SAFE AND SOUND

An architect-designed house on the Scottish coast ingeniously offers panoramic views of the Sound of Mull without forsaking a sense of protection from the elements

- SARA EMSLIE

Architect Roderick James and his wife, interior designer Amanda Markham, were enjoying life on the picturesque River Dart in Devon when a series of work projects took Roderick to Scotland. 'I was engaged on a house development with the Ardtornish Estate on the Sound of Mull,' he explains, of the assignment that would ultimately prove instrumental in the couple's eventual move 600 miles north. 'At the time local people were very pessimistic about its chance of success so we bought the first plot to show that we, at least, were confident.' Their intention was to build a property and rent it out, but, once finished, the couple had a change of heart, sold their Devon home and relocated to this remote and beautiful corner of the Scottish coast. Devon was becoming a bit crowded,' admits Roderick, and we loved the Scottish landscapes, the mountains and the sea.'