Tales of Isolation and Cultivation in Northern Scotland Elliot Pick
Tales of Isolation and Cultivation In Northern Scotland Elliot Pick PG16 Tutors: Ana Monrabal-Cook & Matthew Butcher MArch Design Project: Narrative Component
The project narrates the story of three isolated cultivators that work to atone for their past unsustainable farming practices and their current cultivation of the croft. A design ethos is formed which tailors architecture to suit and suit to body. The narrative is detailed within nine chapters. Chapters one to five are used as test beds for alternative cultivation methods which explore the extraction of honey, wool, fish scales, earth, and sap. Chapters six to eight, exhibit the three cultivator’s cottages that celebrate the extracted materials within the architecture. Chapter nine advances the story by 23 years and concludes the narrative with a tour of the decomposed dwellings. On a wider scale, this project has attempted to redefine the ways humans interact with different types of agriculture and the natural world, resulting in a piece of architectural fiction that visually details the relationship between architectural interventions and nature.
Prequel The Hermit & The Reliquary
Hermit - “A person who lives alone and apart from the rest of society, especially for religious reasons”
Day One
“Exploration, Encampment, Survival”
Month Six
“Comfort, Craft, Control, Territorialization”
Year Five to Ruin
“Collection, Expose, Ritualization, Imprint, Reliquary ”
Chapter One The Lost Coast of Loch Hourn
“Discovery, Exploration”
The Lost Coast of Loch Hourn Upon arriving at the croft, the cultivator began to explore the site utilising abnormal travel methods. It was clear that this inhabitant was lured in by the sheep and soon began polluting the land with constructed outposts. However, nature disagreed with the construction and tore the outpost down with a violent storm - The cultivator had gotten a true taste of the unforgiving environment. The cultivator had begun their extraction of the local sheep’s wool yet the inhabitant exhibited themes of atonement. The cultivator had created a suit that was clearly uncomfortable through the integration of stilts and absurdly large shepherd’s canes. Whilst the wool extraction suit enabled the gathering of sheep, it was often bogged down throughout the croft. As days passed, the cultivator had learned their lesson of outpost constructions and created a new piece, however, only time would tell if this outpost could resist the Scottish climate.
Journal Entry No. 143
24th of June, 2025
As per every Sunday, I went for a walk today along the coast of Loch Hourn yet there was a newcomer today. The newcomer was dressed in a leather suit and arrived by a strange boat that seemed to merge with the body. I decided to turn around and head home in hopes of avoiding a strange interaction.
Journal Entry No. 144
29th of June, 2025
I decided to take another walk to where the newcomer had arrived and to my surprise, the boat was gone yet a trail of tires remained which I decided to follow. They led up to a croft that had been abandoned for quite some time now. Upon reaching the top of the cliff I noticed a strange construction, one which had evidently been torn down by the storm last night. I moved closer to the outpost, walking through the damp fields. Upon passing through some foliage, I spotted the newcomer once again. They seemed to be creating some sort of suit. Once again, my nerves got the better of me and I headed back to my blackhouse.
The Sheep and Their Atoning Monarch
“Outpost, Naivety, Nature’s Vengence, Atonement”
“Aeration, Cultivation, Ritual”
Chapter Two Fishing For Scales
“Mooring, Cultivation”
The Rusted Dock The initial pieces of the dock began to formulate. Once again, the cultivators began to inhabit a piece of nature they do not own. The cultivator was timid at first, their fishing hooks seemed to prove unsuccessful. Yet as time progressed, the human began to catch more fish. Unfortunately, as the fish were captured, the cultivator’s true intentions were revealed. The fish were butchered. Their scales were taken as a form of a trophy and hung to provide a facade for the fisherman’s hut. The flesh of the fish was eaten by the cultivator and the fish’s bones were boiled down to create a glue substance. The relationship between the human and wildlife was clearly dominated by the earthly inhabitant.
Journal Entry No. 153
8th of August, 2025
I first spotted the dock when walking the coastline last week. I thought it might have been another construction by the wool cultivator. Upon returning a few weeks later the dock had grown significantly. I decided to take a tour of it whilst the cultivator was vacant. It was rusty, the metal had clearly been untreated. I avoided tetanus that evening and left for my hovel.
Journal Entry No. 157
1st of September, 2025
I returned later to the fishing dock and decided to take a further investigation of the rusted outpost. I waited and watched as the cultivator walked into the loch on a makeshift set of floatable shoes.. If you could call them that? I took another look at the ever-growing dock. A templated fish skinning table hung off of the entrance. Meanwhile, a melting pot containing the melted bones of the fish situated itself in the middle of the dock. I pushed past the facade of fish scales and examined the sewing machine. The cultivator had recycled pieces of old machinery to formulate a sewing machine.
Month Six
“Deployment, Scalping, Boiling, Sewing”
Chapter Three The Beekeepers Landscape
“Docked, Refined”
A Glistening Substance for the Body and Soul The second cultivator soon made their way across the landscape. As the new arrival crossed the rugged highlands, honeybees whizzed past the human. This was the beginning of the honey cultivation. Unfortunately, at the conception of this idea, the honeybees had gone into hibernation, a ritual that would later be adopted by the cultivator. Nevertheless, the newly adopted beekeeper created an ornamented series of hives and outposts which reflected the beautiful amber coloration of the honey. These hives were accompanied by a honey suit that was constructed with a cane webbing and overlaid with layers of honey. During the cultivator’s first season, honey production was scarce. The bees had not been as attracted to the honey hive structures however, this did not deter the beekeeper. Lavender was planted closer to the hives which resulted in a pollen supply for the bees. Over the following years, the hives had grown to fruition and began to demark the Scottish landscape. Initially, honey was used as a building material for the beekeeper’s cottage. However, as time passed the cultivator became addicted to bathing within the glistening substance as they believed it had intense healing properties and could inflict immortality.
Journal Entry No. 183
26th of July, 2026 A second cultivator arrived today. I kept my distance and watched as they traversed the landscape. I think they had gone further inland than the previous one. I didn’t stay out for long as the heat was unbearable, it must have been one of the hottest days in years. I soon returned to my hovel but not before noticing that the new cultivator was getting increasingly irritated by bees whizzing around. Journal Entry No. 194
14th of August, 2026
Today I was proven completely wrong. As noted in previous entries, I believed this cultivator was doing absolutely nothing yet after months of waiting I am now beginning to see the origins of a beekeeper’s farm. The materials seem to be that of a bronzish metal and plantings of lavender. Such strange beehives but I suppose the constructions could be a celebration? A celebration of honey perhaps?
Chapter Four A Ritual For Trees
“Landscape, Creation, Sculpting”
A Dance For The Sap The third and final cultivator arrived at the croft during the Winter. The new member watched the other cultivators for a couple of days before venturing further into croft. The Winter climate had forced the cultivator to traverse through the burns of the site whereby a fascination for the trees arose. The new member had found their piece of nature to defile and cultivate. Within days, the trees were territorialized with metal tubes linked into a piped system. Sap flowed through the pipes and to the cultivator’s newly created suit. As a form of atonement, the cultivator flapped the wings of her chair and blew air onto the trees in hopes of attaining more sap from the mutilated trees. It is unlikely that this sap dance was successful in obtaining more sap yet the cultivator deeply believed in the powers of the dance.
Journal Entry No. 203
19th of January, 2027
A third cultivator arrived earlier this week however, I lost track of them today. I decided to walk further into the croft and came across a series of trees interlinked with sap-filled tubes. It was an absurd sight, a winged chair seemed to be the collection point for the sap.
Journal Entry No. 216
15th of February, 2027
I returned to the location where the sap extracted trees were yet the intricate pipework and winged chair had disappeared. I decided to follow the Scottish burn and eventually came across the chair and its pipework once again however, this time the cultivator sat in the chair. I hid and watched as the cultivator flapped the wings of the chair. The trees surrounding the chair lightly moved from the wind produced by the chair. The day was turning to night yet the cultivator didn’t stop his sap dance. I decided to turn back but not before noticing a new suit that lay on the hillside - It resembled a worm.
Chapter Five The Worm of Earth and Foliage
“Replicate, Carve”
From The Earth They Came and From The Earth They Must Return It didn’t take long for the cultivator of sap to also become the cultivator of earth and foliage. As the Winter months drew to an end, the cultivator began to craft the earth collecting suit. The cultivator had designed the suit to glorify the typical earthworm however, the grace and discreteness of the earthworm were not harnessed. The worm suit carved its path through the landscape, leaving a tilled soil trail. The outer skin of the Scottish landscape had been breached. Yet to atone for the unearthing, the cultivators would walk through these paths. Their feet would be covered in mud and often the routes did not lead where they wanted to go. In turn, a slow form of traversing the landscape was formed. Additionally, the collected earth and foliage were not wasted once the sacks were filled with soil, they were utilised as a building material for the three cultivator’s cottages. In many cases, the skin of the earth had become the skin of the cottages.
Journal Entry No. 223
25th of April, 2027
I have been observing the sap cultivator over the last two weeks and it seems that they have finished their sap extraction. As Winter ends and Spring begins, the cultivator seems to be honing the earthworm suit. I watched as the suit was taken for a test run. The earth was ripped up and stored inside the elongated suit.
Journal Entry No. 239
4th of May, 2027
Curious about the earthworm cultivator, I decided to take another walk into the croft. I walked over the sprawling hills and came across what was evidently the earthworm’s playground. The earth was torn, and a series of demarked trails stretched across the landscape. I could see the cultivator in the distance. The suit was larger than before, the suit was dirtier presumably from being dragged through the trails. Following all the other suits I had seen, the face was covered. To provide vision, the cultivator had attached a set of periscopes to the helmet of the earthworm suit. I decided to leave, frustrated as to what this cultivator was doing to the croft. How could they just carve it up like that?
Chapter Six The Beekeeper’s Cottage
Returning to a Blossoming Hovel The cultivator of honey had made their mark on the croft through the implementation of hives spread throughout the landscape. Yet the cultivator needed a place to inhabit and consume the collected honey; it seemed fitting that the cultivator of honey would create a construction derived from the honey basket of a bee and surround it with plantings that would attract the bees. The cultivator ravished the land. The sacred soil was extracted and discarded between the columns of the cultivator’s intrusive dwelling in the land of bees. To further attract the bees, the disgraceful cultivator had planted a collection of colourful bushes. Of course, the interior of the dwelling is fit for that of a person who wants to retreat from the harsh Northern climate of Scotland. The innate retreat was evident within the sleeping chamber of the cottage that resembled a prenatal architectonic.
Journal Entry No. 304
16th of April, 2029
I first visited the honey cultivator’s creation on the 16th of April. The future inhabitation consisted of nothing more than a series of dirt piles although the cultivator seemed especially interested in digging a hole to the rear. I am unsure of what this hole was intended for but perhaps I will find out more in a few months. As the night drew in, I decided to return home.
Journal Entry No. 309
23rd of July, 2029
I approached the blossoming sap dwelling today and it was almost unrecognisable. The cottage blended into the landscape with a camouflage of hawthorn, lavender, and daisy plantings. I assume this is because the cultivator wanted the bees of the croft to also inhabit their cottage. I entered the interior of the cottage, only to find a bizarre warping of the cobbed earth. The packed earth had clearly defined the interior space. Pieces of bespoke furnishings hung from the walls and were fitted to the exact height of the tall honey collection suit. Unfortunately, I was unable to access the bedroom chambers as I couldn’t open the strange door.
Chapter Seven The Cottage of Earth & Sap
Returning to a Cottage of Branches and Foliage The initial construction of the Sap, Earth & Foliage cottage began by carving out the earth - Once again, breaching the earthen skin of the croft. The removed skin was later returned to the excavated site yet this mound was artificial as it lay overtop of the cultivator’s dwelling. To reflect the biological earthworm, the cultivator formulated circular entrances throughout. From an aerial view, the earthworm could be seen carving new tracks circulating the cottage - A clear reflection of a tree’s growth rings. Similar to the previous cultivator, the sleeping chamber encompassed a prenatal architectonic as a retreat from the harsh Scottish climate. As praise for the collected sap, the cultivator decided to plaster the interior with the sticky substance. This adoration also made its way into the bedroom as the bedding of the cultivator would often be lined with layers of sap.
Journal Entry No. 306
12th of July, 2029
About a week after I had first spotted the honey cottage, I came across a second earthly construction. The second construction seemed to be taking place at the bottom of one of the Sandiag hills. I stood atop the Sandiag hill and looked down on the construction. I watched as the earthworm relentlessly removed the earth, piling earth-filled sacks on the hillside. After an hour or two, I took note of the location and headed home. Journal Entry No. 342
17th of September, 2029
I decided to revisit the earthworm’s cottage today. As I passed over the hill, I immediately noticed a series of carved paths that surrounded the dwelling. The dwelling itself had changed its facade and seemed to consist of branches and foliage. Upon getting a bit closer, I noticed that there were openings scattered throughout the cottage. All of the openings were circular and small. I doubted I could even fit through them. Nevertheless, I was surprised when I was able to squeeze into one of the spaces. The interior opened up to the point where I could stand but I was covered in a sticky residue. The residue seemed to lather the interior. I later realised the sticky residue was the collected sap.
Chapter Eight The Cottage of Scales and Wool
The Snow Covered Cottage The third cottage of the site was constructed with materials that would eventually decompose into the landscape. The Scottish landscape would undoubtedly appreciate the redeeming materials and reclaim the territory of the cottage in due course. As a form of atonement, the cultivator had created their living area outside. The user surrounded themselves in thatch, forming a chair that blended into the thatched flooring. The cultivator spent his spare time staring over the croft - a shepherd at work and home. When the darkness and cold became overwhelming, the cultivator would retreat to the dugout portion of the cottage. The interior included a sleeping chamber that was slightly filled with saltwater to remind the cultivator of his fish scale cultivation. After a long day of herding sheep or catching fish, the inhabitant would retreat to the elevated bed, wrapped in sheep intestine.
Journal Entry No. 365
15th of October, 2029
I don’t usually climb up the mountains of Loch Hourn but I noticed the cultivator of sheep making their way up. I decided to follow and investigate what they were doing so far from their cultivation area. After a long climb, I reached a plateaued area where the cultivator had begun excavating. I wondered if this was to be the third and final cottage.
Journal Entry No. 387
27th of January, 2030
I went for a brisk Winter walk today and curiosity got the better of me so I decided to visit the cottage of wool and fish scales. Upon returning, I was surprised to see the snow-covered cultivator sat within a thatched pile. Behind the inhabitant, I could see an entrance to a space located within the hillside. I decided not to enter and left the cottage. Perhaps I will return when the cultivator is away and enter.
Chapter Nine The Grand Ritual Grounds
The Death Of The Cultivators To reflect their extended bodies, the cultivators crafted a body consisting of their cultivated materials. The body was a true representation of all their practices and the croft. By this point, the three inhabitants truly believed in the powers of their cultivated materials and the rituals they undertook daily. It is perhaps no surprise then, that the cultivators believed they could bring the lifeless and mutilated body to life. However, this would require an appropriate ritual ground. Without pause, the cultivators chose a hilltop and began excavating a circular plateau. Journeys between their cultivated sites and the ritual grounds followed thereafter as they infilled the circular void with their extracted materials of wool, earth & foliage, fish scales, sap, and honey. All the elements were in place for the ritual to begin. The cultivators would visit the ritual grounds all Summer, undoubtedly believing their perfect body would be brought to life. Unfortunately, this would not come true for decades. Eventually, all three cultivators would succumb to death. The remains of their cultivation outposts were left scattered throughout the croft. It didn’t take long until the harsh Scottish landscape had retaken the cottages. However, the suits were left unperished and were formed into reliquaries for their mutilated body. It became apparent that through the death of the three cultivators, the idolised body had come to life. The body was intended to be the perfect cultivator yet the caretaking role was not fulfilled and instead, the body would often roam from reliquary to reliquary, unsure of its purpose.
Journal Entry No. 653
13th of February, 2053
I haven’t written in this journal for many years but I thought I should make an entry today. I moved away from the croft but my curiosity for the cultivators still remains and so I still receive news from Loch Hourn. It seems that a journalist finally decided to write an article on the cultivators after somebody called the police regarding a strangely tall humanoid roaming the croft.