Tongue Housing

Tongue, Sutherland

Our eight-home development for Wildland Ltd. in Tongue, Sutherland is set to break ground this autumn. Two of the houses will be delivered for the community development trust UpNorth!, while the remaining six will provide accommodation for Wildland staff.

The project began with a careful study of the site and its wider context. Inspiration came from the organic patterns of traditional crofting settlements, where stone walls, local materials, and the natural landform work together to create places that feel both rooted and responsive. Equally important was capturing the sense of community found in their close-knit arrangement and shared outdoor spaces.

Integrated into the sloping landscape, the buildings will be anchored through lower storeys and boundary walls in Caithness stone, with upper storeys clad in naturally weathering timber on cross-laminated timber structures. This combination grounds the scheme in its setting while ensuring a warm, enduring character.

The project will also establish a new pedestrian link between the upper and lower parts of the village through the formalisation of the historic Cockle Steps, an informal pathway that once ran through the site. This new piece of community infrastructure will connect the village street to the planned North Sutherland Care Hub, located directly below the housing.

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