Borradill, a Designer’s Scots-Scandi Rental House and Cottage on the West Coast of Scotland

“Two early prefab Swedish timber-framed cabins brought to the West Highlands in the late 1990s to a 25-acre woodland where a seven-foot Swedish Viking prince, Borradill, is said to have been buried.” Set between moor and sea loch, the property sounded so wonderful to interior designer Claire Mookerjee and her husband—already regular vacationers in the region—that he had put in an offer before she was able to tour the place herself. “It did take a bit of imagination to see what it could be,” she says.

Fortunately, that comes naturally to Claire, who runs her own London studio, Mookerjee Design. The two houses came with generous windows and decks overlooking Loch Sunart and its islands. In place of, in Claire’s words, “thick, green pub carpet, yellowing varnished pine on every surface, and a surplus of English-style furniture,” she introduced a befitting Scandi-by-way-of-Scotland sensibility: pale wood, checked textiles, and linseed oil paint in a palette inspired by Carl Larsen’s own home.

Claire focused on sustainable materials and finishes, and had the structures outfitted with their own UV water filtration systems and solar panels, so they’re “mainly off-grid.” The joiner on the project had a three-hour commute “when the ferry was actually running,” so it took a while. Borradill, as the compound is known, is now newly complete as a vacation enclave: Claire and her family rent it out year-round. Take a look at what just might be your next great escape.

Photography by Joshua Page, courtesy of Mookerjee Design (@mookerjee_design).

The House

Above: The two dwellings were assembled from Swedish pre-fabricated panels that arrived by boat and road. They’re finished with a Danish wood stain made from an age-old recipe: see Everything You Need to Know About Pine Tar.

“The cabins were built in the late 1990s by a couple who had bought the site as recently felled commercial forestry land,” Claire tells us. “The agreement was they could build the cabins if they replanted the rest of the woodlands, which they did lovingly and mostly with their own hands.”

Above: The front doors and window trim are in an iron-oxide red synonymous with Swedish country houses. Above: Walking sticks await in the entry. Claire reports that the rooms were finished with Graphenestone’s entirely eco-friendly paints as well as colorful linseed-oil paints and stains sourced from Brouns & Co and Linolie & Pigment: read about the latter in Old Recipes and Proud Traditions.

The mustard used here and in the living room is Graphenstone’s mineral paint in Miso.

Above: Claire developed what she calls “a Scandi-Hebridean design language” and notes “robustness was at the forefront of every decision.” Early in her career, she worked for an architecture firm in Copenhagen and says she was struck by the similarities between “Scotland’s bothy culture and Denmark’s summer house culture.”

The interior paneling was supplied by Russwood: explains Claire, “It’s a product called Lunawood which is thermally modified pine, originally developed in Finland to be used in saunas. The heat and steam treatment was found to stabilize and extend the life of the timber, and it’s become a favorite cladding choice for architects. I was excited to use it internally because of how it absorbs different colored stains with a really lovely finish.”

Above: Salt-glazed tiles by Tanglebank Tiles depict the story of Borradill: the tall Viking prince is said to have been killed by the leader of the Celts and buried on the property.

Claire hand-mixed some of the wall colors herself on site: “I used Brouns & Co colors with boiled linseed oil and true balsam turpentine.”

Above: The rooms have “a variety of nooks and seating areas” for fully immersing in the setting. The furniture is covered in Libeco Belgian linen. Above: The kitchen overlooks the dining area—and there’s also a long outdoor table. The existing kitchen cabinets were upgraded with Bespoke Painted Doors from DIY Kitchens. Above: A writing desk and antique settle in one of the house’s two bedrooms. Above: There are two paneled bathrooms with towel warmers. Above: The view from the main bedroom. The house sleeps four to six.

The Cottage

Above: The cabin is situated just up the hill. Above: The deck overlooks the water. Above: We approve of the living room’s cotton rug-draped sofa: see 5 Easy, Good-Looking Ways to Protect the Favorite Seat in the House. Above: The dining area features Sue Skeen’s Plank Settle, which Claire bought at an auction—she thinks it was stock from London’s sadly now-defunct New Craftsmen. The textiles throughout include Ian Mankin Scottish Oban checks and Halley Stevenson’s waxed cotton. The wall hanging is a vintage Finnish Halla Cloth designed by Synnöve Lindberg. Above: The kitchen cabinets were upgraded with paint. Claire also introduced ThermoWood pine paneling and a Russell Hobbs induction stove. Above: The bed frames are modeled after the tall shelf designs Claire admired at the Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore. On the bed, vintage Finnish fabric woven by the Tampella mill is stitched onto a sturdy linen duvet cover. The Cottage sleeps four. Above: One of many choice coffee spots.

Floor Plans

Above: The House, illustrated by Claire. Above: The Cottage.

How to Get There

Above: Borradill is in Glenborrodale, a 3.5-hour drive from Glasgow and a 1.5-hour drive from Fort William, which is reachable from London by train. The house and cottage can be booked separately or together.

Peruse the Remodelista Vacation Rental archive for more ideas, including:

• Greatest Hits: 45 Rental Houses, International Edition
• 15 Favorite Sources for Vacation Rentals (Beyond Airbnb)
• 13 Perfect Details for the Summer House from Hotelier Ray Pirkle of Camptown