The Lord of The Rings is one of the most iconic fantasy epics in English literature. If you have watched the films, then you would be familiar with the Hobbit House. The unique houses were fashioned out of holes inside small hills. The Hobbits were a race of pretty short people, so the houses would have low ceilings but lots of space inside. The most recognizable feature of the houses was probably their large circular doors built into the hill. An elderly Scot has created his own version of the Hobbit House, albeit he claims it was accidental.
Stuart Grant, who is 90 years old, had begun the project back in the 80s. In an interview given to BBC Scotland, Stuart said that the final product is nothing more than a mistake. He explained that when he had started the project, he had become more and more invested in it. In the end, the Hobbit House was the result. The real-life rendition of the iconic building sits inside a woods in the Scottish Highlands Glen Affric.
In 1984, when Grant had purchased the plot, it only had one derelict house along with one livestock shed that was even more in ruins. A shoemaker was the original owner of the land, which was only a byre back then and it dates back almost 200 years. After that, it was left to wildlife like a pig, a donkey, and a cow. By then, Stuart had lived and worked in Australia for 14 years over two periods. He is an experienced joiner and wanted to turn the Highland house into a place he could call his home.
The Hobbit House Was Only A Coincidence
The first thing that Stuart decided to work on was the byre. He wanted that place to be his temporary shelter. That was the foundation of Hobbit House. Originally, the byre only had two entrances and four walls. It did not even have any doors. Over time, Grant connected it to the power grid, even though the only appliance he had was a 100W bulb. Today, it is one of the most comfortable homes you can have, mostly repaired with wood and furnished with scavenged and refurbished appliances he found at a scrapheap.
The Hobbit House now features stained glass windows as well as intricate owl heads carved into each step on one of the staircases. Stuart’s handiness comes from his long time working in occupations that handled wood. He had started off as a woodcutter when the timber in Highland forests was hauled out using Clydesdale Horses! He then became an apprentice joiner, before being employed in sawmills across Australia and Scotland.
Interestingly, Stuart has no idea about Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit House. He has never read or seen anything from the series. So, he credits the similarities to a coincidence. After all, it is the visitors and neighbors who find the general aesthetic and oval door of the house to resemble a Hobbit House.
On the other hand, Stuart’s project is still ongoing since the main house is yet to be completely converted. Unfortunately, age is catching up, and progress has slowed, so Stuart jokes that he will probably be 130 years old before that part is completed. Moreover, the livestock still seems to adore the byre as he recalls local sheep sometimes getting inside and waking him up by jumping on the roof!
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Sources:
- “The man who built a Hobbit house by accident.” BBC. Andrew Thomson. February 12.
- “90-Year-old Woodcutter Built his Own Hobbit House Where He Lives in Charming Comfort (LOOK).” Good News Network. January 17, 2023.