Boathouse, Highland Estate

Architectural influence

Architecturally, the keel form and detail of the Boathouse references the work of Sir Robert Lorimer, whose work on the Estate in the ‘Arts and Crafts’ idiom included extensions to the Castle in 1905.

The Boathouse develops on the previous work at the Home Farm, in structure and material palette: primary oak frame with Douglas fir internal cladding; larch cladding externally, with reclaimed Ballachulish slate roof and traditional lead detailing; Staffordshire blue brick and Scottish Whinstone foundation.

An oak frame at the heart

At the heart of the Boathouse is the bespoke hand-crafted oak frame, chosen for its beauty, though also durability. With a flood range up to 1.7m above mean water level, the structural oak frame, stud work and meticulously detailed hardwood joinery will withstand the changeable environment of the site.

The keel form of the Boathouse is defined by jointed cruck-blade trusses, in hand selected air-dried oak to achieve the radius of the roof. These stable ribs are scarfed by spline joints to the green oak post and beam structure below, held rigid by knee bracing. The elevated first floor space commands spectacular views over the Loch, with a cantilevered balcony leading from the glazed gable frame. Joinery throughout is traditional pegged mortice and tenon.

Challenging installation

Building this boathouse called on the expertise and experience of all the teams involved. In an ecologically sensitive and hard-to-reach site all materials had to be brought in by water, using a slipway, barge, and landing craft. The Kishorn Heritage team installed outer and inner coffer dams to create a dry dock, allowing the foundations to be cast. The Carpenter Oak team then used a mini-crawler crane to raise the frame.

Built using traditional methods, the Boathouse exceeds modern standards for air and water tightness.

Photography: Tide Design and Kishorn Heritage

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