Palimpsest charts the changing lives of the interior of one house over a period of three centuries, a time-frame compressed into ten minutes - portrayed through a combination of time -lapse, real-time, and stop-frame photography. The camera is fixed as the 'space' inside the frame itself transforms, destructs and evolves over the years: historical eras are evoked through references to 17th, 18th and 19th century painting and early 20th century cinema and the human presence in the house is signalled through scenes of everyday labor and domestic duty.

An elderly woman learns that she is dying of cancer. She and her husband leave their small farm on the Isle of Skye to visit their children to inform them of the news. During the journey, the couple rediscover their love for each other.