Much like the liquor that once swilled around inside their wooden casks, the barrel houses at Findhorn ecovillage have matured nicely in their surroundings.

Constructed out of giant whisky vats, the homes were the first permanent dwellings to be built at the famous spiritual community which today supports more than 500 residents.

The idea to repurpose the barrels came from Roger Douda, an American resident whose connections with Findhorn stretch back four decades.

“I thought it was a fairly innovative exercise in recycling,” explains Douda, who built the first prototype in 1986.