17-05-2025
Look inside the tiny Scottish island property that's starring on Scotland's Home of the Year
IWC Media
This year, they've downsized, with episode five featuring the Tiny Skye Cabin, which features a living room, bathroom and, on a mezzanine level, one bedroom .
It's owned by Lena Vurma and her German husband, Thor Klein, who are both filmmakers.
After applying, they were quite surprised to hear back from the SHOTY team, who wanted them to feature on the Highland and Islands shortlist.
'I thought you had to have a big mansion to take part,' says Vurma, who is originally from Switzerland, and has lived in other small structures, like a yurt, cabin and shepherd's hut.
The creative couple, whose film Leonora in the Morning Light is released this summer, built the tin-clad dusky blue structure themselves. They wanted to make the most of the ferny hillside and its glorious vista down to Loch Harport on the Minginish Peninsula
'My husband and I bought our croft in autumn 2020, then, of course, there was the pandemic, and Brexit, so we basically went there and put a caravan on the plot,' says Vurma. 'And then the year after, we started to build, with the help of a local builder called Richard. He came highly recommended by our architect, Ian, who designed the cabin for us. Basically, it was an independent production. Thor and I are filmmakers, so we're used to doing these kinds of things on a budget. I oversaw the whole build, and ordered the material, and then Richard built it. And whenever he needed a hand or when we needed more people to help, like when it came to erecting the whole frame, then neighbours chipped in with their manpower. It was a really good collaboration that took quite a long time, but turned out'.
Now, they've added a shepherd's hut nearby, which they're letting out to holidaymakers. As well as being on a programme that would 'make our mums proud', getting the word out about that was another incentive to appear on SHOTY.
Appropriately, considering the couple's livelihoods, there are cinematic views all around.
To take advantage of these, they've installed a surprisingly generous walk-in shower, which boasts the palest green mosaic tiles and floor-to-ceiling windows. There's nobody around, so there's no need for frosted glass or curtains.
'Only the roe deer can see you,' says Vurma.
The pair will sometimes go for a dip down at the loch, before walking back to the house and defrosting in a hot shower.
To switch between the two is part of the appeal. They love the contrasts between a simple place, and a dramatic landscape.
'We were quite intrigued by how cosy a small space can be, and the exchange with the elements outside,' says the owner. 'So inside is quite minimalist, but then you have this kind of grandiose landscape outside, which makes it feel bigger, in a way'.
As the couple regularly travel for their jobs, they're used to being itinerant and having few possessions. That certainly made prepping for their Anna, Banjo and Danny visit easier.
'There's not so much to tidy up because there's not so much here anyway,' Vurma says.
In fact, the Tiny Skye Cabin has zero clutter. In the main living space, the signature items include a wood-burning stove and a sheepskin rug, as well as binoculars and checked blankets, to sling over their laps when they're sitting on the deck and looking out for sea eagles.
There isn't even a telly. Instead, if they want to watch anything, they have a projector up in the bedroom. We suppose a trditional gogglebox would ruin the vibe.
'Our style is kind of a fusion between Scandi and maybe Japanese minimalism, though the look of the hut is also in the tradition of the Highland agricultural sheds,' says Vurma. 'But then inside, of course, there's a little surprise, because you can live in it'.
When you own less, you are perhaps more likely to treasure the items you do possess.
'Everything we have comes with a story,' says Vurma.
Their favourite pieces include a beautiful wing-back Hans Wegner-esque seats.
'It's actually from the Talisker Distillery. They have these refurbished chairs, and we had a friend who worked there - a tour guide. She bought some from the distillery, and then sold it to us for quite a good price,' says the owner. 'They're by a British designer, so it's pretty cool to have them in our cabin now'.
Up in the bedroom, the main 'ornament' is a fox mask that features in Leonora in the Morning Light, which was shot in Mexico.
'I transported it back, basically, almost wearing it because you couldn't fit it in a bag,' she says.
This space is Vurma's favourite, though it's a close call.
'That's a really tough one. I mean, I personally like to be upstairs, as when you sit up in bed, you see the Cuillin Mountain range. It's just perfectly framed, like a painting that always changes,' she says. 'But then we really love the bench downstairs, where we have breakfast and dinner, and we see the road from there, and the eagles. It's a really good spot to a see what's out there, how the weather changes and all the different animals'.
Scotland's Home of the Year, Ep5/7: Highlands & Islands, Monday 19 May, BBC One Scotland, 8.30-9.00pm,
1 . The living room in the Tiny Skye Cabin
IWC Media Photo: IWC Media Photo Sales
4 . The mezzanine level bedroom
IWC Media Photo: IWC Media Photo Sales
