Situated to the northern edge of the village of Tongue on the north coast of Scotland, the Burr’s of Tongue site lies on the North Coast 500 route. Our client, Wildland, approached GRAS to embark on a new approach to the development of the site.  The first building we focussed on was Burr’s of Tongue General Store which had been previously ear-marked for demolition due to its poor condition and unsympathetic alterations.  Our proposition was to retain the store and restore it back to the vital community hub it once was.  

The store had been lying vacant for years but was previously the heart of a business enterprise run by Peter Burr, which historically had served many communities in the north coast. Peter Burr undertook the running of the shop in 1913 and worked there until he retired in 1939, when his sons took over the family business. The Burrs also ran a bakehouse which supplied the adjacent tearoom and shop, as well as operating a bus and van delivery service as far as Thurso, thus providing a vital social space and community service. 

Our approach to sustainability (both environmental and social) was to retain as much of the existing fabric as possible through a careful conservation-led strategy to retain the building’s environmental, historical and community value. By embedding the site in its history, the project seeks to harness the strong collective memories that are very much still alive in the area. 

Early investigations revealed much of the original fabric, furniture and fittings were still intact underneath the recent additions.  Once uncovered a community event was held within the building which celebrated the importance of the store within Tongue and beyond.  

The event allowed the history of the store to be discovered, memories to be shared, and ideas about the future of the store to be proposed, all of which informed the conservation ethos that favoured retaining, repairing and adapting existing fabric in preference of replacement. It is this ethos and commitment that will help secure the significant and lasting legacy of this site. 

Through these careful site investigations along with analysis of historical photographs provided by the archive at the Strathnaver Museum, key features have been carefully reinstated. These include the timber finials, projecting window bay, along with the main shop entrance door and its fan light, previously lost behind more recent alterations. Existing internal linings are retained, exposing the historic markings, graffiti and shop labels left by shop attendants over the years.  Using the markings from the original shelving on the walls the shop shelving has been reinstated as it once was.  

The store has been meticulously repaired and sensitively adapted to provide a small-scale bakery allowing the baking of bread once again on the Burr’s site.  The opening up of the south elevation with a boardwalk and accessible entrance, allows locals, as well as passer’s by to enjoy a moment in the sun outside the bakery before they continue their journey.  

The completion of the store marks the first phase in Wildland’s commitment to the regeneration of the site, with acknowledgement of the influence and community amenity that the Burr’s ecosystem provided to both the local and wider area.