The place beyond the pines

Extending a traditional farmhouse has given one lucky family the chance to live in the heart of the Cairngorms, with mountains and forests as far as the eye can see

-  Caroline Ednie

DETAILS

What A contemporary extension to a farmhouse

Where Cairngorms

Architect Brown & Brown

Main contractor Spey Building & Joinery

Surrounded by pines, deep in the Rothiemurchus Estate, the sun always shines for one family who have made this their home from home. Lower Tullochgrue, one of just a handful of privately owned properties on this estate in the Cairngorms, now has a glass-and-timber cantilevered extension that acts as a viewing platform, allowing the owners to track the sun throughout the day and experience the forest and mountains at close quarters.

The project to rethink the old farmhouse at Lower Tullochgrue began four years ago when the owners contacted Andrew Brown of Strathdon-based architects Brown & Brown to discuss creating a larger home for their extended family.

"We'd had a holiday home in the area for many years, where we'd regularly gather together as a family. But, as more nieces and nephews came along, we began to outgrow it," the owners explain. "We love the area, so we wanted to find a new place that had room for all of us. When we first visited this old farmhouse, it certainly did not tick all our boxes. But the setting was so stunning that we couldn't stop thinking about it."

This is when they got in touch with Andrew Brown. They loved other examples of his work and knew he was experienced in dealing with the constraints of building in the Cairngorms National Park. "We explained that we needed a multigenerational home, with large communal areas and plenty of bedrooms and breakout spaces, that would make the most of the extraordinary views."