As a keen birdwatcher and photographer who spends much of his free time out in the hills, Scott James is always on the lookout for the weird and the wonderful. He has trained his eye to see what the rest of us might miss - and it is this ability that led directly to him now living in a wild stretch of north Ayrshire countryside. Out on a walk one day with his Belgian shepherd dog Maxie, he wandered down a single-track road lined with ash trees where he came upon an old stone building that had fallen into ruins. Intrigued, he took a good look around and when he got home he decided to research it.
"I just thought it was beautiful," he says. "I found out that it dated back to the early 1800s, when it was built as Cuddymoss farmhouse, before later becoming a cattle byre. All that was left of it were the four external walls, a concrete slab floor, a single internal stone wall and two brick walls. I began thinking about how it could be reinstated, as there was definitely potential here to make it into a home. I felt I'd like to celebrate its history and add to its story. My idea was to elevate the ruin rather than swallow it up with something new.
He got in touch with the landowner about buying the site, and at the same time contacted architect Ann Nisbet. Scott had noticed her name when he was researching the plot; she had designed a house nearby that was one of the first to gain planning permission under new guidelines for single houses in the north Ayrshire countryside. "I emailed her to say I was considering a plot for a self-build and asked for her advice to point me in the right direction, Scott recalls. The pair instantly established a meeting of minds, bonding over the possibilities of the site, which Scott purchased a year later, in 2016.
Denne historien er fra July - August 2023-utgaven av Homes & Interiors Scotland.
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Denne historien er fra July - August 2023-utgaven av Homes & Interiors Scotland.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Escape BOATH HOUSE
An inspirational Georgian manor house in the north-east offers sanctuary to artists, poets and the curious of spirit
Escape THE LOOKOUT
Sun-drenched interiors, right on the beach - it's hard to believe this is Scotland
"It still feels like home. Just nicer"
The owners of this house in Edinburgh didn't intend to give it a complete makeover, but once they started they just couldn't stop
A SCOTTISH LOVE STORY
You need passion to persevere through a lengthy restoration project. Thankfully for this rambling old lodge in Highland Perthshire, its new owners were already head over heels
CLEAN AND POLISH
Ten years in the making, this one-time dental surgery in Portobello has been reshaped as an elegant, practical family home
MEET THE MAKER RACHEL MACLELLAN
You might think the process is purely creative, but designing knitted textiles requires a deep understanding of geometry and pattern calculations. It is intricate and often mathematical. I have learned that knitting demands a constant balance between artistry and engineering. Creating a new textile involves not only selecting colours and yarns but also considering the tensile strength, elasticity and drape of the material. That way, I ensure the final product is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. To me, this blend of creativity and technical precision is a fascinating aspect of knitted textile design.
IN THE KITCHEN AT PARTIES
It's all in the details for this slick and multifunctional entertainment space
JUST A HINT OF PINK
This family-orientated Georgian kitchen gets an upgrade in both footprint and finish
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
Beauty and the best of Scotland on the shores of Loch Ness
LAURA THOMAS
The environmentalist has become a very successful entrepreneur whose products are stocked by Scotland's best hotels