Gillespie, Kidd & Coia was an architectural firm in Scotland, responsible for heavily influencing architecture even to this day.

Gillspei, Kidd & Coia, by contemporary accounts is regarded for its influential use of modernist, almost brutalist design principals. There most famous works comes from the 1957-1987 period, in the time when Isi Metzstein, Andy MacMillan were heading the company.

In their most famous period Gillespie, Kidd & Coia were commissioned to design a number of prominent building around Scotland, and in fact, all over the United Kingdom. One of the ost famous amongst these is the St. Peter’s Seminary, which although has been awarded numerous prizes recognizing its uniqueness and style, is now demolished.

Gillespie, Kidd & Coia are also responsible for a number of churches like St Mary's,Bo'ness, now demolished, St Joseph's, Faifley, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Dennistoun, St Benedict's,Easterhouse, St. Paul's, St Charles, North Kelvinside, St Mary of the Angels, St Bride's, St Patricks, Kilsyth, and Sacred Heart.

Gillespie, Kidd & Coia are also responsible for a number of university designs around the United Kingdom. The first was “The Lawns” student residence at the University of Hull. Wadham College was the next one, with two building extensions being commissioned. Robinson College is the most significant of the three, the commission being won in 1974 in an competition. The whole of the college was designed by Gellespie, Kidd & Coia.

St. Peter’s Seminary is an abandoned building in Scotland, which is regarded by some groups as a very significant architectural site.

St. Peter’s Seminary is located north of Cardross, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Due to the nature of the fact that it was originally a seminary used for training priests, the building itself is rather remote. The construction of the building was commenced in 1961 and completed in 1966. It is said that due to the shifting view on training by the Roman Catholic Church, the utility of St. Peter’s Seminary was already minimal at the time of its completion. It was closed and use of it ceased in 1980.

St. Peter’s Seminary was designed by the firm of Gillespie, Kidd and Coia. The building done in a character very similar to that which made them famous. Specifically this refers to a Modernist, almost Brutalist style with heavy influences from Le Corbusier (or Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris).

St. Peter’s Seminary is considered by many to be a very important building, in terms of architecture. This stems predominately from its unique architecture. It is a A-listed building according to Historic Scotland. According to the International Working Party for Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighborhoods of the Modern Movement (or DOCOMOMO, for short), the St. Peter’s Seminary is a “building of world significance”.

Scottish Baronial is a style of architecture found in Scotland which draws on Gothic Scottish designs.

Scottish Baronial architecture is best identified by its medieval or even fairy-tale like look. It draws its inspirations and design fundaments from the Scottish Renaissance period. Appropriately the buildings completed in this style are adorned with many decorative but limited in it functionality elements. These include towers with off-shooting turrets. Often times there are crenellated battlements adorning walls (the rectangular cut outs at the top of walls). Portcullises were not an uncommon feature (mechanically raised iron wrought gates).

The Scottish Baronial style is often now considered to be an architectural folly. Architecturally speaking this means that the architectural style is designed for looks as opposed to utility. While this does comment on the relatively superfluous nature of the design, folly does not necessarily comment on the design as a derogative but a light hearted assessment.

Currently the Scottish Baronial is considered to be the inspiration for the following buildings:

Abbotsford House,
Balmoral Castle,
Balmoral Hotel,
Belfast Castle,
Blarney Castle,
Castle Leslie,
Castle Oliver,
Drummond Castle,
Dunrobin Castle,
Fettes College,
Glenveagh Castle,
Helen's Bay railway station,
Larnach Castle,
Wilson Castle,
Skibo Castle and
Torosay Castle.

The Black House is a rather interesting past architectural design of Scotland.

The Black House is a somewhat curious yet surprisingly plain type of housing found commonly in Scotland, the Hebrides and even Ireland, in fact in many places of Gaelic settlement. The simplest of the Black house design looks like a rectangular stone house with a thatch roof. The walls of the black house were constructed out of a double wall of dry-stone wall with an insulation interior of earth or wooden rafters. The interior floor was typically flagstone. Hearths in the center were common, for heating. Although it must be mentioned that chimneys were not part of the design and smoke was meant to dissipate through he thatch roof. Often there were partitions in the black house to separate the living space of people and their animals.

The design of the Black House was altered depending on the location that it was erected. For instance, any example of a black house in the Outer Hebrides will have evidence of an intricate system of ropes along the thatch and pillar roof system, to combat and resist the intense winds found in the area.

The Black House remains to be a relative archeological mystery as some evidence indicates that it is only 150 years old by design. This is based on the fact that there is no evidence of any black houses before this time. Although, theories have been raised claiming that this is because the black house is a design which quickly deteriorates without maintenance, so any examples from before this time period could have been destroyed beyond recognition. Supporting evidence of this can be found near the village of Arnol, Lewis. These examples of the black house design were roofed and intact until the 1970s, a time span of less than 40 years has seen them deteriorate to the level of ancient ruins. Making the idea of actual ancient examples being destroyed beyond identification plausible.