Earlier this year, a few photos of Stuart Grant’s enchanting, compact home near Tomich, Scotland found their way onto the internet. Since then, the house has become something of an online sensation. Affectionately referred to as the “Hobbit House” because of its uncanny resemblance to Bilbo Baggins’ (the hero of author J.R.R Tolkien’s The Hobbit) adorable home, Grant’s dwelling is commonly regarded as a superfan’s homage to the Lord of the Rings film series.

Though the house’s circular front door, gorgeous wooden hand-carved artifacts, and overall magical feel are certainly reminiscent of Bilbo’s on-screen abode, owner Stuart Grant explains that he had never seen any of the iconic films when he began building it: “I had not seen the Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit films before I started my project. Those came later. But I’m not aware of them knowing about my house either. It’s all coincidental.”
In fact, the 84-year-old Grant started building his home all the way back in 1984. He had been living in Australia for some time but decided to move back to his native Scotland following a divorce and the onset of a degenerative neuro-immune disease called myalgic encephalomyelitis. He was also broke during this period, stating, “I was living rough. I had a 100 watt bulb, two wooden stools, a camp bed and a gas ring.”

At first, Grant intended to live in a cottage quite close to his Hobbit H...