Adam McIntosh The house that Adam built
“Many people don’t believe me when I tell them that my house overlooks the sea, a lake and a waterfall,” explains Adam McIntosh as he gives us a guided tour around his tree house and garden (complete with chickens).
“When there’s surf I’ll surf, and when it’s flat I’ll mine for gems and work with my stones.”
It seems, this surfer is never far from water, and for Adam this is only one of the many advantages of living in a tree. Now 26, Adam has been sleeping in a self constructed tree house since he was 14. His early years were spent in Papua New Guinea before his family returned to Scotland where he now lives in Fife making and selling jewelry.
The gemstones he uses to make his jewellery are all collected on his travels over the years, which have taken him to some of the best surf spots on the planet. “When there’s surf I’ll surf, and when it’s flat I’ll mine for gems and work with my stones,” Adam explains.
After burning down tree house number one in a Viking style ceremony, Adam set off on his travels at the age of 18, before returning a couple years later to start work on house number two, which he completed about four years ago. Perched on the side of a cliff the tree house boasts a kitchen, stove, living area, a bed, broadband Internet access, a friendly cat and awesome sunset views. Perfect, one might say - if you don’t mind keeping your milk outside, that is. As Adam cooks us up an omelette on a mini gas stove, using eggs from his very own chickens, he explains that almost everything used to construct and furnish the tree house is recycled - including the beanbag I’m sitting on, which Adam points out was recovered from a skip.
As we leave the tree house to catch the train back to Glasgow, our jobs and heavy rent, Adam sets about packing his bags for a trip to Sri Lanka the next day. Thanks to his self-sustaining home in a tree, Adam has the freedom to travel the world without having to worry too much about bills or finding a flat when he gets back. Free as a bird is a rather cheesy way to describe the way that Adam lives, but it is kind of true. And he does live in a tree, after all.
To learn more about Adam and his house and jewelry, check out www.adammcintosh.com
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Comments (16)
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Massive Respect,
J
To Jon: having spent many nights in this wonderful man's hoos (scottish spelling), i can ascertain that not only is it cosy, warm and tasteful...it is also super solid!!!
Being a bit of a social-Manimal, Adam, also locally known as fanny-baws, hosts regular cocktail parties over the summer and lets up to 8 people sleep in his luxury, airborne pad!!!
Please do not be fooled by Adam's twinkling eye, generous heart, beaming smile and honest soul...if you're a mate of his and go to the tree-hoos, he ruthlessley exploits you in some way or another!!! You may have to garden, dig, help separate different quality gems, build some mental hippy power-generator, etc...but you can be tranquil with the knowledge that he is a fair man and will reward you with some exquisitely cooked, 'recycled' pheasant or venison that he's picked up as roadkill.
All in all, everyone should take their hats off to Senor McIntosh as he embodies a lot of the values and life choices we should all be aspiring to; living as free as possible within a sustainable framework, while contributing to other's lives in an undoubtedly positive way...Endlessely darting about and committing 'random acts of kindness' with seemingly inexhaustable reserves of energy!!!
Enjoy your travels home-sprout, and make sure to pop down to the Big Smokey Jungle when you get hame!!! x
adam, you're beautiful as always and showing the world how its done...LOVE YOU!!!!!!!
vicky
We met in Sri Lanka. I'm Siobhan's friend. Tried to find your 'guestbook' on your website but could not find it.
Was lovely to meet you and when I'm ever in Scotland I will make time to check out your tree house/ bachelor pad :-)
Take care!
Anne
PS: The Maffia came to our house and they were looking for you........
Proud Granny Maclean
To the Readers - everything Machu said, but twice, and louder. Sometimes the most solid things ARE dreams.
Will you please stop living it up with all your beautiful hippie friends and consider sending an email of where you are and what you're up to back to your old Dad?!
Love, Dadski
Ps. Granny says, "When is he going to get a proper job?
Your hoos is mindboggling beaut and I'm not surprised about you, knowing your dad. Hope I can get to see it some day! Since you're so keen on surfing, I read a terrific novel called BREATH by Tim Winton which I recommend highly for the descriptions of what you evidently do and Tim does in Australia.
Greetings from down under - tho we feel on top. Gudrun
life is nice : fact
(you probably dont remember me but we were at one of your cocktail parties last year. xxx