Plot, Ard Na Caol, Ardgay, Sutherland, IV24 3DJ

Ardgay is a pleasant village situated 15 miles from Tain, with Bonar Bridge being a mile away. Ardgay is served by train links to the north and south with a daily commuter train to Inverness. The village has a primary school, shop and Cafe. Secondary Schooling, banking, medical and other services can be found locally in Tain. Further transport links can be found in Inverness, 36 miles to the south. In nearby Bonar Bridge there is a small hospital, library, restaurant, shops and hotel. Ardgay sits on the southern shore of the scenic Dornoch Firth, an area renowned for fishing, walking and other outdoor pursuits. There is also a lively community hall where various activities take place such as badminton, keep fit and toddlers clubs.

The site is located to the north west of Ard na Caol, within the Ardgay Settlement Development Area. The site is fronted by the A836 road and has the north railway line to the rear. The site benefits from open views to the north over the Dornoch Firth towards Bonar Bridge. The site steps down from the A836 to the south-east, down to the railway line to the north-west. The site is split into two distinct levels; the upper level slopes gently down from the roadside, then a step of approximately 1m drops down to the lower level.

The proposed house is located on the first natural plateau, maintaining the existing ground height adjacent to the front of the house. This allows for adequate space to the front of the house for the required service bay access from the A836, along with turning and parking provision for two cars

Orientation and location within the site, informed the design of the house to have the public rooms and a master bedroom facing the impressive views to the north over The Dornoch Firth. A simple rectangular gabled form with a roof pitch of 35 degrees provides the core of the house design, with a sun room to the north to take advantage of the views to the north. The north-west elevations provide for the public spaces to enjoy the views out to the beach with larger glazed areas while the south-east windows facing the road are relatively small and functional to provide some privacy for the home owner. There are no windows in the gable facing Ard na Caol to ensure privacy is maintained for the neighbouring property

The external finishes have been kept simple with the adoption of smooth white render to the majority of the external walls. The porch and sun room are finished in a vertical cement board cladding, providing a contrast to the white render. Alongside ensuring the fabric of the building has high levels of insulation, the applicant wishes to also install renewable technologies in the form of an air source heat pump and PV panels. Externally the landscaping will be mainly to grass with some carefully located accent and infill trees along the side boundaries to enhance the privacy of the homeowner and neighbouring properties.

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