At the end of a long single-track road this site was formerly a water pumping station for the nearby reservoir. Our designs for three holiday houses perch on the steeply sloping site and focus on the spectacular views across the Clyde estuary and islands. Highly insulated prefabricated timber shells rest on a simple steel frame to minimise the impact on the ground and are clad in a combination of cedar and zinc. The design of these houses echo the traditional Scottish croft but are tapered in built form, larger to the view where a big opening is essential and a double height space possible, smaller to the bedroom side which is intimate and closer to the access paths. The visitor is not aware of the scale changing until inside the houses. Solar gain, wood-burning stoves, a shared wind turbine and grey water recycling are all incorporated into the proposed design targeting the ‘eco-tourist’.