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Making the most of breathtaking views

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“No matter where you are in the house, you get those incredible views right down the Sound of Mull.”

Eagle Rock was originally intended as a high-end rental property, but Roderick James and Amanda Markham soon fell in love with this breathtaking home. With stunning twenty-mile panoramic views down the Sound of Mull, it’s easy to see why.

The contemporary yet understated 400m2 four-bedroom house is situated on a plateau at Achabeag, in the remote West Highlands of Scotland. Eagle Rock nestles into the surrounding landscape with sedum and lead roofs, lime-harled battered walls and an internal Douglas Fir glulam structural frame. Its unique elliptical shape takes advantage of the incredible views down the Sound of Mull.

About the build

Eagle Rock was designed by its architect owners, Roderick James and Amanda Markham, as well as their partner at Roderick James Architects LLP, Mike Hope. It was built by local builder Macdonald Joinery Limited. As the build took shape, Roderick and Amanda had a change of heart about Eagle Rock being a high-end rental property.

“It was such a nice house that we wanted to live in it ourselves,” said Roderick. Their intention was to create a contemporary interpretation of the country house. “The sort of house that anyone can slip into,” says Roderick. “A lot of modern houses nowadays are so minimal that they feel rather austere and cold, but that's certainly not the case with Eagle Rock. It’s got an incredibly warm textural feel to it.”

Main benefits of getting VELUX roof windows

  1. 15-20% more daylight: The combination of floor-to-ceiling glazing and VELUX roof windows bathes the rooms in light and makes the most of the scenic outlook. 

  2. Glazing without glare: On lighting the home, Roderick said: “We don’t get any glare at all. Glare can be a big problem when you’re trying to get light into a room, it can be an unpleasant problem in summer. That doesn't happen with VELUX.”

  3. Natural ventilation: Roderick says “We’ve also got the added advantage that we can vent the room if needed, just by opening the windows and releasing all the hot air to the outside.” 
Design considerations

The house is designed with an unique elliptical shape that fully takes advantage of the panoramic views. Predominantly single storey, Eagle Rock has a high-level viewing gallery around a glazed internal courtyard. Downstairs, there are four large double bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and an open plan kitchen and living room. Two curved staircases lead up to the gallery, which provides additional accommodation as well as a cinema and library.

To fully take advantage of the 270° panoramic views, Roderick and his team chose products from VELUX and sister company VELFAC throughout the house.

“We've got triple glazing all the way around the outside of the house which was supplied by VELFAC. We have VELUX windows in the main living room area. Because we used high levels of insulation - 450 mm thick of Warmcel recycled newspaper - that means that the VELUX roof lights are situated quite high above the ceiling level."

"We've got triple glazing all the way around the outside of the house which was supplied by VELFAC. We have VELUX windows in the main living room area."
- Roderick, homeowner
Warm and encompassing feel

Achieving 100% on its environmental impact rating and 99% for energy efficiency, Eagle Rock also has exceptional green credentials. “In terms of energy it costs virtually nothing to run,” says Roderick.

While Eagle Rock is a large house, Roderick says they make the most of every part of it. “The living room is one great spot. We’ve got two desks there positioned to take in the views, so it’s a wonderful place to work. We also use the upstairs gallery all the time, with the cinema and the library and accommodation for guests.”

Overall, Roderick says Eagle rock is an incredibly comfortable house to live in. “It has a very warm and encompassing feel. No matter where you are in the house, you get those incredible views right down the Sound of Mull.”

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