The Scots beach huts with a 10-year waiting list

THEY may be smaller than the average living room, have no toilets, power or running water, but there is a 10-year waiting list for these quirky huts on a remote Scottish beach.

By WILL LYON Friday, 3rd May 2013, 1:41 pm

Picture: NorthScot

The 44 multi-coloured 10ft x 13ft wooden structures on Hopeman beach in Moray, have been popular summer homes for over a century.

Liz Grey finally realised her life-long ambition recently when she became a proud owner after nearly a decade on the waiting list.

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Liz said said: “It’s an absolutely magical place. Everyone around here wants to have one.

“You’d be amazed at what you can get in them even though I’ve got one of the oldest huts on the beach so it’s one of the smallest.

“Some of them are quite phenomenal. They’ve got bars, they’ve got kitchens, they’ve got three-piece suites - they really are homes from homes.

“They all have their own character as they’re all painted differently. The one I’ve got has a Punch and Judy on it, while next door’s is painted in rainbow colours.

“There will be dolphins swimming past all day and in the evening you light up the fires, eat, and watch the sun go down. It’s absolutely fabulous.

“Sure, we don’t have running water or power, but we do have water containers and gas canisters when required, so there’s no inconvenience to us.”

Waiting list

However, any potential buyers of the huts face a long hard battle to purchase them and some of those on the waiting list don’t think they’ll ever get the chance to buy one in their whole lifetime.

Dennis Slater, who is a member of the Hopeman Community Association, said: “There are only 44 huts in total and there’s maybe one that comes up for sale every year or two years.

“I’m on the waiting list, but I don’t know where on the list I am. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get one in my lifetime - I believe they’ve even stopped taking names on the list now.

“They’re like gold dust, especially as they’re normally handed down from generation to generation.