This is one of the buildings in a recreated 1700s township at the Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore, Scotland. It started to rain just as we got there, but then the rain stopped. We spent about 2 hours there; I shot a LOT of photos.

The wattle walls facilitated drying of barley and oats. Opposing barn doors took advantage of cross drafts to winnow (separate chaff from) grain.

We got back yesterday from a week on the (small) Isle of Eigg. So much has happened that I’ve had little time to write and/or post photos about it. Tomorrow night (Tuesday, May 10), I’m doing a presentation at Kircaldy Galleries, titled “50 Years of Natural Building,” chronicling our building books from Shelter in 1973 up to the present. It’s been sold out for a few weeks.

I had a trial run Wednesday night in the community center on Eigg, about 30 people (half the population of the island). A ton of kindred spirits on the island.

I ended up shooting photos of the (very different) homes of 2 builders: Damien Helliwell and Karl Harding, which will go into the Small Homes book.

Eigg is one of a group of 4 islands referred to as The Small Isles, in the Inner Hebrides. It’s off the west coast of Scotland, reachable by a ferry from the fishing port of Mallaig.

We could live here, and I can’t say that for many places in the world.

So much to tell, so little time. Some photos

Isle of Eigg from Ferry

The Sgurr of Eigg

Ancient stone masonry

Stove in Karl’s round house

Shepherd’s bothy (hut)

Note:I’m not going to be so specific about where things are out here. I’ve seen too many small towns wrecked (or forever changed) by getting too much attention.