In Scotland, Scotch whiskey is a big part of the culture. Still, it’s not like everyone over there is living in houses made from whiskey vats. But perhaps that’s changing.
At Findhorn Ecovillage in Moray, Scotland, there is now a home called 265 Barrel House. It has three bedrooms and a loft. It also has a copper roof and a timber frame. And it’s heated by passive solar energy and a wood-burning stove.
But the most interesting part about 265 Barrel House (and the reason you’re reading this article) is this: It’s built from recycled whiskey vats.
See, a whiskey vat is only usable by a distillery for about 60 years. After that, it’s usually taken apart and recycled. But Findhorn resident Roger Douda was out for a walk one day in the Spey Valley—where many Scotch whiskey distilleries are located—when inspiration hit. He realized these used-up whiskey vats could have second lives as houses.
At Findhorn, 265 Barrel House’s neighboring home, 266 Barrel House, is also made from whiskey vats. In addition, there are a number of other whiskey barrel houses sprouting up in and around the same cluster of homes.
If you’re wondering about pricing, it’ll cost you about $165,000 to live in a home like 265 Barrel House. And while we’d like to say that its design gets two thumbs up, its owner does note that the recycled windows and doors are “insufficiently insulated.”
Which means one thing: You’ll need a bottle of actual whiskey to stay warm in this whiskey house in the winter.
For more on Findhorn Ecovillage, go here. Below, watch a short tour of some of the barrel houses at Findhorn.
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