establishing a new chapter in Scottish residential architecture that honors tradition while embracing innovation.
