Stroyan Estate

Perthshire

The steading has been part of the client’s family for several generations, forming the backdrop to childhood holidays and regular returns to the Highlands. Although now based in England, the family visit often with friends, using the estate as a base for time spent in the hills—walking, stalking and exploring the surrounding landscape. The steading has always played a central role in these gatherings, acting as the informal meeting point before heading out and a sheltered place to return to after a day in the weather.

Before the renovation, the building was largely unheated and used mainly for storage, with only a small drying room for wet boots and jackets. The brief was to retain the character and purpose of the steading while transforming it into a more comfortable and versatile space—somewhere robust enough for estate life, but welcoming enough to act as an extension of the main house when the family is hosting larger groups.

The refurbished building now provides a generous boot room and enlarged drying facilities, with the remaining volume opened up into a flexible social space containing a small kitchenette, dining area, sitting area and games zone. It supports the daily rhythm of estate activities and also serves as additional living space for guests when the main house is full—alongside the adjacent bothy accommodation.

Externally, the works have helped secure the long-term future of the structure. A patchwork of failing roof finishes has been replaced, and new windows and external doors introduced where many openings had either deteriorated or been left without glazing. Internally, the material palette emphasises durability and simplicity: a new insulated concrete slab, repaired and expressed stone walls, exposed timber roof structure, a stainless-steel kitchenette and recycled light fittings all contribute to a space that is honest, hardworking and rooted in the building’s agricultural origins.