Scotframe Delivers the Salen Pier Lodge
When Peter Stanhope first set eyes on Mull he was transfixed. Though he had come to the island to attend a car rally held in October each year, the sea, the views, and the very air, seemed to him almost magical.Nine years ago Peter, a proud Yorkshireman, decided to take matters into his own hands with his wife Susanne by buying an unfinished house project adjacent to Salen Pier on Mull. Their mission was to restore and rebuild it in to high spec accommodation which they could rent out to anyone visiting the island and could live in also on their frequent trips to the island.Having completed the restoration and successfully rented out the property for a few years, Peter and Susanne started to restore the Pier, including one of the historical buildings that was to be used by a local shellfish business.
The Waiting Room building that had been on the pier, they decided, would be capable of being transformed into a unique holiday home.
Central to Peter’s decision to develop another holiday home on the pier was choosing the right timber frame home manufacturer to deliver his dream development on time and on budget.
Peter needed a supplier that could ship a timber frame kit to a remote location, provide the necessary expertise and advice and supply materials that would withstand the very exposed position the pier’s location presented.
On top of that, the lightweight structure of the pier and the planned property’s exposure to everything winter’s weather could throw at it meant that careful logistical planning was necessary.
As Scotframe’s Mike Cruickshank explained: “we couldn’t put a crane on the pier because it would not have been sufficiently strong to bear its weight, so we evolved a system of smaller panel sizes which could be manhandled into place.
“To tackle the exposure issue – and consider that the pier, very likely, would be lashed quite regularly in winter by very high waves – we designed the house to be built using Val-U-Therm our factory insulated closed panel system which, as well as being a highly robust structure, also provides exceptionally good thermal performance, thereby substantially reducing Peter’s ongoing central heating costs.”
Why did he choose Scotframe?
“I took independent advice from a friend familiar with the timber frame industry and he highly recommended Scotframe. On speaking to them, I was confident they could deliver on their promises, and they certainly didn’t disappoint. I can see why so many people recommend them.”We started a dialogue in course of which I showed the Scotframe people our initial architectural drawings. They came back promptly with a quotation for fulfilling the project and when we saw the price they proposed to charge we decided that Scotframe was the supplier for us.”
Scotframe delivered on time and on spec ready for the forthcoming season for holidaymakers and everyone wanting to get away from it all.
Peter said: “Work started planning with Scotframe in March 2015 with the timber frame kit arriving on site in August, after most of our visitors had gone. We didn’t want their holiday retreat to look like a building site. They have done a great job and I have already recommended Scotframe to others. I would certainly use them again.”
Today, Salen Pier Point’s high quality accommodation for four people, overlooking the Sound of Mull, has stunning views and sits just a little distance from the Ethical Shell Fish Company from which guests can buy fresh seafood on most days of the week.
Said Peter: “The feedback from guests has been amazing”.