When it comes to designing a home, it’s good to think outside the box, and if you can, create a home that makes the absolute best of its surroundings.
The designer of Eilean Dearg, a stunning contemporary home at Colintraive on the Cowal Peninsula in Argyll, clearly had this in mind when creating this detached house.
Completed in 2011 and finished to a high specification throughout, the accommodation is “upside down”, in that, the living space is on the first floor so these rooms can take full advantage of the wonderful views over grass fields to the Kyles of Bute.
Built in a traditional style, but with a first-floor balcony with glass balustrades giving it a modern twist, the house has a staircase which leads directly into a large sitting room with a vaulted ceiling with exposed oak trusses. It has a wood-burning stove set in a brick fireplace while four section bi-fold glazed doors open in their entirety to the substantial balcony which has wonderful views over the Kyles of Bute.
On semi-open plan to the sitting room is the kitchen, which is very well fitted with a country style kitchen by Crown Imperial in a Shaker style, incorporating a Belfast sink.
The worktops are South American walnut and the appliances include a Rangemaster electric stove with five-burner hob, double oven and grill, extractor hood, fridge/freezer, dishwasher and integrated below-counter freezer.
A utility and pantry area opens off the kitchen and a further family bathroom off the sitting room completes the upstairs accommodation.
On the ground floor, double doors lead from a loggia (covered entrance) laid with reclaimed tiles to a broad ground-floor hallway, off which are four bedrooms and a family bathroom. Two of the bedrooms have en-suite shower rooms with contemporary sanitary ware. Both have integral showers and heated towel rails.
The family bathroom has a similar specification and a shower over the bath. There is a large storage cupboard, suitable for hanging coats, off the hallway.
The house, on the market at offers over £375,00, has dormer windows under a slate roof and is of timber frame construction with the front elevation finished in natural sandstone, and comes with an internal garage and plenty of parking space. It is double glazed and is heated by an advanced system of electric heating, with a wood-burning stove in the sitting room.
Outside, there is a low stone dyke to the front of the house and the main garden ground lies to the rear with a grassed drying green. The house name, Eilean Dearg, refers to an island in Loch Riddon and translates as the Red Island. The house looks directly across the Kyles of Bute to the island and is almost opposite the slipway for the ferry. The crossing takes all of five minutes, with last check-in a mere five minutes before departure, and many locals use the ferry to do their shopping in Rothesay, on the island, as an alternative to Dunoon.
Colintraive itself has a village shop and a well-known hotel with an excellent reputation for its food. The local primary school is at Glendaruel, with a subsequent choice between Rothesay and Dunoon for secondary schooling.
A superb family home or an indulgent holiday house – either way, it would be hard to match its views or the inventiveness with which it has been designed. Sailors, walkers and naturalists will love the area and enjoy being part of a small, friendly community.
Contact Savills on 0141 222 5875.