Stuart Grant, 89, did not set out to create a “Hobbit House” to live in, but that’s exactly what he did.
Interestingly, it all began in the early 1980s in Scotland. The retired woodcutter had temporarily moved into an old cow shed in his garden while renovating a house. No one knew his makeshift home was about to undergo an amazing transformation.
Once there, the craftsman started making the place comfortable—and just didn’t stop. He’d bring back materials found in the woods surrounding the property near the village of Tomich deep in the Scottish Highlands. Bit by bit, he built a magical nest for himself, all with his own hands.
The house could be straight out of “Lord of the Rings.” What’s even more remarkable is that Grant himself bears more than a passing resemblance to the beloved character Bilbo Baggins. As well as being 5 feet, 3 inches tall, he enjoys going barefoot and pottering around crafting wooden furniture. And the rounded front door of the charming cottage, complete with stained glass on both sides, is almost exactly the same as that owned by Mr. Baggins.
The project got underway in 1984, decades before “Lord of the Rings” was released onto screens, when Grant was approaching his 40th birthday.
In a YouTube interview with his friend Iain Maclean, who went there to film the project, Grant said that he'd been living in Australia prior to 1984 but returned home to Scotland following a divorce and a bout of ill health.
Half artist and half builder, Grant had originally intended to renovate a cottage. But, short of money, he realized that the cow shed actually had more potential and a better view, as well as being cheaper. The work was extensive, but many years later, Grant’s home is fit for a fairy tale.
The roof is covered in moss; ivy crawls up the walls; the ceilings are beamed and the windows mullioned. Cozy touches are everywhere, from sheepskin rugs and tartan throws to colorful crochet quilts. Outside is a flower-filled garden with a pretty pond, and a greenhouse for growing tomatoes.
The delightfully secluded spot has not been without visitors, however. After Maclean’s video of the cottage first emerged in 2009, a handful of “Lord of the Rings” fans made the pilgrimage to meet the man who dreamed and built his very own “Hobbit House.”
