UPWARDLY MOBILE A modular construction was the perfect solution on a challenging Isle of Skye plot
A micro home has been designed on a tight budget to fit in with its landscape on the Isle of Skye
in 2016, Skye resident Ali Maclennan decided the time was right to create additional accommodation on his island croft. Having built his own house on the site 15 years before, Ali was prepared for what lay ahead. But there was one challenge he hadn’t anticipated, and this would change the course of the build from a Highland ‘but and ben’ (a simple two-bedroom cottage) into what is now essentially a bespoke mobile home. Initially, the idea was for ‘a small but not tiny’ self-contained house, says Ali, who has lived on Skye since he was five and works in the fishing industry. ‘I was looking to build it for my son, a marine engineer in his twenties, who had been talking about moving to the island. Also a smaller house makes a lot of sense when it comes to retirement, with the potential to let out the main house as a rental property,’ he explains.
However, initial inspection of the site – a small plateau that falls away down a steep bank to the river below – threw up some unforeseen findings. They discovered that the earth contained ungraded demolition material, which meant the groundworks and foundations alone would have cost more than the total budget. The news was devastating and for a while it seemed that the project had no future.
However, architect Ann Nisbet, who had been working with Ali on his original ‘small but not tiny’ brief, developed the idea of a modest, energy-efficient, low-cost mobile home – an alternative to the static caravan that is commonly a feature in rural communities. A design was then developed that could be constructed entirely off-site, lifted onto a flatbed trailer, transported to and then positioned onto the plot.
The site had already received Planning in Principle for a small traditional house, but the planners were supportive of this revised idea. Consequently, the project began on the mainland: ‘The building started off in a welders’ yard in Fort William, where the steel frame was constructed,’ explains Ali. ‘A friend and neighbour put it on the back of their artic lorry and it was taken to an unused fish farm on Skye, with a big yard and a shed, which my boss kindly allowed us to use.’
Following construction and the internal fit-out of the building, which Ali worked on himself alongside Skye-based Mackinnon Joinery, it was then transported from its temporary home to Ali’s croft. This would prove to be the most white-knuckle aspect of the project. ‘The skill of the crane operator on the flatbed lorry was unbelievable,’ Ali recalls. ‘Watching him move a 12-tonne house from the truck onto the site with a remote control and setting it down millimetre-perfect over the steel eyes that it was to be bolted onto was very stressful, but also exciting. We had a wee party afterwards!’
Designed according to dimensions governed by the Caravan Act, the new house echoes the form of traditional Highland longhouses and directly relates to the local creel barns. It’s clad in a mixture of black standing seam zinc and untreated Siberian larch, emulating the materials often found in the rural landscape. All the components were chosen for their longevity, re-use potential, low maintenance, environmental impact and health properties.
The 30-square-metre building looks out over Broadford Bay and the small island of Pabay, with large areas of glazing opening out to the south, maximising solar gain and views. The upper parts of the windows have been overclad with timber to filter the summer sun, thereby reducing the risk of the house overheating.
Internally, the layout was influenced by caravan and boat design, in particular to make the most of space and storage. The house features three areas – main bedroom, living room and shower room – each divided by a deep wall containing cupboards and services. All flow into each other and open out onto the central apex, creating a feeling
‘It may be small, but it feels SPACIOUS. It’s UNIQUE’
of space, openness and height throughout, while two large sliding doors can also be closed, providing additional privacy between the rooms.
Interior walls and ceilings are clad in birch-faced plywood, which was able to absorb any movement that occurred when the building was being transported. Plywood – from off-cuts – also forms shelving and other storage elements. Longlasting, low-maintenance rubber flooring was fitted throughout – and this can be lifted and reused and then fully recycled at the end of its life.
‘Creating this home was tough at times, and there were a few scary moments,’ concludes Ali. ‘And it took longer than I’d hoped to complete, but when things progressed, it was really positive. It may be small, but it feels spacious, cosy and warm. It’s unique.’