Late Spring Visit

We spent three days in brilliant weather at Runival and visited the Wood on the way home. Here are the pictures.

Visit on 26th May

Most of the ground floor is now tiled. Upstairs there is still no finished floor; and there is lots of wiring and plumbing still to do. Some of the wires are still in the wrong place (the kitchen lights); and the kitchen extractor also still needs to be re-sited. The walls have been painted a less pink shade, in parts, though, which is a welcome improvement. We admired the tiled floor of the shower.

As we have given our final instructions about the bathroom wall tiles (though we thought we had done that some time ago), we hope that the tiling will soon be finished and that the plumbing might follow.

As usual, we all gravitated to the south windows; and when we were upstairs we all stood waist deep in the bedroom windows admiring the mountains. We were quite impressed by how well the brise soleil, which we are learning to call the canopy, to avoid pretentiousness, was preventing the house from heating up in the baking sun, which had completely dried out all the places where I have spent such merry hours disappearing to the tops of my boots and being rescued.

I wish I had taken a proper picture of the blood curdling label on Klarg's lid. It reminds one not to walk on the lid in case one is tumbled into the rotating machinery below. The subterranean part of this place is as interesting as the bit above ground.

We Name This Wood

We have more or less decided, it seems, to eschew Gaelic and to call the house East Poulary Wood. It seems more or less to have named itself. Anyone disagree?

Staircase, tiling, brise soleil

We went to the Wood on Saturday. The staircase is in, looking lovely. But I am a bit worried that Ronnie the Stair God has not brought the top step up high enough to allow for the full thickness of the upstairs oak floor, which is meant to be a nominal one inch thick.

Visit on 3 May

The brise soleil was in. It was a little disconcerting, realising how much it cuts off one's upward view out; but I suppose that is what it is for. The house was really warm, on a fairly overcast day; and in high summer it could get very hot without this shading. It was jolly nice being able to see out of the window at last, as the plastic has been taken off.

The tiling has started in the sitting room. We were rather sad that it is being laid with what look like rather over-generous spaces. In Mary's house, the tiles are fitted right up against each other, and that is much more handsome.

We dropped in on Alistair en route, to give him the electricity bill we have been sent. He mentioned how good and plentiful the water supply is.

There Are Always Things To Decide

We put a few questions to Mary after our last visit - the kitchen lights, the shower seat; and she did one of her visits last week to sort some of these things out. The lights are to be put in their proper place over the island bench; there is to be an oily air extractor over the hob, not just somewhere random in the kitchen. (This is so that Nibe doesn't choke.)

The piece of mahogany that we offered for the shower seat has been reviled, spurned and threatened with immolation. I have stamped my tiny feet and waved my tiny fists and insisted on a proper bench, not a flimsy hinged thing, ready-made. People who work with wood are just going to have to run along and find the necessary wood, even to the extent of flattening a rain forest. I have now got to the stage where I Do Not Care.

Mary is apparently having to make her opinions known to Alistair about the colour of the walls and also about something that has been done not quite right with the wood cladding on the south side. She won't tell me what it is. I do not want to know; that is what architects are for.

The latest question relates to the wall tiles in the shower room - should they be the same dark greenish grey as the floor? Mary thinks yes; I think no. If anyone has any views, could they let me know soon? What we have in the specifications is off white matt tiles in a nice big size.

Mary says the staircase is done. She has started to wonder how the south side is to be landscaped - one of my longstanding preoccupations. How about a pond outside the sitting room?

We are off to Runival again tomorrow, so there will be more pictures at the beginning of next week.

Two recent visits

We spent a few days indulging in Extreme Housekeeping at Runival earlier this week, and visited the Wood on the way there and on the way back, which was on a weekday, so we saw chaps working. The harling and the wood cladding are now done; and the harling has been painted on the south side, where the brise soleil was being bolted together the second time we were there. The water was turned on - gushes and gushes of it. I find it hard not to think that this is simply emptying the pool down below, though I know this is not how aquifers work.

Ronnie the Stair God was there making stairs; chaps were painting the walls.

Out

The Wood, 5 April 2008

Back

The Wood, 10 April 2008

We are now waiting to see if the mahogany will be enough for the shower seat; and we also wonder if the kitchen lighting is quite right. But Mary is on holiday, so we will have to wait to discover both those things.

Compare and Contrast: Exterior

Nov07

Dec07

Feb08

Mar 08

Easter 08

Compare and Contrast: Interior

From Sitting room towards the front door. (West to East)
Nov07

Dec07

Feb08

March 08

Easter 08

Compare and Contrast: Interior 2

Interior: East to West
Nov 07

Dec 07

Feb 08

March 08

Easter 08

Elements

Sink (big) - Franke GAX 110 45

Sink (little) - Franke ARX 110 35













Oven Hotpoint SE661X














Hob - Bosch PCD615FEU

Kitchen plan

Mary has sent the plan of the kitchen that is to be made by her furniture maker on Skye. I hope you can make it out. The stuff is to be made of wood, mainly painted; but the bench tops will be elm, from a tree that he knew when it was growing, which is nice.

He makes real furniture too. Mary has a table and a bed by him, designed by herself. They are jolly nice but expensive. I have a sort of long term plan for a window seat; but that will have to wait in line after the deer fence and the boat or boats.

Off to Runival for a week tomorrow. There will be more pictures of the house when we return, I hope.

Easter Day visit

We went to the Wood with Ursula today. There is now a front door, which was locked; but we cunningly found the key. The door is very solid and Scandinavian; but it seems to be made of metal, and I thought it was going to be wood.

Easter Day visit

All the walls now seem to be in place, and the Ames taping has started. We are beginning to get a feel for the rooms. The sitting room is very high and its window is rather overpowering. There seems to be acres of space in there, enough for about three sofas and two pianos. The wood stove has been installed and the stainless steel chimney pipe is in. The electricity wires are still in mysterious places, such as behind where the sliding door to the utility room will be; but we are sure all will be well in due course. Ronnie the Stair God has not yet made the stairs. For the stiff, using the ladder is a bit scary. We can see where the storage places under the eaves have been put in. Sadly, the insides of those places have not been finished off, which rather bothers me. What is the point of little cupboards that just lead into nasty little places that are impossible to keep clean, surrounded by insulation? On the positive side, though, the clothes hanging places between the main bedroom and the bathroom are nice and big, and the linen cupboard is huge. The downstairs windowsills are there but they are odd banal little things and I can't believe they are what were intended. So there are several things to take up with Mary.

The access track is firm, but it needs some tidying up. Some of the devastation is settling down a bit, though the main embankments are still frightful.

A Useful Place

We didn't manage a trip to the wood with Esther, as the Flying Refrigerator had a pain in its little inside; but here is a plan of the utility room. I have asked for a single sink bowl, and drainage by way of grooves in the bench top. I still don't know what the kitchen itself will look like.

We hope to have some more interesting pictures than this next week, if the forecasted bad weather does not prevent our trip to Runival for the Easter weekend.

We Have Been Upstairs

We went to the Wood on 1st March, and the photographs show what we found: blockwork on the walls; the larch cladding started on the extension; electric wires all over the place; some downstairs walls; the fireplace wall; the first stage of ceiling throughout the ground floor; the first stage of flooring all over upstairs; the insulation in the walls downstairs and in some of the roof upstairs.

Some photos from Cecilia:

Visit on 1 March 2008

From Livy

The Wood March 08

There was a young joiner working on the inside of the roof, with his brother helping. I am embarrassed that I didn't ask their names (must find out from Alistair); but he was very engaging and charmingly ready to explain anything we asked about. He seemed very competent and he spoke with some awe of Ronnie who will soon be making the staircase - another Invergarry man whose expertise at stairs is legendary, and whose own new house is just opposite the Post office.

We opened the upstairs windows and looked out at the views, which are pretty nice. The upstairs spare loo has a window that will take up almost all of its ceiling, which will be interesting. I can imagine sitting there with the light off on a clear night, watching the stars.

The Nibe's ducting is sensibly running along the north side of the eaves, but there is still space in the south eaves for concealed storage, which still has to be sorted out.

One thing we need to sort out, as those who bother to read photograph captions will have noticed, is what to call the two main sides of the house. Naturally, I think, the side facing the road is the back - one would not want to have the main front facing the road. And so, of course, the front door is at the back. Well, that is an unimportant detail. But the logicians in the family want consistency.

We walked around in the wood a little, beginning the process of finding paths and sitting rocks. It was very wet and rather cold, and nothing much was growing yet.

The next trip may be when Esther is staying, if she can bear it.

A Roof that Apparently Does Keep the Rain Out

We went to the Wood again yesterday. It was a misty day and the views were not inspiring. There was still a lot of mud and mess; but things were looking good. There is now a real slate roof, with real steel gutters; and Alistair has worked out a nifty way of doing without extra downpipes on the rear wall where the little roof over the extension is shorter than the main roof. Alistair had left the house open so we could see that the floor has been screeded, with pipes set underneath it for the heating. We could even see where the mat well (that important feature of civilised living) will be. The first stage of part of the ceiling was also there; and so we were able to get a feel for how high the downstairs rooms will be.

The Wood February 2008

I took lots of pictures, but they are not here yet as I have forgotten to bring the relevant bit of wire to St Andrews. I'll put them on later (like now! - Livy). Roy took his camera, but it gave up after half a dozen pictures, as before. But the good news is that we were accompanied by a visiting American scholar, interested in fishing and the Highlands, who seemed very happy to sit in a car for eight hours as the price of seeing a bit of Scotland. He has put some lovely pictures on his blog: http://james-caldwell.blogspot.com/
I particularly like the panorama of the house in the site. There are also two nice video clips (not of the wood) - one with an unexpected narrative including bits about capercaillies. Do look.

We thought the house looked huge. Of course, there are no internal walls yet, so it would, wouldn't it? The utility room is a bit small; but it will do the job. The piano alcove is big enough for two uprights; and the overhead light for my music looks excellent. All the damp timbers seem to be drying out nicely. We were a little bit worried that there didn't seem to be enough space in the timber frame to squash in our 200mm of insulation; but Mary has reassured us about this today. Outside, we saw that the borehole has been tidily cemented. The nymphaeum, like everything else, needs landscaping, of course. Roy thinks he knows where he is going to put his cellar. I think I know where we will be beginning to make our straggle of outhouses, woodsheds and so on.

So the only thing to worry about now is planning permission. Please go on praying.

After we had poked around the house, we walked down to the river, as Jim wanted to decide whether to come back with a fishing licence. I think he might. There are a couple of recently fallen trees which will need tidying up. I have found a very good stone for sitting on and I am planning where to put benches and other sitting (as opposed to standing) stones.

We agreed that the new site is a great improvement on the old one: more connected with the pretty part of the wood, further away from the nearer neighbour, standing well up and commanding better views than from the meadow.

The other news is that we might be changing the name of the house. Roy discovered that tiodhlag has associations with funerals and burial. So? Anyway - we are in discussion about this, and will let you know what piece of interesting spelling we finally hit on.

Meeting with Alistair

On the way back from Runival we stopped at Alistair's place to give him a bottle of whisky. He lives just by the road to Invergarry from Spean Bridge and his place is full of JCBs, other pieces of building equipment, tremendous sheds and lots and lots and lots of gaily coloured toys for small children.

We had told him we might be dropping in at the Wood, if that would be all right; and he had terribly kindly undone the wood covering the front door (see last posting); but we hadn't stopped on the way back and so we felt he had gone to that trouble for nothing. In any case, I would have been afraid of doing something bad and breaking something if we had gone in without his being there.

We talked about getting the electricity in, which he had in hand. Apparently the Hydro don't like making more than two hookups in any period of six months, as they have to compensate people for the supply being turned off whilst the hookup is being done. He knows the chaps, though, and he was hopeful that it would be done sooner rather than later. It seems he may be right about that, as when we contacted the electricity board today to say which tariff we would be wanting they said that had already been noted. It must have been Alistair who told them, I think.

We were talking in general terms about how soon he would be needing to know any final details about electricity; and he said mid-January. So I have rather shame-facedly been going back to Mary about putting in more light and power. We really ought to have done this before the plans were finalised; but there were all sorts of deadlines and we just went with the flow in order not to slow things down. Oh well, I hope it won't come in as too much more, though of course there will have to be an AI with plans. It has been quite jolly looking at the online catalogue of light fittings and discussing what I prefer. Roy has very kindly stepped back from this discussion - he feels sufficiently stressed out by financing the project.

The main topic of interest was the well. He gave us the driller's log, which shows that the first three metres of hole went through sand and gravel, and that the drill then hit granite, which it proceeded to chew through for another two days to a depth of 140 metres. They put a metal pipe in the top part and then perforated tube below. At first, there was very little water; but Alistair encouraged them to dig a bit deeper and then they found 80 gallons an hour, from below sea level.

He said they had brought up three tons of fine grit, some of which we saw beside the hole, in the nymphaeum. Such grit is said to be very fertile, but I am not sure where it has all gone. Perhaps they have carted it away. If not, I will scatter it in chosen parts.

Alistair also told us that the slaters were to be coming the following day; and as I write I think they may actually have finished by now. Mary will be going to the house on Friday, to do another valuation; and we hope to have some pictures from her then.

Last Visit of 2007

Photos:

All Windows

We went to the wood on the way to spend Hogmanay Somewhere Even More Remote. As it was the last day of the year we were right in not expecting to find anyone at work there.

The house is now completely house-shaped. It has all its structural parts; and the windows are in, which shows that Nordan were spot on in their delivery schedule and Alistair in his ordering. (See earlier posting about windows.) We couldn't really see what they were like as they were carefully protected by thick plastic held on by battens of wood. We couldn't get in as the front door hole had been closed with a piece of wood.

The surroundings are still pretty similar to what I understand a First World War battlefield might have been like on a less frantic day than most: some trees uprooted; others bravely withstanding miscellaneous piles of earth heaped around them; wastes of bare earth and stones; pieces of wood and stuff; the odd piece of slightly heavy machinery; water both standing and flowing; places where things have obviously been buried; signs of fire (including one which has made one of the few remaining trees from the ex-knoll look even more maltreated).

The nymphaeum was exciting: a pipe standing out of the ground; a very deep puddle shaped like a bath; heaps of stuff looking like slightly set cement (see next posting for an explanation of this). The nymphs weren't exactly dancing there, as it was too cold; but there were definite signs of their being about to take up residence. In fact, I realise that we will need a little shrine there for them. So if anyone knows someone who designs houses for lares et penates and miscellaneous pagan deities, please advise. I will not be perfectly happy about the security of the water supply until we have sorted out this bit of the design. I think Mary, who is happy to do garages and outbuildings, might find such a commission a little outre. A tholos, perhaps. Or would they want something more enclosed in the Highlands? Something like a broch? We could keep watering cans in it. It would need spaces in the walls for candles like the wall at Winchester.

Which reminds me that we will be needing a woodshed sooner rather than later. Also friends with chain saws. So can I also send out a request for those? I have an idea about a woodshed against the downhill slope of the entrance causeway which seems to be taller every time I look at it with the eye of a landscaper. To the drawing board for that. We wonder about a long weekend with a chainsaw in March, to rid ourselves of the most reproachful piles of dead trees.

There were stacks of slates and blocks at the back of the house and at the side of the road. Exciting. (Amazing what one can find to get excited about.)

The track was looking good: only showing fairly minimal signs of run-off and only a few places looking churned up where something biggish had made a mess. Otherwise, though, there is a dire need of landscaping and planting, and therefore deer defence. Getting down from the house and the track into the rest of the site is a bit of a challenge at present, because even with the laudable intention of snuggling the house into the hillside, when digging away a knoll there is only so far you can go before you start to do quite serious damage. So there is a slope a bit like the one at Kimpton down from the house to the lawn, but higher, from the terrace at the south side of the house; and the track, as I have said, is on a causeway. The slopes are a mixture of gravel, bigger stones and peat and I will have to get a Ph testing kit to work out what will go on them.

Anyway - that was that visit. Pictures will follow when Roy has forced his camera to give up its hostages. It packed up long before I had captured all I wanted to. (I had left my camera in Edinburgh. Silly.)

Water water everywhere...

but luckily it looks as if there will be a drop to drink.

Yesterday there was drilling on site (preceded by some dowsing, I believe, although that might just be West-Highland speak for standing around with a cup of tea and a biscuit and asking Alec Sutherland what he saw when he was driving the digger around the site) and the initial signs weren't good. Mention was made of "taking the water from the burn and sticking it in a holding tank and purifying it". Then they drilled a bit further and at 140m (I think) they struck water. About 15 gallons per hour, which is classed as fairly poor. That would also need to be put into a holding tank to make sure one could get through baths & showers & so on.

Today we had a message from the builders that the flow is now 80 gallons per hour, which is Much Better. That wouldn't need a holding tank, even. So looks like you'll be able to stay clean when you come to visit. Which is good.

A Roof is Not Necessarily Something That Keeps the Rain Out

The Roof is Going On

Livy drove all the way to the Wood and back today, so that we could see what building a house in midwinter in the Highlands looks like. Wet. As you can see from the pictures, there is a frame covered in a green plastic bag. This does little to keep the wood dry, in the present circumstances. There are some wonderful huge holes in the walls which will eventually be vast windows.

The main roof timbers are up and Stanley the joiner was damply balancing on the scaffolding constructing the lean-to roof at the back. When we arrived at lunchtime he had put the timbers for the shower room, the entrance hall and the utility room. As we were leaving he was beginning the bit over the woodstore, the water cupboard and the piano. There was sarking and roofing felt and windows in the south slope of the roof. Water was still penetrating around the edges there, though.

We were allowed in, which we thought was kind, given that the site belongs to the builders for the time being. The kitchen seems absolutely huge. The sitting room does, too; and there is room for two pianos in the piano extension. The downstairs bedroom seems to have plenty of space for two single beds and other necessary stuff. The ceilings seem nice and high, though this is a bit hard to gauge when the floor is an unknown amount below its final level and the ceiling consists simply of joists.

I am not totally sure that the right Velux windows have actually arrived; and I did rather wonder if gathers in the external plastic bags is something done in the best circles; but this is not something about which I can comment. (Though I suppose Mary might.)

In general, I was very happy to see the actual more or less final shape of the house. It seems very tall and long; but the builders said it will seem smaller when it is finished. I think it is an elegant asset to the glen: not outrageously imposing; respecting traditional shapes; sitting well in the landscape.

The road was wet and churned up but the builders have not had any difficulty getting up and down it. We have taken several pictures of it for Janet to remark the drainage and so forth.

See the captions to the pictures for my other comments.

More photos (those taken by Livy) below:

Livy's photos from 5 December

We have - planning permission

The title says it all. We don't have the piece of paper yet, but Mary has been told it is in the pipeline.

Heating; Kitchens; Gas; Water; Planning Issues; and a Roof

Roy is grappling with the question of how to control the heat pump system. This involves talking to about four different people: Mary, two separate heat pump specialists, and Alistair Fraser (about which more very soon). It seems a good idea to be able to turn off the floor heating in places where it is not always necessary: for example, in the sitting room when the stove is on and in the study when it is being a bedroom. It is fairly important to do this as a heat recovery system is essentially just another way of heating your house with electricity - not the cheapest of fuels; though, if properly generated, one of the least damaging to the planet. But control involves taps or switches - those things that tend to go wrong on radiators every autumn. Anyway, he is dealing with it.

The real news is that, in the course of conversation with Alistair, he discovered that we very nearly have a roof. What a surprise. Although I have been intellectually aware that things must be moving on in their own mysterious way, it is hard to believe, when the only pictures to keep looking at are the ones we took nearly a month ago.

I have been using a couple of days away from court to think more about kitchen furniture. I rather dislike Units and things made of chipboard; and we felt that the estimate provided by Mary's kitchen designers was perhaps a little pricey for what is, really, a pis aller; but it is quite hard to come up with an alternative that will look right in this very simple and undecorated house. So I have a fairly nice plan from Jonathan Avery, a very expensive one from Plain English, some ideas related to Magnet kitchens, and a fallback involving Ikea. Today I am going to speak again to Real Wood Kitchens. I feel I ought to be able to find a wonderful local joiner, but so far that hasn't happened.

As for other matters: I have started to wonder if Alistair has remembered to make a channel for the gas pipe; so after waking up in the middle of the night a couple of times I have rather shamefacedly asked Mary's assistant Robert to put my mind at rest. Now I have started wondering about the air vent for the stove; but I haven't had the nerve to tell him about that yet.

And finally, I am still trying not to think about the planning issue. As reported (I think), we are having to get the planning application amended to deal with the change of location. Or at least that is what we originally thought we would have to do. But it turns out that we needed a whole new application. So we are doing that terrible thing: building without planning permission. Diana sucked her teeth and sounded tremendously doubtful when I told her. Mary says it should be all right, even if it means going to appeal. We will know sometime in the New Year. Taking the long view, perhaps it is just another of those things that take a couple of years off one's life and give one something to tell people about afterwards. A little positive thought from everyone might help, though.

Oh - and the water men have not come yet. I am a bit loath to predict evil, but this may be the next thing to worry about.