Simpson & Brown revives 16th-century Fairburn Tower in Scottish Highlands
A 16th-century tower house by architecture studio Simpson & Brown that has been shortlisted for the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award is featured in this video by Stephenson&.
The film forms part of a series being published by Dezeen in collaboration with the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) to highlight the annual award's 2025 shortlist.
Within the video, viewers are introduced to the Category A-listed Fairburn Tower in the Scottish Highlands, which saw its historic, fortified structure revived and transformed by Simpson & Brown from a state of disrepair into a self-catering holiday let.
Commentary from project architect Julie Barklie highlights the importance of preserving Scottish renaissance architecture like Fairburn Tower and implementing sustainable retrofit approaches for their revival and longevity.
"Unfortunately, the tower eventually became a ruin in about the 1750s, but regardless of how crumbly it seemed, it had that potential [and] that sense of history and needing to be saved," Barklie said.
"On the one hand, you have the practical side that it stays up, but at the same time, it's been adapted to provide a viable, rented property that is popular to visit [and] that we can maintain easily in future generations," she continued.
The Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award is an annual award that highlights projects by Scottish architects, with this year's winner set to be announced on 5 December.
This year's four-strong shortlist features projects that "celebrate architecture's place alongside other disciplines", the the award body said, and includes a public realm project, rural infrastructure project and education building.
Vying for the title alongside Fairburn Tower is Gairnshiel Jubilee Bridge by Moxon Architects, The Nucleus Building by Sheppard Robson and Union Terrace Gardens by Stallan-Brand Architecture + Design & LDA Design.
The film and photography is courtesy of Stephenson&.
The post Simpson & Brown revives 16th-century Fairburn Tower in Scottish Highlands appeared first on Dezeen.
