Life on the edge certainly has its advantages – great views, stunning light and a chance to switch off from the world. CHRISSY HARRIS rounds up some amazing coastal homes
EAGLE ROCK, MORVERN, ARGYLL
Perched high on a peninsular in the West Highlands of Scotland, Eagle Rock manages to hide in plain sight. The moss sedum roof and low-lying aspect allow this dramatic building to blend into the landscape.
The oak-framed house with 20-mile panoramic views from every room was designed by its owners, architect Roderick James and interior designer wife Amanda Markham. The couple wanted to create a family home in this remote part of the world without leaving too much of a footprint behind.
Eagle Rock is extremely energy efficient, thanks to its 450mm recycled newspaper insulation, 15kW ground mounted electricity panels, triple glazing and air source heat pump.
“It costs us nothing to run,” says Roderick, who spends as much time as he can in his home, which overlooks the Sound of Mull. “We love it here,” he adds. “There’s just this fantastic light that bounces off the water and glints on the ceiling. The view is continually changing and the wildlife you can see is incredible – golden eagles, sea eagles, pine marten, wildcats – it’s an extraordinary location.”
Eagle Rock was completed in 2015 and is part of a series of homes Roderick James Architects have designed and built in this area of Argyll. More than 20 unique properties - including a curvy, capsule-style home, - have been created here since 2002. “We just thought this was such a wonderful place,” says Roderick. “And we love the remoteness.” roderickjamesarchitects.co.uk; outoftheblue.uk.com
HAWK HOUSE, NEAR HOPE COVE, DEVON
Fi and Matt Velarde bought a house on a plot of land on the South Devon coast back in 2005 and decided to do a ‘Grand Designs’ on it.
The couple were living in a Victorian mid-terrace up country and liked the idea of creating a spacious seaside home that was bathed in light all year round.
Fi and Matt, who have six children between them, three grandchildren and two more on the way, say Hawk House has become part of the fabric of family life, with endless summers and plenty of winter weekends spent together in their timber-framed Devon home.
“We’ve got family in Scotland, London and elsewhere and what’s so lovely is that the house is a great base for everybody,” says Fi, an artist.
“The views, the open space, the quietness, it’s just amazing and I love watching the wildlife. We’ve got three deer that live nearby. There are badgers and hares, stoats, buzzards and many other birds.”
“The views are terrific,” says Matt, a landscape photographer. “And not just on a sunny day. Because we are facing
