Tucked away in a remote and rugged part of the Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands, the Culardoch Shieling is a small mountain hut designed by London and Aberdeenshire-based firm Moxon Architects. The 47-square-meter hut is a contemporary reinterpretation of traditional Scottish farming crofts, shepherd's shelters, and Swiss Alpine shacks. It was commissioned by art dealers Iwan and Manuela Wirth, who sought a private, remote space on their estate for entertaining guests. The design is a clever blend of regional vernacular architecture and 20th-century modernism. Its monolithic, wooden form draws inspiration from the simple aesthetic of local livestock buildings, while its irregular, strategically placed windows are reminiscent of Le Corbusier's iconic Chapelle Notre Dame du Haut at Ronchamp. These irregularly cut apertures precisely frame specific features of the surrounding landscape, including the granite tors of Ben Avon and a bend in the River Gairn. Constructed almost entirely from timber, the shieling (Gaelic for "hut") was designed to minimize its impact on the terrain. The structure features a simple cruck frame with deep, overhanging eaves. The roof is camouflaged with a layer of heather, moss, and stone gathered from the local hillsides, helping it blend into the moorland and providing additional insulation. The cozy interior is lined with spruce and features a long, communal dining table, a prominent wood-burning stove for heating, and subtle modern details like a suspended iron shelf for candles. The project was completed in 2016 and received several awards, including the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland Forestry Commission for Scotland Award in 2017. Project credits Architects: Moxon Architects Photography: Ben Addy Main Contractor: AJC Aboyne Project Manager: Fowler Fortescue Structural Engineer: Graeme Craig Consulting Engineers Ltd Quantity Surveyor: McCue & Porter Manufacturers: Velux Group, Glenalmond Timber, Tor Contracting