Who: Elaine MacAskill, 50, a project manager in the conservation sector, her husband Lewis, 57, a project manager in the renewable energy sector, their children Lexie, 17, Bella, 14, and Murdo, 13, plus Elaine’s mum Beryl Southall, 71. The family also share their home with Moss and Maggie the collies, Myrtle and Liath the cats as well as a few sheep on the croft.
What: A bespoke, architect designed, timber framed and timber clad eco home with annex.
Where: Inverkirkaig in Assynt, just two and a half miles from Lochinver, northwest Sutherland.
Here Elaine shares the ins and outs of building an eco home…
“We previously lived in Fife before we moved up to Inverness where we rented a property.
Lewis inherited his family’s croft in Inverkirkaig so we took a leap of faith and decided to build our own home there – it was now or never.
There was a croft house which we decided to sell to fund the build because it wasn’t big enough and it was going to be difficult to extend in a way to accommodate my mum who lives with us.
For our family home, we wanted something that was modern and designed for optimum energy efficiency with low, predictable running costs.
We also wanted a property which was easy to maintain.
How we built our dream eco home
Essentially, we were keen to have a practical family home which was built to a high-quality finish.
So we enlisted MAKAR to design and build our home in 2015/16.
We were impressed by the quality of the MAKAR approach.
They have a high-quality design and build process with attention to detail.
We also liked the fact that they use locally sourced Scottish materials wherever possible.
Whilst the house was designed, approved, built and fitted out, we lived in caravans on site.
‘We lived in caravans while we built our eco home’
We spent three winters in the caravans, my mum in one and then myself, Lewis and our three children who were all under the age of five, in another.
The storms were pretty fierce.
It was an experience, let’s put it that way.
Our house was built offsite using advanced manufacturing processes before it was delivered in pre-manufactured panels or sections.
So our property was wind and watertight in 10 days.
After that, the inside was fitted out by a local joiner.
‘We will miss our amazing eco home’
Inside, the property is mostly on one level apart from a few steps.
My mum’s annexe is at the end of the property.
It’s a wonderful space with a bedroom with en suite, a shower room, hall, and a living kitchen plus a decking area with amazing views.
And the property has been designed so that the annexe can readily be incorporated within the main house itself if so desired.
In the main area there’s four bedrooms, one with an en suite, a bathroom, utility, a snug and an open plan living/kitchen/diner.
There’s also a shed with an insulated office, a big utility area and a wet room.
My favourite room is the living room as there’s a stove and a big window with fabulous views.
‘We’ve loved the space, the views and the warmth’
The property is quite hunkered down and it’s very well insulated so it’s lovely when you’re cosy inside and listening to the rain on the window.
In terms of interiors, we’ve kept them quite simple as the windows and views are stunning.
My mum and I are fans of Farrow & Ball paint colours including ‘calluna’, ‘yellow ground’ and elephant’s breath.
Those shades are all bright but earthy against the backdrop of the local scenery through the windows.
‘We’re two minutes walk away from a beautiful bay’
Reflecting on our renovation journey, the greatest challenge was sourcing the right materials and getting them delivered up here.
It took time but we got there – it all worked out great.
For us, we’ve loved the space, the views, the warmth and how grounded it feels in the landscape.
We designed it to work for us as a family.
The shed is also fabulous with the office, mums utility and shower room and lots of storage space.
Location wise, we’re only two and half miles from Lochinver and we’re a two minute walk away from Inverkirkaig Bay which is perfect for kayaking.
It’s also very private as we’re off a track.
Overall, it has been the most amazing family home to bring up our then young children in.
We will be very sorry to leave.”
Inverkirkaig, Lochinver, Lairg, Highland, is on the market for offers over £670,000.
To arrange a viewing contact Bell Ingram on 01463 717799 or check out the website bellingram.co.uk
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