10 of Scotland's most unusual buildings

Scotland may be known for its Victoria grandeur, Georgian beauty and ancient romantic castles. But it is also home to some truly forward thinking buildings inspired by the past, future - and even pineapples.

The Dunmore Pineapple is Scotland's most famous folly.Picture ALLAN MILLIGAN/TSPL

Maggie’s Centre, Dundee

Designed by Frank Gehry, the architect behind the Guggenheim Museum in Bilabo, the Maggie’s Centre Dundee was the charity’s first new-build project and set the standard for the radical designs which were to follow in its name.

The white, cottage-like building with a wavy silver roof is modelled on a traditional Scottish “but n’ ben” dwelling, and offers a welcoming sense of calm and sanctuary.

Maggie's Centre, Dundee. PIC Maggie's Centres.

Maggies was co-founded by Maggie Keswick Jencks and her husband Charles Jencks, both celebrated landscape architects and designers.

At the Dundee centre, the garden is a labyrinth design based on the one at Chartres Cathedral in France. It also contains a sculpture by acclaimed artist Anthony Gormley, Another Time X.

Maggie’s Aberdeen Centre was built in 2013. Designed by Snøhetta, it sits like a white, smooth pebble in the grounds of Aberdeen Royal infirmary with a sense of safety and peace created by the structure.

Dollan Aqua Centre, East Kilbride

Dollan Aqua Centre in East Kilbride. PIC WikiCommons

The Dollan Aqua Centre is considered an outstanding and rare example of a mid 20th century public building and hailed for its striking internationally- inspired design.

It was the first champion-sized swimming pool in Scotland and was inspired by Pier Luigi Nervi’s Olympic complex in Rome and similar to the complex built for the 1964 Japanese Olympic Games.

Designed by Alexander Buchanan Campbell (1914-2007), the baths were renovated in the 1990 and again between 2009 and 2011.

Riverside Museum, Glasgow. PIC WikiCommons.

Lotte Glob House, Sutherland

Danish ceramic artist Lotte Glob created her dream house in 2001 with a wish to bring the wilderness of north-west Scotland into her living and working space.

She wanted an affordable place to call home with designer Gokay Deveci creating a haven which takes in both the sunrise and the sunset through east and west facing windows. A timber deck that projects into the sky towards Ben Hope and Loch Eriboll.

Glob, who has since planted 4,000 trees on the former croft land, says living in her house is like “floating through the air”.