Glecknabae

Isle of Bute

Glecknabae had plenty of space, but it wasn't working for its new owners and their family. The former farmhouse had been converted in the early 1990s, leaving a collection of disconnected spaces, while substantial outbuildings were gradually falling into disrepair through lack of use.

When the clients bought the C-shaped group on north-west Bute, they saw the opportunity to bring the whole steading back into use, creating a family home with better connections between the rooms, courtyard and garden, and opening it towards the far-reaching views of the Kyles of Bute and Arran.

Reworking the steading
The house was refurbished in phases while the family remained in occupation. A clearer linear route now links its varied spaces, while a new full-height glazed corner brings light and landscape into the kitchen and dining area.

The former barn became a generous room for entertaining, its oak roof structure retained as a defining feature. It can be subdivided when required, giving the house flexibility for family life and larger gatherings.

Materials and craft
Slate, white render, grey windows and untreated larch give the exterior a quiet, consistent character. Inside, brushed oak, steel, off-white finishes and slate create warmth without competing with the original building. In the loft, oak wraps walls and ceilings to form a more intimate retreat.

The project was realised with local craftspeople, including Ronald Robertson Joiner, Angus + Mack Carpentry and Bute Blacksmiths. Their work reinforces the sense that this is an evolution of the steading rather than an imposed new identity.

The outcome is a generous, adaptable family home in which old and new read as one continuous story.