Stella McCartney’s plans for remote Scottish hideaway sparks Highlands row
Highland Council has received over 50 objections to the proposal
Stella McCartney’s bid to swap her Notting Hill townhouse for a secluded Scottish retreat has hit the rocks after locals objected to plans for the modernist mansion, describing it as a “monstrous carbuncle”.
More than 50 objections have been submitted to building proposals to redevelop the Commando Rock site nestled in the Scottish Highlands.
The row was sparked by proposals first submitted by McCartney’s 52-year-old husband Alasdhair Willis, with angry residents insisting the building’s glass-fronted contemporary design would clash with the “architecture of the area”.
Residents also raised issues with the property’s ecological impact and how it would restrict access to a beach “used extensively by locals and holiday-makers”.
According to a design statement submitted by the architecture firm Brown & Brown, the split-level property would be constructed with a “contemporary and complimentary mix of” materials, including Scottish stone, concrete, and weathering steel “which would pick up on the colours of the landscape”.
Angus MacDonald, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Fort William and Ardnamurchan who is objecting the proposal, urged the couple to put forth a more “eco-friendly design” in a statement to The Times.
“It would be better if the building was more blended in, perhaps with a turf roof. It’s on a promontory with Scots pines at the end and local people would prefer it if those were not cut down,” he added.
Locals said they are worried about the impact of the modernist construction – separately described as a “scar” and “carbuncle” in comments to the council – on the flora and fauna of the area, including the destruction of otter holts and unnecessary felling of “precious” mature Scots pine trees.
“The removal of some of the existing Scots pines is an outrageous suggestion,” one comment read. “The whole country is in a process of trying to get these magnificent, natural trees to regenerate, yet here the application wants to go against this initiative.”
Other concerns include the building’s contemporary design which, some argue, clashes with “architecture of the area”, and restricted access to a beach “used extensively by locals and holiday-makers”.
Another person, who did not wish to be named, told the newspaper: “It’s believed in the area that the build will cost around £5m. Stella McCartney, who makes a big thing about being green, plans to build a house that’s steel and concrete.”
Brown & Brown’s design statement suggests the couple’s new sea-facing home “will retain the wild nature of the site” overlooking the Roshven Bay on the west coast.
The daughter of Beatles legend Paul McCartney and the late environmentalist Linda McCartney, Stella is the founder of the eponymous, sustainable British luxury label. She has previously campaigned against the use of fur in fashion as well as deforestation.
Brown & Brown declined to comment on the story. The Independent has contacted McCartney’s representatives for comment.
The mother-of-four has a long connection with Scotland, having spent much of her childhood at Macca’s remote Scottish farmhouse, High Park in Kintyre, which he bought after the Beatles broke up.
The planning application for Stella and Willis’ Scottish holiday home states: “The applicant wishes to create a home here which is site-specific, with the setting, existing contours, aspect, and sun-path being among the key generators of the design.
“Privacy is of prime import to the applicant, which was a chief reason they acquired the site. The secluded nature of the site would be retained, with the house being largely unseen outwith the site, and primarily only visible from the water.”
The planning committee is still reviewing plans for McCartney’s Scottish holiday, with a decision on it expected at a later date.
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