Skip to main content

This Minimalist Vacation Home is a Modern Retreat in the Scottish Countryside

Tucked into the cliffside overlooking The Minch strait on the Isle of Skye sits a minimalist vacation home that boasts a unique take on the traditional. Blackhouse homes (or crofter cottages) abound in Scotland. Typically made of stone with thatched roofs, Blackhouses are simple structures with just one or two rooms. Paying homage to this design, Gil Smith and Alan Dickenson of Rural Design Architects created Tinhouse, a simple yet beautiful abode that is full of style.

The sleek exterior look of Tinhouse takes inspiration from local architecture. The shape is the classic, simple form of homes in the area, while the tin corrugated tin cladding is the typical material used for storage sheds. The result is a modern structure that is both beautiful and durable, able to withstand the fierce storms that come from the ocean.

Tinhouse Scottish Countryside
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The minimalist style continues on the inside. Carefully placed windows take advantage of the stunning views of The Minch and surrounding cliffs. The open concept living room, dining area, and kitchen are furnished with just the necessities: a built-in sofa and bookshelf, a side chair, a coffee table, a dining table for two, and a small fireplace. Skylights flood the room with natural light, highlighting the nature-inspired color palette.

Recommended Videos

Moving along into the bedroom, the simple concrete floor and white walls are accented with natural wood accents and a touch of bright green reminiscent of the surrounding grassy fields. A large glass door allows for stunning views of the water from the reclaimed wood platform bed. The bathroom features a large soaking tub that is perfect for relaxing after a day of hiking the nearby paths.

When designing Tinhouse, the architects strived to adhere to the handmade tradition of the area. The majority of the home was built by just Smith and Dickenson. The concrete-topped dining table on saw horses, the pocket doors, the built-in sofa, and the hand-poured concrete patio were all designed and built by the duo. When more help was needed — raising the gable wall or steel support beams — the build was turned into a social event, increasing the sense of community that is a staple of life on the Isle of Skye.

Available as a weekly vacation rental, Tinhouse is a great escape for anyone looking to unplug (cell service here is spotty at best) and unwind. Tinhouse truly encapsulates the minimalist concept; the simplicity of the interior lets you focus on the beauty of the natural surroundings. With no distractions, one can truly be at peace during a stay here.

Kelsey Machado
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kelsey is a professional interior designer with over a decade of experience in the design field. With a passion for…
The first trailer for I Know What You Did Last Summer proves that no franchise is truly dead
Almost 30 years after the original, we're following a new group of hunted teens.
Jennifer Love Hewitt in I Know What You Did Last Summer

If you were one of those people who was wondering when we might get a third I Know What You Did Last Summer movie, then you're in luck. The first trailer for the new film is here, and it features Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. reprising their roles as Julie James and Ray Bronson from the first two films in the franchise.

The film, which is somewhat confusingly called I Know What You Did Last Summer, was directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and will serve as a direct sequel to the original 1997 film. In that film, a group of friends are hunted by a killer with a hooked hand one year after they killed someone in a hit-and-run accident.

Read more
Max is following Netflix’s lead and cracking down on password sharing
The move will generate some additional revenue for Warner Bros. Discovery
The Max logo.

If you've been sharing your Max account with someone else, Max is trying to make your life harder. Variety is reporting that Max just added an Extra Member Add-On feature in the U.S., priced at $7.99/month. This lets the primary account holder share their account with someone outside of their household. These additional members will be able to create a separate account that is linked to the primary subscriber.

Warner Bros. Discovery had previously said that they plan to notify users about new restrictions on sharing accounts outside of their primary household. This move by Max follows similar efforts by Netflix and Disney+, and are obviously designed to generate additional revenue from users who are currently sharing accounts across households.

Read more
Everything we know about the four Beatles biopics
Get ready for Beatlemania
The Beatles sitting together

As if there aren't enough musical biopics that have been released in the last decade, director Sam Mendes is adding a quartet of Beatles movies to his filmography. A unique set of films that connect into one greater whole, the upcoming Beatles biopics have to be watched together to get a full appreciation of the band's story. Much like Marvel fans who watch all of the superhero movies to get the best experience out of the story, this set of films will work the same way. Whether making an expanded Beatles universe of films is a good idea or not remains to be seen.

Each film will give equal screentime to Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr. They will come out around the same time to encourage fans to see all of them. This is made possible by a simultaneous filming schedule in which all four movies will be produced alongside each other. The estimated release date is sometime in April 2028, according to Gold Radio. Sony hasn't decided yet whether all four movies will come out on the same day or whether there will be slight differences in release, whether that be one a week, etc. We have everything you need to know about the four Beatles movies right here, from the actors in the films to each Beatle's importance today.

Read more