Can we start making a list of huts in Scotland built or pending under the new hutting legislation. Preferably with reference number for the planning application.
We have six huts almost completed on The Solway Coast in Dumfries and Galloway.
Go to Dumfries and Galloway web site. Go to planning and "Search Planning Applications" Put in reference 18/1031/FUL or just type in Torr, Auchencairn.
Should com up with "Erection of 6 Recreational Accomodation Huts"
Sure we have but our careers are less than stable (although the only stable job for life in the UK these days is retirement LOL). I guess many other folk have a similar situation so committing to an ongoing cost ,raising your expenditure baseline when you don't know if you will have any income at all tomorrow is a tough call.
Live long enough and the cyclical story of having a good job today and being refused a job serving coffee tomorrow is very common and all too familiar to many of us.
I think hutting is an easier shoe in for retiree's from a time versus money point of view. But will not be a universal panacea or completely hassle free for these guys either. As you point out oldtor is a good example of how entry can be eased to a degree. I think there are others too.
The question then is how do we broaden the appeal and reduce the bar to entry for everyone especially young folk and folk of family producing ages who might arguably benefit greatly from it. I am BTW not proposing any answers here just laying out the situation.
I feel that the community spirit is a big plus, as well as the outlook of those already hutting, plus the benefits of the lifestyle. A newcomer though is not necessarily going to get all of this till they have experienced it one way or another. experiencing it is perhaps the best publicity then.
A setup that is all short term lets may not be appreciably different from a caravan park. There is then a good argument for mixed use that promotes the pluses of hutting. Maybe with the odd tent camping spot interspersed or even a bothy if on or close to a hiking/biking trail.
Scotland is most definitely as you have observed, ahead of the game in terms of open access, bothying, hutting and wild camping.
I think tting, as a concept in 21st century UK, even just Scotland, needs a lot more publicity before the general public fully understand what it's about. I see it more as a getaway with responsibilities for caring for the land - not just woodland - are part of the deal. Lee's model is the one I have learned from, with token rent and self builds. We need more sites like Old Torr. Have you thought about renting a plot of land to self build?
Lol sounds like a plan. I like the idea of spending the kids inheritance on spoiling their kids. I think it is in the grandparents job description somewhere.....
On hutting as an organized occasional let. rather than a perpetual let. I think there is a place in the grand run of things to allow folk to test the water for themselves. Going from nothing to owning one's own hut etc is a big leap. A midpoint perhaps somewhere between Bothying and Glamping. Certainly not glamping though.
It could certainly ease the way in and promote the lifestyle. But should not detract from actually doing it for real.
Cool, yes that seems a bit more logical-ish. It is a different deal run as a business. Not actually council tax as such then but business rates.
Having done a small amount of reading into running as a business/holiday-destination/camp-site I have found Scotland to be a touch confusing. In England camping and caravaning (Tents and Campers and Caravans) are on a similar footing re councils and planning. Whereas in Scotland councils make overt statements about campers/caravan's but nothing is said about tents and camping. It is almost like they weren't the thing that they are.
Is this because due to the allowance of wild camping tenting is unregulated/unregulatable or is there something else I have not got my head around yet ??
It looks fantastic! I'm so excited to see another hut after all your hard work
Thank you. Sorry you didn't get your bit woodland. It was third time lucky for us when looking for land. Only problem was that our long-awaited woodland didn't have many trees, so the hut's been built while we are planting around about the site. :) We have already started furnishing the hut without a budget: it's going to be a combination of upcycled, recycled, salvaged, donated, swapped, homemade and charity shop finds. 😀
Nice one, well done. Looking forwards to piccys of the fit out.
We did not get the bit o woodland we had put a bid in on. So the search continues.
All the best for the season.
Hut completed! Just needs to dry out so we can get the exterior done with Osmo oil.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY! I'm putting up the decorations this weekend. :)
I just took a rummage through Frugaldom's application as well now that I could find it. It looks like D&G is becoming a better worn path for hutters.
I was also looking at the camping setup and provisioning info on :-
They have done the leg work in sizing toilets to campers etc and other useful stuff. They do seem to have a blind spot (and are not particularly interested in sorting it) where Scotland is concerned. But their ratio's etc for facilities and keeping it green are most interesting.
Well done
And especially thanks for the directions as to how to find the planning application. We are currently looking for woodland in the D&G or Borders areas with a view to running up a hut. So seeing what has worked for people already and the conditions that Planners etc apply is really useful.
Councils and Planning can be a bit opaque until you actually apply so a template or exemplar successful application is awesome.
That's brilliant news! Well done for sticking with it and adding another to the growing list. Look forward to lots of photos.
It's been a long time coming and our plans changed drastically when Covid pandemic hit but the planning app (21/0272/FUL) for our own hut (plus other stuff we wanted to make permanent) was finally passed in September. I needed a hay shed completed first but now that it's done, work has begun on our hut! :) It's being built in sections off site and will hopefully be assembled here in about a week's time. We just need the weather to behave. Meanwhile, we will begin planting trees around the hut site as our plan to buy woodland never materialised. Make do, mend, plant trees and one day there will be a woodland there. :)
Building huts seemed like a difficult job, but I know how to build them. I will share this information in my australian writing paper. My readers will appreciate it a lot, and I want that.
Thanks, Lee. I'll keep you up to date and we'll get along to yours at some point soon or a catch-up and to see your hut. :)
That's brilliant. Fantastic to have another site in the pipeline. Good luck!!😊
We are in the very early stages of planning but will list in here as soon as I can. The number crept up to 5 😃