The Cabin in the Mountains

The wooden holiday cabin, or hytte , is a staple of Norwegian life. Robert Ferguson, author of Scandinavians , explores the significance of a national icon in this charming, affectionate history. Turf-roofed and wooden-built, offering fresh air, breathtaking views and peaceful isolation, the wooden cabin home – or hytte – is a crucial part of Norwegian national identity. In 2016, Robert Ferguson and his wife bought a piece of land high up in the Hardangervidda, and on it they built a cabin. As the cabin takes shape, Ferguson learns how native Norwegians have married a new-found urban affluence to their past as a tight-knit rural community-nation, and confronts his own ideas about the dream-tradition of the hytte , drawing an affectionate but unsentimental portrait of Norwegian culture, society and landscape. ''Singular and captivating: the pursuit of a dream'' Professor John Carey ''Illuminating'' TLS ''An uncompromising journey into the dark cold north, to reveal the warmth that comes from deep community bonds'' Tim Ecott