90-year-old woodcutter constructed his own hobbit house, where he resides in delightful comfort (GNL4)
Stuart Grant hobbit house – Sunny Skyz
A woodcutter who constructed his own hobbit house has revealed that he has never watched “The Lord of the Rings”; however, he resides in it almost off-grid at nearly 90 years old.
Great-grandfather Stuart Grant moved into the cottage he purchased as a dilapidated structure with no roof and doors in 1984 while renovating a house. He found such satisfaction in undertaking DIY projects on the unique building, which dates back 200 years, that he decided to make it his permanent residence.
He does not own a mobile phone or use the internet and no longer drives due to his age, but he enjoys socializing, which is fortunate as he has received a plethora of visitors to his home in Tomich, near Inverness, after his house was featured in a French tourist board’s recommendations for North Scotland.
“I haven’t watched ‘The Lord of the Rings,’” stated Grant, who worked for decades as a joiner and carpenter. “It is merely coincidental that my front door shares a similar shape and type of wood.”
“It was a shoemaker’s cottage and a croft. “There was no roof, only four walls that are 200 years old.” It is not an elaborate house; it is constructed from the remnants of others.
The old house had doorways, but no doors; window frames, but no windows, and there was no roof either. Outside there were only cows, chickens, and a donkey as neighbours. Building everything by hand, he described as working in “slow motion,” while living in a shed near to the cabin.
“I was always a glutton for scenic beauty, beautiful houses, and thatched cottages in England,” said Grant. “I cut the wood myself from fallen trees and collected stones from the river for the stonework. I put the stairs in. It took quite a few years, I never counted it. I just enjoyed doing it so much—I was getting such a buzz out of doing it.”
As the tourists began coming—busloads—they would routinely apologize for disturbing him, mentioning that they would probably feel a lot better if there were a collection box. He eventually acquiesced, but insists no one has to put anything in it. Fast-forward to present day and he’s pulled in over £5,000 out of it.
“You get a real buzz out of doing interesting stuff. I’ll be 90 in less than two weeks but I feel like a teenager,” he added.