REAL PROJECT COTTAGE RENOVATION
Lauchlan and Charlotte Maclean-Bristol renovated a tired stone cottage in the Hebrides, making the most of its tiny footprint
HOMEOWNERS Lauchlan and Charlotte Maclean-Bristol
LOCATION Isle of Coll, Inner Hebrides
PROJECT One-bedroom stone cottage
SIZE 35m²
BUILD ROUTE Self project managed with subcontractors
BUILD TIME 13 months (Feb 2019-March 2020)
HOUSE COST £80,000
BUILD COST £40,500 VALUE £120,000
WORDS Caroline Ednie
PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Humphreys
T he Isle of Coll in the Hebrides has proven to be an idyllic, yet often-challenging backdrop for enthusiastic renovators Lauchlan and Charlotte Maclean-Bristol. The stunning island – which has been home to the Maclean-Bristol family since Lauchlan’s parents took on a farm on the island in the 1960s – was the location of the couple’s first cottage renovation, a “falling to bits” farmhouse that emerged almost 10 years ago as a four-bedroom family home.
Several years later, in 2019, the couple took on a new project: a farmworkers’ cottage built 150 years ago. “It is known as the ‘house of love’ due to so many of the residents finding love while they lived there!” says Lauchlan. “The property has a very private setting, with beautiful views over the meadows and hay fields, plus just the tiniest glimpse of the sea in the distance.”
When the last tenant moved out, in 2018, Lauchlan and Charlotte were given first refusal on the property. “My parents didn’t have the energy to refurbish again for a new tenant, so they offered it to us to purchase it.”
Gladly accepting the chance to buy it, Charlotte and Lauchlan decided that the cottage, which nestles between trees on the side of a hill, was in need of a complete interior renovation. As the floorplan and footprint would essentially remain unchanged, the couple took on the project themselves rather than appoint an architect. And because they were essentially replacing like for like, there were no planning issues or requirements that had to be navigated.
In collaboration with the same team responsible for renovating their previous property, the 18-month renovation of Hill Cottage principally involved removal and replacement of the kitchen and bathroom, with new ceilings, floors and front door. The project also involved a full electrical rewire, new heating system and logburner, complete plumbing system, and installation of satellite TV and 4G broadband. A shed was built at the bottom of the hill for storage of bikes and the main path was re-landscaped at the same time.
