room at the back of the property. “We considered that most of the time it will just be Siobhan and Rory in the house. Pocket doors allow a house to feel more than the sum of its parts, and when they’re alone, most of the time these doors will be open.” The custom birch plywood kitchen and dining cabinetry were designed by Brown & Brown and built by the contractors. “They’re off the shelf carcasses but with custom doors and work surfaces and the contractors made all the fronts. We wanted it to be consistent with the other bits of cabinetry and ply that we’d used elsewhere.” The kitchen is compact and functional although Siobhan insisted on an island, as she recalls: “Andrew’s not a cook, that was the only thing he hadn’t thought through. You need an island so that you don’t have your back to your guests when you’re cooking, and it allows you to take in the stunning views.” Careful to ensure that the fire didnt detract


from the views either, Brown & Brown suggested a hanging stove. “We needed a stove that was in the view but didn’t get in the way of it and that led us to choose this hanging version. It’s efficient, it rotates and its made by Scottish company, Firemaker, so it ticked all the boxes for the clients.”


Another thing on the wish list was the ensuite may/jun 2023


window which Brown & Brown took great pains to get exactly right. Although the main bathroom has a view of the glen the ensuite has a view that no other room has. Andrew Brown: We fitted the slot-style window in the shower looking down the glen so one can see the sun coming up. It’s also precisely positioned for Siobhan and Rory’s height.”


Although the build started in December 2019 between Covid, the weather and the access issues Spyon Cop was finally completed in July 2022 and Siobhan and Rory are now catching their breath and starting to enjoy their new property. “With Brown & Brown’s help, we’ve achieved exactly what we wanted inside and out. Our aim was to use local or Scottish suppliers for the build and the furnishings. It wasn’t possible for everything, but we have art from local galleries, Adirondack chairs from Shetland, rugs from Skye, and the stove from the Borders – it’s been quite a journey,” says the couple. Siobhan sums up her feelings, now the build is finished. We really had no idea how difficult it would be to build here, it was such a challenge. But, we have been able to realise our dream and build a house that makes the best use of the land and the views and it does so gently. I’m not sure if I would do another self-build – I think we need a little longer to recover!” 


www.sbhonline.co.uk 71


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