The Croft, Opinan

Year

2025

Location

Opinan, North-West Highlands

Year

2025

Location

Opinan, North-West Highlands

Recognition

  • Featured Project, Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition 2025

New-build four-bedroom rural house on a coastal site in the village of Opinan near Gairloch.

The form and materiality of the house responds to the proliferation of ruined huts and shielings within fields along the coast, as well as traditional agricultural forms and finishes. A rubble stone plinth rises to different heights around the building, rising to form a full gable at the northern end, making reference to the blackhouse typology of stone walls and lighter weight roof.

Corrugated fibre cement panels clad the walls and roof, with sheltered east-facing elevations finished in vertical larch cladding. Internally, the house spans the differing levels of the site, with a cosy snug and annex accommodation stepping up into the main body of the house, centred around a spacious kitchen & dining room enjoying expansive views to Skye, the Shiant Isles & Harris.

Michael Carver Photography

The extremely exposed site necessitated a tight construction and strong thermal performance - the house is highly insulated with heating provided by an air source heat pump and an MVHR system.

Michael Carver Photography
Ground Floor Plan

"Having been brought up in the area, it was really important to me that any design fitted in well with the landscape and was in keeping with traditional building. Iain managed to interpret our thoughts, added to his own vision and understanding of the area and he has designed a building that will be settled into the environment, takes advantage of the views across the Minch, and most importantly does everything we want it to do! Distance from site has been no issue in dealing with Iain and the team, more important to us was the knowledge and experience he brings of designing buildings that are at home in the Highland landscape."

Kate Somervail - Client

Michael Carver Photography
Kate Somervail

77 Promenade