A new beginning

Kate Atchley has built herself a contemporary haven in the Scottish countryside that is warm, characterful and eco-friendly

- WORDS ALISON GIBB

After a long, fruitless search, trying to find a house she liked, Kate Atchley started to think about building from scratch, looking at 15 plots over the course of two days. She had decided to move from her remote home on Scotland’s west coast to be on the Borders for an easier journey to family in London and this appealing, south-facing site in a pretty village seemed to tick all the boxes.

She made a conditional offer on the site which had outline planning permission and engaged the services of Edinburgh-based Zone Architects. ‘A productive collaboration ensued and they were able to include some of my ideas and even some from my grandson who was studying architecture at the time at Edinburgh University where, coincidentally, one of Zone's directors, Suzanne Ewing, is Professor of Architectural Criticism,’ says Kate.