Scotland has produced some of the most enduring cultural wonders of the last century including Sir Sean Connery, Annie Lennox, David Byrne, the television and a fictional media darling of a monster that was supposedly seen fourteen years ago. To honor our favorite skirt-wearing nation, we thought we’d shed some light on another fabulous Scottish endowment: the quaint and exceedingly cozy guest house.
Not to be confused with it’s wealthier cousin, the country house, the guest house is to Scotland what the Bed & Breakfast is to New England. Much less awkwardly intimate, Scottish guest houses are often separate and self-sufficient. And, exceptionally charming. After spotting a restored 1956 fire truck turned guest house complete with wood-burning stove and fully equipped kitchen, we couldn’t help but wonder what other unlikely and enchanting guest houses sit nestled in the Scottish Highlands and beyond.
From a modern shipping container retreat to a spare room you can hang from a tree to a canvas yurt with a grand Victorian bed and your very own truck wheel barbecue, click through to check out our offbeat roundup of the most beguiling freestanding abodes perfectly suited to receiving nosy house guests and meddlesome in-laws.
Fire Truck Guest House at Inshriach House — Cairngorms National Park, Scotland
Image credit: Design Mom
Shipping Container Guest House — San Antonio, Texas
Image credit: poteet architects
Sleeping Cabin/ Greenhouse — Helsinki, Finland
Image credit: Arsi Ikäheimonen via Dwell Magazine
Canvas Yurt Guest House at Inshriach House — Cairngorms National Park, Scotland
Image credit: One Off Places
Swamp Hut — Newton, Massachusetts
Image credit: Moskow Linn Architects
Guest House on Stilts — London, England
Image credit: Pasi Aalto via designboom
Futuristic Mobile Egg-Shaped House Extension — Antwerp, Belgium
Image credit: dmvA
Leaf House — Multiple locations
Image credit: O2 Treehouse
Karin Matzz’s Reclaimed Window House — Sweden
Image credit: Inhabitat
Guest House in a Riverboat — London, England
Image credit: webUrbanist