I have been coming up to the Crinan area for the past 55 years. I found the ruined cottages in 1980 and spent 10 years trying to persuade the owners to sell to me. In 1990 I put in a sealed bid and was successful in buying the ruins which are situated in a spectacular location looking out to the Western Isles. In 1994 Historic Scotland scheduled the ruins as and Ancient Monument and I spent 6 years in redesigning to meet Historic Scotland’s criteria.

In 2000 the ruins were suddenly de-scheduled which meant that I could go back to the original design and build a dream home with character which blended in with the surrounding landscape. It took 22 years of heartache and determination to build the house, dealing with Historic Scotland and the local planners but each setback strengthened our resolve to see the house built.

Having originally planned the house as a holiday home, as time went on we were so involved with the project that we decided to sell up our home and business in West Sussex and move up to Crinan full time.

We have never regretted this decision and feel extremely fortunate to live in such a beautiful house by the sea in one of the most picturesque areas of Scotland.