Old Oak Cottage

We asked Nigel if he'd like to send us some information about the original house and how he came to be knocking it down and building a new one.  So this is what he sent us.

Above - The original cottage

I grew up in a house on the croft next door and as I grew up it was falling down. It was sold at least three times in the last 20 years after the original crofting family who built it sold it on. None of the people who bought it managed to turn their dreams into a reality but they all made a profit while they waited. The last person who owned it got planning permission for a conservatory and a kitchen extension but I never even considered this idea and actually bought the house having never in my life set foot in it as I was sure that it would be knocked down as part of my plans.

The original house was called Old Oak Cottage because there is an Oak leaf in the Cameron clan emblem and the croft the house was built and belonged to the Camerons. I am a little torn to change the name to Old Turret Cottage as the MacLean clan has a castle turret in the emblem.  But I think it will stay the way it is so as not upset my Cameron neighbours who have been very nice to me!

Above - Demolition starts

The local planning department were very helpful as it is not ideal to have a derelict property in such a prominent location in the area and my plans to rebuild a modern property with such a close appearance to the old one was very positively received. The prominence of the location is always in my mind as everyone seems to be monitoring the progress as they drive by.

Above - Only the front remains

Interestingly the reason the old house was falling down was because the sewage pipe had been broken and the waste water had been washing the gravel away from the large stone foundations that the house was built on. Over the years the front west corner of the house just sank and became very dangerous.

 

Above - One wall to go

Knocking the house down happened on Christmas Eve 2005 and after removing about 500 tonnes of rock and clay from the back and the foundation, we were ready to pour the foundations for the new SkyeHome. The new foundations were poured on Friday the 14th of July 2006.

Above - A sketch of the replacement house

Everything so far has been completed by myself and my father but we are now subcontracting things like the brick work which will start on Monday up to ground floor level and I'll be ordering the kit as soon as I hear that the first block is laid.

Nigel MacLean 20th July 2006