Harriet’s Lodestar Lodge is our newest lodge nestled in ancient woodlands, set beside the Dunskey heritage wrought iron gates and pillars. Its gingerbread-house shape harks back to the days of horseshoes cobbling along the small rural roads.

Given its location and proximity to Dunskey’s long standing history, we drew inspiration for the lodge’s name after one of the most bad-ass women we have ever learned about: Harriet Tubman. After escaping from slavery, this embodiment of courage crossed into the south countless times, helped to establish the Underground Railroads, and her perilous journeys brought hard-won freedom for many. 

Much to our heart’s joy, we discovered that Harriet Tubman has a link to Scotland. There are records of Edinburgh Ladies’ Emancipation Society who made dresses to aid enslaved women in America to escape to freedom. According to Celeste Marie Bernier, professor of Black Studies at the University of Edinburgh, “The clothing [enslaved women] received was the same as what women in Scotland were wearing at the time and the aim was to make outfits which were respectful to the former slaves and egalitarian to help them integrate into their new lives.”

Indeed, our design concept centralized around Harriet’s journey. The upstairs bedroom is painted in sunny yellow with a free-stroke mural of wild flowers, signifying precious wide, open, free spaces. Downstairs, the living room and kitchen are covered in the color of dusky skies, with Japanese starlight installations on the wall, alluding to the spectacular Scottish lodestars right outside the window.