Queensferry man creates incredible Lord of the Rings inspired ‘hobbit house’ in back garden

Not content with a run-of-the-mill garden shed, one Queensferry man has used his woodwork skills to build every Tolkien fanatic’s fantasy: a hobbit house-inspired workshop that looks straight out of Middle Earth.

Featuring an iconic green round door, made famous by JRR Tolkien and filmmaker Peter Jackson it is the work of talented wood artist Ali Hughson, and takes pride of place in his back garden in South Queensferry.

Inspired by the home of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, as depicted in the hugely-successful Lord of the Rings movies, the 47-year-old father and grandfather started building the timber-framed structure about three years ago to create a space for his wood workshop and tools.

As an ongoing project, Mr Hughson still plans to turf the roof and plant flowers on top to attract more wildlife - including bees - and install a log burner and chimney to properly finish the job, possibly in time for winter.

The hobbit house workshop in South Queensferry.

Speaking to the Edinburgh Evening News on Friday, revealed he has been a fan of Tolkien’s work from an early age, and admits the workshop has fulfilled a childhood dream.

He said: “We have not been able to go underground as the hobbits do but we wanted the round door to make it a bit more interesting to look at.

“The round door took a bit of figuring out and it was challenging. One of the sides slopes out with a window too. Most of it was done ad lib, just making it up as I went along - there were no structural plans.

“It’s definitely something a bit different. I have always liked the hobbit house from an early age and thought that having a little den like this was a bit of a childhood dream.”

The hobbit house is located in Ali Hughson's back garden.

Festooned with flowers and surrounded by plant pots, Mr Hughson’s Middle Earth-inspired creation has been drawing admiring looks and comments from his neighbours.

He added: “It’s nice because the neighbours have watched me build it and have complimented me on it, so I’m pretty proud of it.”

Mr Hughson, who had previously been working out of his kitchen or wherever he could find space, currently spends time at weekends working inside his hobbit house on wood art creations which include commissions.

He is particularly keen on pyrography - using a heated pen to burn artwork into wood - to create human and pet portraits as well as landscapes, such as Edinburgh Castle and the Forth Bridge.

Some of the wood art created inside his hobbit house workshop.

Mr Hughson, who studied interior design at college and works full-time with the Loanhead Ikea design team, also creates names and dates with his scroll saw - a fine bladed tool giving intricate details - for occasions like five year wedding anniversaries which are represented by wood.

He says it would be his dream to go full-time one day with his wood art business.

More details about Mr Hughson’s business, the Wood Art Workshop, can be found on his Facebook and Instagram pages.

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Ali Hughson outside the structure.

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