GROUND has been broken on a £4.6 million project to deliver 14 affordable homes in Lochaline on the Morven Peninsula in the west Highlands.
Dollar-based G+GA is behind the design of the properties, with TSL Contractors leading the build on behalf of The Morvern Community Development Company.
The two-and three-bedroom homes are anticipated to welcome tenants in the summer of 2027.
The properties, which will be available for affordable rent to people wanting to live and work in Morvern, is supported by the Scottish Government with a significant grant from the Rural and Islands Housing Fund alongside financial support from The Highland Council.
The 14 dwellings are designed to sit cohesively within the local rural, coastal context. Massing and density are said to reflect and respect the local vernacular of the area, ensuring that forms and materials are of a recognisable west of Scotland character to minimise the visual impact of the development.
A ‘simple and well considered’ palette of materials and finishes has been adopted, including metal standing seam roofs, locally sourced timber cladding to the external walls, and gabion baskets to form retaining walls.
Richard Graves, G+GA principal and project architect, said, “We operate a fabric-first approach to all our projects. These houses are very well insulated, and all the main living areas are south facing, maximising solar gain with minimal low-cost electric heating required.”
The £4.6 million project is committed to minimising and mitigating ecological impacts, with extensive native planting sourced from locally grown species within the area. This, combined with low-impact hard surfacing materials, ensures the development integrates sensitively with the existing landscape and surrounding context.
Richard continued, “This is an important project, and one of the largest community-led housing developments in Scotland being built at the moment. It has been described as a once-in-a-generational housing project, adding a sizeable increase in living accommodation for the small population (approx. 200 people) of Lochaline.”
