Kilmichael Glen eco-home dream becomes a reality
Watching their new eco-home take shape, Tim and Ishbel Forrester are just starting out on their dream of a new life in Scotland.
Having purchased a plot of land up Kilmichael Glen on the road to Ford, the Forresters made the decision to live in an eco home, designed and built by an Inverness-based company.
Until December 5 last year the Forresters were living in a 100-year-old house in Eastbourne on the south coast of England.
The difference in environment could hardly be more stark – from busy, (relatively) dry Eastbourne to remote, (very) wet Mid Argyll.
But it is well worth it, according to Tim.
‘We just wanted to come and live here,’ he said. ‘Ishbel is from Glenisla in the Angus glens, so it’s not completely strange.
‘The people are friendly here and the scenery is fantastic.’
The two-storey house itself comes as pre-fabricated panels, and with more than 300mm (one foot) of insulation and triple glazed windows this will be a home easily heated. The high-tech design is said to be carbon-neutral and will feature wifi controls, while electricity will be provided by photovoltaic panels on the roof.
The two-bedroom property is clad in untreated larch, which will weather to a silvery-grey colour in harmony with the landscape.
Tim and Ishbel are keen walkers and outdoor enthusiasts, and they love their new surroundings.
‘Apart from deer, so far I have seen an eagle, otters in the loch, a stoat and eider ducks,’ said Ishbel. ‘And we can get out on to the hills right from our front door.’
The house should be ready for living in by the beginning of June, and the couple cannot wait.