New Ormsaigbeg House

Kenny MacDonald, whose building company S&K MacDonald Homes is based at Mingarry, the other side of Acharacle, is close to handing over the latest new house to be built along the Ormsaigbeg road.  It's a three-bedroom house with open-plan ground floor, but the main difference with this build will be its high energy-efficiency rating.  With ground-source heating, solar hot water and photovoltaic panels, recycling of internal heat and use of rainwater collected from the roof, it promises to be one of the most eco-friendly houses in the Highlands.

Ground was broken at the beginning of September last year.  The site is tucked into a fold in the hillside facing southeast across the Sound of Mull towards Morvern.  Its position means that the house will be protected from the worst of the southwesterly gales while benefitting from its southerly aspect.

This picture was taken a week ago, with the work almost complete.  As with all builds, there's still plenty of snagging to do, but Kenny seems cheerful enough - and, from a recent conversation, is very proud of his house.

This view shows the house from the sea, which is a couple of hundred yards away.  Behind it rises the lower hills of the ridge called Druim na Gearr Leacainn and the Ormsaigbeg common grazings, which stretch for miles without a fence.  So this will be a wonderful home for anyone who enjoys swimming, boating or walking across Ardnamurchan's beautiful hills.

Kenny's company website is here.