Faire Chaolais

Morar

How could a house occupy a steep, overlooked strip between railway and road, yet feel private, sheltered and connected to the Small Isles?

Faire Chaolais—meaning ‘View of the Sound’—is a three-bedroom home at Morar. The clients wanted contemporary architecture that would capture the remarkable outlook across the Silver Sands towards Rum, Eigg and the islands beyond.

An exposed site
The site lies between the West Highland railway above and the Road to the Isles below. Made ground, dense vegetation and views from passing trains meant the roof and the house’s appearance from above were as important as its conventional elevations.

Our response
Cutting the house into the slope creates privacy and gives each floor a distinct relationship with the landscape. Three bedrooms and a study occupy the protected lower level.

Above, the living spaces form a single open volume. A projecting glazed gable directs attention towards the sea and islands, while blank side walls screen the immediate surroundings. Like a telescope, the architecture concentrates the view.

Deeply recessed south-facing glazing creates a sheltered balcony, protected from Highland weather and summer solar gain.

Materials and environmental approach
A continuous larch rainscreen wraps the walls and roof, making the upper volume read as one simple form. Inside, white walls and polished concrete provide a restrained backdrop, with rooflights drawing daylight into the plan.

Heat-recovery ventilation, an air-source heat pump and a wood-burning stove help minimise energy use.

Outcome
Completed in 2014, Faire Chaolais creates privacy and shelter while keeping daily life connected to the changing coast, weather and light.

The house was shortlisted for a RIBA Award in 2015 and featured internationally in Wallpaper*, Leibal and Inhabitat.

It now operates as a holiday home, allowing others to experience the architecture and landscape.