Torrin - Homes

Isle of Skye

When software developer Peter Williamson commissioned a new home at Torrin, he wanted something distinctly contemporary. But within an established crofting settlement of traditional whitehouses and more recent bungalows, how could a very different kind of house find its place?

The answer was to look beyond the appearance of the surrounding houses to the deeper pattern of the settlement and landscape.

Finding a way to belong
Rather than imitate its neighbours, the design responds to the pattern of individual buildings dispersed across an open crofting landscape.

The brief was broken into a series of smaller interlocking volumes, with the main two-bedroom house paired with separate guest accommodation. Their arrangement reduces the apparent scale, frames the entrance and provides shelter from prevailing winds.

Raised on steel posts, the buildings touch the rocky ground lightly, leaving the landscape largely undisturbed.

Materials and landscape
Larch wraps both walls and roofs, unifying the volumes into simple sculptural forms. Full-height glazed gables frame views across Loch Slapin towards Blà Bheinn, while restrained interiors keep the landscape at the centre of the experience.

A contested design
Although supported by the planning officer, the proposal attracted significant local opposition and was refused by Highland Council on the grounds of its visual impact and contemporary form.

The decision was subsequently overturned on appeal to the Scottish Government.

Outcome
The completed house demonstrates that contemporary architecture can belong within a traditional settlement without resorting to imitation.

The project won a Gold Award for Residential – Single Home at the Scottish Design Awards 2025 and has been widely published, including in Coast magazine.

What was said at planning
“Resembling a Soviet-era munitions bunker or Doomsday-vault.”

Highland Councillor, during consideration of the planning application

What the client said
“Dualchas were a pleasure to work with, listening carefully to our brief and presenting an ambitious design that they then refined in close collaboration with us. We are delighted with the completed build at Torrin.”

Peter Williamson
Client