Category Archives: Renovation

One of the biggest steps any of us can take in our lives, for our own comfort and cost, and to contribute to society’s adaptation to and mitigation of the climate crisis, is to address how we build, renovate and power our houses. This blog is about what we’ve done over the last couple of decades with our historic steading home – if it helps inspire and inform anyone in their own journey towards improving the energy efficiency and quality of older properties, then we’ve achieved something,

Small Decisions, Large Consquences

In renovating Stronvar, we’ve created an insulated shell inside the original fabric of the building, bringing each wall in by about 120mm and increasing the effective thickness of the walls from around 800mm to nearly a metre – this is a not insubstantial building. Continue reading Small Decisions, Large Consquences

The Great British Workman?

What is it with the British? There’s been so much bitching over the last couple of years about conditions in the building and services industries, so it might seem reasonable to expect that companies would be focussing on delivering for their clients and just getting the job done.

Continue reading The Great British Workman?

Eco-What?

It’s mid-October, there’s snow on the ground, our heating is on full blast (burning £10 notes on the log stove might just be fractionally cheaper) and we’re wearing walking boots and multiple fleeces. In the house. In front of the fire, the cats are browsing through brochures for Mediterranean timeshares and the chill wind is whistling through multiple orifices. Continue reading Eco-What?

Conservation vs Restoration

So what are we doing with Stronvar? Are we conserving a building that’s performed many functions over the centuries? Are we restoring the original building or are we transforming it into a modern home, albeit one with a very obvious history?

Continue reading Conservation vs Restoration

History and Vision

Background

Stronvar Farm is the major part of a steading complex of the style typical of the great estates of the rural Highlands. Now B Listed, it was originally the service building for nearby Stronvar House, itself the centre of the old Carnegie estate.  Stronvar Farm included hay lofts, a byre and stables, the dairy, coach house and coachman’s accommodation.

Continue reading History and Vision