Glecknabae

Isle of Bute

Brief
Glecknabae is a C-shaped steading standing on its own on the north-west of Bute, overlooking the Kyles of Bute and towards Arran. The clients purchased the property in 2009, after the steading had already been converted into a house in the early 1990s.

Their ambition was to comprehensively refurbish the buildings, improve the connections between the different parts of the steading and create a much stronger relationship between the interiors, mature garden and sheltered courtyard.

The house also needed to work flexibly for family life, with different parts capable of being opened up or closed off depending on the number of people staying.

The challenge
Although the steading had already been converted, its different elements remained relatively disconnected. The original cottage, converted steading house, wood store, barn and walled garden needed to be brought together without losing the informal character of the original group.

The project also had to be delivered in phases while the property remained in use, requiring the design and construction process to accommodate the clients throughout the works.

Our response
A simple linear arrangement was introduced to connect the different parts of the steading and make circulation through the house clear.

New openings establish a much stronger relationship with the landscape. The most significant intervention occurs at the corner of the steading, where part of the existing building was removed and replaced with full-height glazing to create a generous kitchen and dining space with panoramic views towards Arran.

The original barn was transformed into an additional entertaining space, with a new oak-framed roof structure giving the room its own character while retaining the scale and qualities of the agricultural building.

The resulting house can operate as a single large family home or be subdivided when fewer rooms are required.

Materials and design
The material palette is deliberately quiet, allowing the landscape, artwork and clients' collection of Scandinavian furniture to remain the focus.

Externally, existing slate is combined with white render, grey metallic windows and untreated larch. Internally, brushed oak, steel, off-white walls and slate create a restrained backdrop to the views.

In the barn loft, the low ceiling height was turned into a feature by continuing European oak flooring onto the walls, creating a warm, enveloping bedroom and studio space.

Outcome
Glecknabae demonstrates how an earlier conversion can be reconsidered rather than replaced. The project retained the character and useful fabric of the existing steading while improving the relationships between its individual buildings, courtyard and wider landscape.

Delivered over three phases while the property remained in use, the work created a flexible family home with generous spaces for gathering and entertaining alongside quieter, more private accommodation.

We worked closely with skilled local craftspeople, including Ronald Robertson Joiner, Angus + Mack Carpentry and Bute Blacksmiths, to deliver the project. The result is deliberately understated: a house transformed through carefully framed views, improved connections and the quality of its materials and craftsmanship.