Most home owners like to have at least one prized possession on display. It could be a special ornament or piece of artwork, but you may have to look hard to find it.
At Kentallen, a bespoke new house at Duntelchaig, Farr near Inverness, you don’t have far to look to learn what interests the owners, Jenny MacCallum and Kerr Douglas. For taking pride of place in their, thankfully large, hallway and under a trio of spotlights, sits an impressive classic motorbike – a GSXR 1100.
The couple are well known in motorcycling circles and used to race sidecars on the circuit.
After being together for 10 years, Kerr was involved in a motorbike accident which left him in a wheelchair.
The accident, a decade ago, meant moving from an estate cottage in Scaniport to a specially modified Albyn Housing home, but their dream was to be able to build their own purpose-built, fully wheelchair friendly home.
Jenny, 40, an agricultural consultant with SAC, said: “I used all my contacts in the farming world to find a place where we could build a house which would work for us.
“I came up with the general design before getting an architect on board, and had a clear vision of what I wanted which was a wooden house, ideally a log house, with a tin roof, an open plan layout and lots of glass.”
Having proved hugely complicated, the plans for a log house were quickly ditched as were plans to make it a wooden house.
“We opted instead for Cedral Weatherboard, fibre cement boards that look like painted planks of wood but which are completely maintenance free as are the Savaheat double glazing units.
“There’s something about tin roofs I love, they’re just so traditional and Scottish, so I was delighted, through my farming contacts, to find experts to fit it. It also worked out a lot cheaper than putting on a slate roof.
“One unexpected snag arose when the architect came on board, and having viewed the sloping site, said we’d have to cut into the land and possibly lose the fantastic views across Duntelchaig Loch.”
The solution was to build a cantilever house, set into the hillside using vertical supports.
Jenny project managed the entire build, while continuing to work full-time, and juggle the budget.
“It was an absolute nightmare at times,” said Jenny.
“We worked on a very tight budget and used as many people as I knew and trusted to work on it.
“It was a huge learning curve and very stressful, but I think I might be tempted to build again, in a few years.”
The house they built is unique, very striking and contemporary and from its elevated position there are spectacular framed views over the surrounding countryside to Loch Duntelchaig and the mountains of the west.
It’s a house with a lovely flow and has a large balcony running along two sides of the house which can be reached from the dining kitchen, sitting room and master bedroom.
The accommodation includes an entrance vestibule with doors to an integral garage, utility room and the entrance hall where their favourite motorbike takes a starring role.
The dining kitchen is a triple aspect room with fitted floor units, single bowl stainless steel sink with drainer, gas hob, extractor hood, integral electric oven, integral dishwasher, and double doors leading to the balcony and another leading to the sitting room.
The utility room is plumbed for a washing machine and has worktops and a Belfast sink.
The sitting room is another magnificent, triple aspect room with a double height ceiling and exposed beam and double doors leading to the balcony.
The master bedroom comes with an en-suite wet room and fitted double wardrobes, while there are two further bedrooms and a family bathroom.
Other features include an integral garage which gives direct access to the house, a car port and kennel with bars and adjacent room housing the water tank and pumping system.
“The heating system is phenomenal,” said Jenny.
“It is an ETA Austrian log boiler which basically has an induced draft fan which draws air down through the boiler and ignites the gasses of the wood and burns at 1,000 degrees.
“It’s so efficient you only have to empty the ashes every two months.
“There’s also a very sophisticated, intelligent underfloor heating system which works out the difference between the temperature outside and each individual room and adjusts accordingly.
“To heat the house will literally cost nothing because it will be eligible for the domestic renewable heat incentives in March.
“When that money is paid you will be able to buy a lorry load of sticks and have a man deliver, chop and stack them, so effectively it will cost zero to heat the house.”
The attic space covers the footprint of the fully wheelchair-friendly house and has been built to allow for expansion into this area to create a second floor, while the entrance hall is spacious enough for a staircase to an upper level.
While the property ticked every box for Jenny and Kerr, their relationship didn’t fare as well and sadly they split up.
However, they haven’t gone their separate ways yet as they have reached a very civilised arrangement whereby Kerr and his new partner, plus Jenny and their pets – two horses, two donkeys, a Shetland pony, three cats and three dogs – continue to call Kentallen home until the house – on the market with a guide price of £295,000 – is sold.
Kentallen, which is a 20-minute drive from Inverness, is ideally placed for those looking for a home in unspoilt and varied countryside.
There are numerous rural sports and recreational facilities within close range including walking and cycle trails plus the traditional rural sports of fishing, shooting and stalking.
The motorbike is not included in the sale.
Contact: CKD Galbraith on 01463 224343.