When Leanne and James Duncan self built their new home, time was not on their side to move in before they got married, but an efficient approach meant they finished the project in just over three months

WORDS CAROLINE EDNIE

PHOTOS NIGEL RIGDEN

Creag Mohr in rural Aberdeenshire may be Leanne and James Duncan’s first self build project, but they certainly hit the ground running. The couple managed to get the construction phase completed in just over three months – and that’s taking into account the discovery of a tricky rock seam when digging the foundations. “Gregor Davidson, managing director of Cairnrowan Custom Homes, was our main contractor and he personally project managed all elements of the build,” says Leanne. “He was determined to get us into the house before we got married in July 2017, and he did it – the week before the wedding!”

The project began in April 2016 when the couple spotted a plot on a local property website. “I was living in Aberdeen at the time and James was out on the coast; but I was brought up in the countryside, so it was our intention to live in a rural area,” says Leanne. “The site was only a third of an acre, but we knew we wanted lots of space as James was keen to have chickens, goats and other animals. We asked the seller if there was any chance of us buying additional land and we ended up getting an acre. This allowed us to position the new property slightly further away from the neighbouring steading and farmhouse, which offered us and them more privacy.”

Our contractor was determined to get us into the house before we got married, and he did it – the week before the wedding

Finalising details

A recommendation led the couple to local contractors Cairnrowan, who in turn directed them to Annie Kenyon Architects to discuss the details of the design they had in mind. “When we met our project architect, Rachael Taylor, she got our ideas straight away,” says Leanne. The couple worked with Rachael over a couple of months to establish what they liked and the kind of materials they had in mind. “We wanted a lot of timber and our main focus was to bring as much natural light into the building as possible, as well as enjoy the amazing views,” says Leanne. “We are a little bit quirky in our tastes, so were keen to create something original and unique.” The architect worked on various options and the final design took into account the cassette kit construction of the house, which allows for lots of irregular shapes and spaces.