24/08/2026
People of Scotland: Meet Debbie & Richard, owners of Harris Hideaway, Outer Hebrides
Debbie and Richard spotted the croft on a day trip. They were exploring Harris in October 2020, driving back from Huisinis along the single-track road, when they saw a for sale sign and pulled over. By the time they got home to Cumbria, ideas were already buzzing round their heads. Six months later they owned a small plot at Cliasmol with planning permission for an underground house, and a three-year build had begun.
What they made is a turf-roofed house dug into the hillside above the Sound of Taransay, run from 500 miles away and finished with 550 rolls of turf they laid themselves.
We spoke to them about the design, the eagles off the deck and why island life sold them on the place.
Read the full interview via the link in our bio.