no pier pressure
Island home even has a resident otter
Fishing village home is a relaxing treat.
WILDLIFE filmmaker Gordon Buchanan was the driving force behind Morag Mathieson’s dream move to the Isle of Mull.
But she could never have known that she, like the TV adventurer, would be plunged into a drama of her own. Morag – who spent her working life helping people with disabilities into employment – had holidayed many times in the picturesque fishing village of Fionnphort. But she only stumbled on Pier House while surfing the web.
She tells in10: “I’d been in the village a lot but there was never a ‘For sale’ sign on the property. I only learned it was on the market through the internet. “It was a prefab on one level, erected on the clifftop in the 1960s. I thought about buying it but decided not to. “Then I saw Eagle Island: A Year On Mull with Gordon Buchanan.
“I got half way through the programme and decided I had to have that house. It was Gordon’s fault,” she laughs. She moved in at Christmas 2006. She remembers: “My son and daughter-in-law were with me and a storm was raging. “The prefab had three layers of carpet and the storm was so bad they were lifting off the floor.” Morag began improvement works, but they were never to be completed.
She explains: “We were only in the property for six months when it burnt to the ground. “The insurance investigator said the cause was a faulty storage heater. Fortunately, no one was in the property at the time, but I was still in tears.” It took two years working with planners, engineers and construction teams before a rebuild could commence. Morag admits: “I struggled to
envisage a replacement house being built. In hindsight, the fire was probably a good thing but you couldn’t have told me that at the time. I was heartbroken.” Completed in 2008 Pier House has all the comforts of the modern world, but mirrors the charm of the island’s traditional homes. Set over two floors, the groundfloor living space is open-plan with windows on all four sides making the most of the views. The lounge features a logburning stove and has glass doors opening on to a wraparound terrace affording a panoramic vista. There are also three lovely bedrooms.
The home oozes comfortable countryside-cum-coastal chic. But Morag is reluctantly placing her dream home on the market. Now 65 and retired, she has set her sights on warmer climes. But she tells in10: “I am really going to miss this place. I love walking on the beach with Kelpie, she’s the best dog ever. “Laying in your bed at night you can hear the sea and the call of the oystercatchers. “There is a resident otter who I sometimes glimpse and I love to watch when the dolphins come to play alongside the ferry. It all happens right outside this house. “I have a boat, so can be having lunch on Coll or Tiree in an hour.
“It’s great for island hopping and seeing the puffins.
“And the sunsets and aurora borealis here are amazing!” The Pier House is on the market with Savills, for offers over £285,000.