Remote Scottish Highland residence showcases area of outstanding beauty
Located just above Loch Tummel, south of the Cairngorms National Park is a new family home designed by WT Architecture

Rising up above the shores of Loch Tummel just south of the Cairngorms National Park is this new family house by WT Architecture is an elegant new form set against the dramatic backdrop of the Highlands. The most prominent landscape feature is Schiehallion, one of Scotland’s 282 Munros, while the loch itself has long been renowned for the beauty of its surroundings.
This is a wild and wonderous landscape, and William Tunnell of WT Architecture has plenty of praise for the client’s ambition, as well as the skill of the builders and craftspeople who shaped the new house. The site has been inhabited for many centuries and was previously occupied by a Victorian farmhouse. The new structure is part-buried in the hillside, and three floors topped a pitched roof rise out of extensive new foundations. An important part of the brief was the restoration and completion of an ancient walled garden and the house itself is fortress-like in the way it guards the views down the loch. Existing farm buildings on the site were retained and restored and form generous four-bedroomed guest accommodation.
From the long entrance drive, the new house presents itself as long and low, with stone walls directing you into an entrance courtyard, set beneath a wood-clad upper floor and that shallow pitched roof. Once you’ve navigated your way through the arrival spaces – this type of countryside demands areas for boots and coats – you reach a double-height entrance hall. This is the hub of the house, with stairs up to first floor accommodation consisting of two bedrooms, an expansive fitness suite. Head down one floor to the sizeable wine cellar and more utility space, as well as a direct connection to the garden.
The master bedroom is located on the ground floor, at one end of a long, narrow plan that includes the lofty dining hall and sitting room, with its panoramic view across the loch. The kitchen is tucked in an annex, angled away from the main volume, linked to the arrival rooms and utilities. A hidden stair leads up to a generous study set between the voids above the living and dining rooms.
The stone combines recycled blocks from the original house and courses of Caithness stone, all meticulously finished, as are the fixtures and fittings. Douglas fir weatherboarding and floorboards is combined with zinc and copper, creating an overall sense of solidity and durability, much needed to protect against the local climate, as do the projecting overhanging eaves. Local contractors and joiners were used throughout to create the bespoke elements, including cabinetry by Birkwood and an impressive dining table by Angus Ross and the snug area by Namon Gaston.
Tunnell set up WT Architecture in 2006. The small studio is based South Queensferry-based and has acquired a quiet reputation for combining contemporary design excellence with traditional vernacular forms, with an impressive array of new build and refurbishment projects set in the historic cityscapes and spectacular landscapes of the Scottish Highlands.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
ICON 4x4 goes EV, giving their classic Bronco-based restomod an electric twist
The EV Bronco is ICON 4x4’s first foray into electrifying its range of bespoke vintage off-roaders and SUVs
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
‘Dressed to Impress’ captures the vivid world of everyday fashion in the 1950s and 1960s
A new photography book from The Anonymous Project showcases its subjects when they’re dressed for best, posing for events and celebrations unknown
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Inside Camperlab’s Harry Nuriev-designed Paris store, a dramatic exercise in contrast
The Crosby Studios founder tells Wallpaper* the story behind his new store design for Mallorcan shoe brand Camperlab, which centres on an interplay between ‘crushed concrete’ and gleaming industrial design
By Jack Moss Published
-
Are Derwent London's new lounges the future of workspace?
Property developer Derwent London’s new lounges – created for tenants of its offices – work harder to promote community and connection for their users
By Emily Wright Published
-
Showing off its gargoyles and curves, The Gradel Quadrangles opens in Oxford
The Gradel Quadrangles, designed by David Kohn Architects, brings a touch of playfulness to Oxford through a modern interpretation of historical architecture
By Shawn Adams Published
-
A Norfolk bungalow has been transformed through a deft sculptural remodelling
North Sea East Wood is the radical overhaul of a Norfolk bungalow, designed to open up the property to sea and garden views
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A new concrete extension opens up this Stoke Newington house to its garden
Architects Bindloss Dawes' concrete extension has brought a considered material palette to this elegant Victorian family house
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A former garage is transformed into a compact but multifunctional space
A multifunctional, compact house by Francesco Pierazzi is created through a unique spatial arrangement in the heart of the Surrey countryside
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A 1960s North London townhouse deftly makes the transition to the 21st Century
Thanks to a sensitive redesign by Studio Hagen Hall, this midcentury gem in Hampstead is now a sustainable powerhouse.
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Manchester United and Foster + Partners to build a new stadium: ‘Arguably the largest public space in the world’
The football club will spend £2 billion on the ambitious project, which co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has described as the ‘world's greatest football stadium’
By Anna Solomon Published
-
'Bold and unapologetic', this contemporary Wimbledon home replaces a 1970s house on site
This grey-brick Wimbledon home by McLaren Excell is a pairing of brick and concrete, designed to be mysterious
By Tianna Williams Published