What is hutting? 'A simple building used intermittently...'
The Thousand Huts Campaign was formally launched by Reforesting Scotland in June 2011 at Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh. The campaign is a practical response to growing demand from a wide range of people, both urban and rural, to revitalise hutting culture in Scotland - the building, inhabiting and enjoyment of simple shelters for recreation and pleasure.
In many European countries such as Germany, Finland, Norway and France, hutting is well-established. It is the norm for many urban people to head to the countryside for the weekend to their hytte, dacha or mokki. Scotland, by contrast has a very modest historic tradition of hutting which is predominantly associated with a working class movement that developed early in the 20th century when small holiday huts began to be built on land close to Scotland‘s main industrial cities, or within cycling distance of coalfields. There are already over 100 traditional huts on sites in the Scottish Borders, including nearby Eddleston and Soonhope, by Peebles (though modern hutting is a more eco-friendly and nature focused concept).
The Thousand Huts Campaign gained rapid and widespread support. It has created a platform for informed debate around the benefits hutting can bring to both individual lives and communities as well as to the sometimes impoverished natural environment of Scotland and to the rural economy. The Scottish Government’s commitment to delivering these benefits has been confirmed with inclusion of supportive policy on huts in the 2014 Scottish Planning Policy (SPP). Section 79 of the SPP states ‘[Local Development] Plans should set out a spatial strategy which, […] where appropriate, sets out policies and proposals for leisure accommodation, such as holiday units, caravans, and huts;’
That paragraph links to the SPP glossary where the definition of a hut is set out:
‘A simple building used intermittently as recreational accommodation (ie. not a principal residence); having an internal floor area of no more than 30m2; constructed from low impact materials; generally not connected to mains water, electricity or sewerage; and built in such a way that it is removable with little or no trace at the end of it life. Huts may be built singly or in groups.’
In July 2017, the Scottish Government adopted new Building Regulations to enable hut building without a warrant, reinforcing a commitment and light touch to hutting. New hut sites throughout the country are currently going through the planning process or are now in development. Hutting is therefore set to become a more commonplace use of Scotland’s natural resources, with multiple benefits, as described on the Thousand Huts website:
“Reforesting Scotland’s campaign for A Thousand Huts believes that a culture of recreational hut use could benefit people in Scotland greatly. Hut life brings people closer to nature. It cultivates practical skills in low carbon living, as well as fostering a spirit of community and co-operation. The physical and mental health benefits are without doubt, especially in these days of high levels of obesity and anxiety in children and teenagers. Ultimately, hutting helps grow a sense of empowerment and dignity through the creation of a beautiful, simple, low-impact hut.”
https://www.thousandhuts.org/aboutus
In many European countries such as Germany, Finland, Norway and France, hutting is well-established. It is the norm for many urban people to head to the countryside for the weekend to their hytte, dacha or mokki. Scotland, by contrast has a very modest historic tradition of hutting which is predominantly associated with a working class movement that developed early in the 20th century when small holiday huts began to be built on land close to Scotland‘s main industrial cities, or within cycling distance of coalfields. There are already over 100 traditional huts on sites in the Scottish Borders, including nearby Eddleston and Soonhope, by Peebles (though modern hutting is a more eco-friendly and nature focused concept).
The Thousand Huts Campaign gained rapid and widespread support. It has created a platform for informed debate around the benefits hutting can bring to both individual lives and communities as well as to the sometimes impoverished natural environment of Scotland and to the rural economy. The Scottish Government’s commitment to delivering these benefits has been confirmed with inclusion of supportive policy on huts in the 2014 Scottish Planning Policy (SPP). Section 79 of the SPP states ‘[Local Development] Plans should set out a spatial strategy which, […] where appropriate, sets out policies and proposals for leisure accommodation, such as holiday units, caravans, and huts;’
That paragraph links to the SPP glossary where the definition of a hut is set out:
‘A simple building used intermittently as recreational accommodation (ie. not a principal residence); having an internal floor area of no more than 30m2; constructed from low impact materials; generally not connected to mains water, electricity or sewerage; and built in such a way that it is removable with little or no trace at the end of it life. Huts may be built singly or in groups.’
In July 2017, the Scottish Government adopted new Building Regulations to enable hut building without a warrant, reinforcing a commitment and light touch to hutting. New hut sites throughout the country are currently going through the planning process or are now in development. Hutting is therefore set to become a more commonplace use of Scotland’s natural resources, with multiple benefits, as described on the Thousand Huts website:
“Reforesting Scotland’s campaign for A Thousand Huts believes that a culture of recreational hut use could benefit people in Scotland greatly. Hut life brings people closer to nature. It cultivates practical skills in low carbon living, as well as fostering a spirit of community and co-operation. The physical and mental health benefits are without doubt, especially in these days of high levels of obesity and anxiety in children and teenagers. Ultimately, hutting helps grow a sense of empowerment and dignity through the creation of a beautiful, simple, low-impact hut.”
https://www.thousandhuts.org/aboutus
Back in 1999 the Scottish Executive Development Department commissioned a study of ‘Huts and Hutters in Scotland’. That comprehensive report concluded that rural hutting continues a longstanding socially useful tradition and huts are an important part of their occupiers' lives. The report helped inform the 'fair wind' subsequently afforded to the further development of hutting and huts in Scotland.
Next: North Cloich Huts
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