Sutherland lodge ‘light touch’ conservation project earns top architecture accolade
A long-term conservation project at Kinloch Lodge near Lairg has earned a prestigious national architecture award, highlighting the “power of subtlety and patience” in restoring Scotland’s built heritage.
The project, designed and delivered by GRAS (Groves-Raines Architects Studios), was one of just eleven named winners in this year’s RIAS Awards – Scotland’s premier architecture honours presented by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.
Judges praised the work for its philosophical and restrained approach, describing it as an “exceptional example of light-touch conservation”.
Kinloch Lodge, a mid-19th-century building with a number of later extensions and outbuildings, had gradually slipped into disrepair.
Instead of pursuing radical reinvention, the architects opted for a methodical and highly respectful route.
Every decision was measured, every material chosen for its historical appropriateness, and every building feature retained wherever possible.
The result is a restoration so seamless and understated that, in the words of the judging panel, “the architects’ interventions are almost imperceptible.”
The outcome follows years of painstaking effort, traditional craftsmanship and philosophical commitment to preserving a building’s soul rather than just its shell.
The building’s new recognition also places it on the longlist for the coveted RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award, with the overall winner due to be announced in November.
The Doolan Award is considered one of the highest accolades in Scottish architecture.
The Sutherland project joins a diverse group of award-winning schemes across the country, including a Passivhaus-certified school in Perth, the revitalisation of Union Terrace Gardens in Aberdeen, and a new educational hub for the University of Edinburgh.
Two other Highland-based projects were also honoured — Aldourie Castle on Loch Ness, where Ptolemy Dean Architects led a five-year restoration of the castle and its estate buildings, and Fairburn Tower near Muir of Ord, revived as a characterful holiday accommodation by Simpson and Brown Architects.
Jessam Al-Jawad, a director with Al-Jawad Pike, who chaired the jury for RIAS, said: “This year’s RIAS Awards winners show an inspiring range of responses to Scotland’s landscapes, communities, and heritage — from quietly transformative conservation to bold public architecture.
“Across the board, we saw a deep care for context, sustainability and the people who use these buildings. Taken together, these projects demonstrate the extraordinary breadth of talent in Scottish architecture today.”
