Which means that we are about to make a formal offer for the plot and the croft at 5 Fernilea.
Discussions and negotiations have gone back and forth over the last 10 days and have finally concluded with a draft missive that we have now agreed.
So we have had an offer accepted for the house plot and made a separate offer for the croftland. Both have been discussed informally so now it just the "proper Scottish legal terms" bit.
A proposed completion date of late September for the house site depending on the planning permission being renewed by the seller. The assignation of the croft will take longer as we (or at least our solicitor) will need to involve the Crofters Commission. We will only purchase the croft if the sale of the house site is agreed - just to be sure that we don't end up owning six acres of land with nowhere to live!
The sellers have 14 days to respond to a 7 page letter setting out our conditions of purchase. I'm sure it's not this simple in England. Everything is done through the solicitor and dates are clearly set out so you know very quickly if there is going to be a problem.
Mary is sending us a draft contract for the house design, build project and project management. Assuming we are happy with that, then we may proceed.
Meanwhile we have been continuing the get fit theme with an average weekly mileage of between 25 and 30 miles walking, most of that with full packs.
As part of the on-going theme of achieving the "to do" list we are considering whether we might be sufficiently fit to tackle the coast to coast walk which is 190 miles and takes in the Lake District and parts of Yorkshire, along with a boring bit in the middle. Logistics including washing (clothing) and lunches are taking up a fair bit of thinking at the moment. How do you wear clean, fresh clothes for each day's walking without taking a very large and heavy case of clothes as back up? The research continues. Even more important is the matter of eating lunch each day - who does the sandwiches? Will they be of a suitable quality? What if the pie shop is closed or sold out?
This week we walked on three consecutive days just to see if we could. Answer - yes and we slept well into the bargain. Will need to increase the distance but won't be driving for a couple of hours each day so seems viable.
Highlights of this week's walks included a satisfyingly quick time for the canal walk to Tiverton; a hot and sunny climb through Willsworthy range to Hare Tor on Dartmoor then back along Tavy Cleave where we battled with the "path" that was obliterated by a selection of rocks, heather, bog and hidden holes that trapped you just when you thought it was safe to move! Also saw a collection of lizards, small unidentified snakes and a baby adder basking in the sun - all of the above enjoying the sun amongst the aforementioned heather and rocks. Finally the coast walk from Exmouth to Budleigh and back taking in the delights of Devon Cliffs Holiday Park (heaving with visitors), marines firing on the range adjacent to Devon Cliffs Holiday Park and the glorious view back along the coast to Budleigh which looked like somewhere in the Med. All of this with only a few spots of rain and plenty of sun.
Back to the chores and house tidying / packing for a couple of days then we will be off out again.
Planning to visit Jacqueline and Ian in Wales next week for a few days. Will be visiting the plot they are buying as we have only seen photos so far. Hope we might get in a walk or two while we are there - we have only done a little walking in Snowdonia this year and it would be good to reacquaint ourselves with the Welsh hills.
There will be little to report for a couple of weeks so will sign off for now although I may update from Wales as we get out and about.
Friday, 5 August 2011
Monday, 25 July 2011
An offer we hope they can't refuse
It appears that we have been cleared as far as the ID verification stage of purchasing a plot and land in Scotland (with thanks to our solicitor in Devon) so we are now at the point where we can make an offer for both the plot and the land.
Have just spoken with Mr McPhee who will shortly be talking to Alison at the IoS estate agency to discuss the market rate for 6 acres and a house site. We will apparently be starting at a lower price than the owner would like to achieve but that's OK with us!
Mary's colleague has visited the site and in her opinion "it's great" so we are just waiting to speak with her to discuss the next steps - assuming we manage to conclude a deal and actually buy it.
The suggestion is that the house is built as far out towards the loch as possible to make the most of the elevation and the views across the loch and eastwards to the Cuillins (plenty of sunrise photos in the offing there in the future). Also the option for our very own "living window" framing the mountains if we can design it in.
Otherwise life is carrying on as normal as we wait for an exchange date for this house sale after which we will be able to better plan our departure and entry to the rental market. Where to live??
Despite the warmer July weather and the appearance, finally, of the summer, we managed to get absolutely soaked last week on a walk on North Dartmoor; too wet to complete the planned walk but we did manage six miles and a bit of exercise. Followed by a good seven and a half miles around Sidmouth yesterday. Hoping to hit Fur Tor in the centre of Dartmoor tomorrow - carrying plenty of water (more than 5 litres between us) to avoid dehydration.
Hope to have further news this week - watch this space.
Have just spoken with Mr McPhee who will shortly be talking to Alison at the IoS estate agency to discuss the market rate for 6 acres and a house site. We will apparently be starting at a lower price than the owner would like to achieve but that's OK with us!
Mary's colleague has visited the site and in her opinion "it's great" so we are just waiting to speak with her to discuss the next steps - assuming we manage to conclude a deal and actually buy it.
This is the link to the plot on the IoS website for those interested to see where we might be living in two years time.
http://www.iosea.co.uk/2080.shtmlThe suggestion is that the house is built as far out towards the loch as possible to make the most of the elevation and the views across the loch and eastwards to the Cuillins (plenty of sunrise photos in the offing there in the future). Also the option for our very own "living window" framing the mountains if we can design it in.
Otherwise life is carrying on as normal as we wait for an exchange date for this house sale after which we will be able to better plan our departure and entry to the rental market. Where to live??
Despite the warmer July weather and the appearance, finally, of the summer, we managed to get absolutely soaked last week on a walk on North Dartmoor; too wet to complete the planned walk but we did manage six miles and a bit of exercise. Followed by a good seven and a half miles around Sidmouth yesterday. Hoping to hit Fur Tor in the centre of Dartmoor tomorrow - carrying plenty of water (more than 5 litres between us) to avoid dehydration.
Hope to have further news this week - watch this space.
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Of Solicitors and Sales
What a week!
So, we have an offer for our house which we have negotiated on and agreed to meet in the middle. House sold (stc as they say) Likely to be completing in September.
We have decided on 5 Fernilea as the plot for us - with the extra land; price yet to be agreed
Have found a Scottish solicitor willing to represent us in the purchase of the land and plot
Have appointed a local solicitor to deal with the sale of the house in Devon
Have asked Mary from Dualchas to visit the plot and consider:
1: The house potential and design options, given the plot orientation
2: The water situation - either a connection via Scottish Water or a borehole
3: Is it feasible to remove the bushes to confirm the view is as it should be? (She is taking a colleague and strimmer with her)
4: Access and boundaries to the plot
This is all planned for next week although we will have to check on progress.
Next steps - go through the money laundering procedures with both sets of solicitors; make a conditional offer for the plot and land - this follows our expression of interest but is not a formal offer to buy - then let the negotiations commence; really start the design process in earnest; find somewhere to live for the next 12 - 18 months; agree a price for the plot and apply for detailed planning permission; start the build.
Sounds easy doesn't it?
All of the above to be done from a distance of over 600 miles, thank heavens for email, mobile communications and the internet.
Gary has downloaded CAD software so we are spending a happy afternoon designing for real!
If we can work out exactly how to use it!
So, we have an offer for our house which we have negotiated on and agreed to meet in the middle. House sold (stc as they say) Likely to be completing in September.
We have decided on 5 Fernilea as the plot for us - with the extra land; price yet to be agreed
Have found a Scottish solicitor willing to represent us in the purchase of the land and plot
Have appointed a local solicitor to deal with the sale of the house in Devon
Have asked Mary from Dualchas to visit the plot and consider:
1: The house potential and design options, given the plot orientation
2: The water situation - either a connection via Scottish Water or a borehole
3: Is it feasible to remove the bushes to confirm the view is as it should be? (She is taking a colleague and strimmer with her)
4: Access and boundaries to the plot
This is all planned for next week although we will have to check on progress.
Next steps - go through the money laundering procedures with both sets of solicitors; make a conditional offer for the plot and land - this follows our expression of interest but is not a formal offer to buy - then let the negotiations commence; really start the design process in earnest; find somewhere to live for the next 12 - 18 months; agree a price for the plot and apply for detailed planning permission; start the build.
Sounds easy doesn't it?
All of the above to be done from a distance of over 600 miles, thank heavens for email, mobile communications and the internet.
Gary has downloaded CAD software so we are spending a happy afternoon designing for real!
If we can work out exactly how to use it!
Sunday, 10 July 2011
A return to Devon and time for a good old think
Two days of travelling back through the highlands and today, the joys of the M6 and the M5 again. We were lucky on both days and didn't experience any delays or hold-ups.
In case you're travelling in the north - the travelling community (AKA p...ys) are also on the move swinging their caravans and dodgy vans all over the place.
We stopped and swapped the driving every two hours; had lunch in a glorious position overlooking Glen Coe - away from the crowds in "the" layby.
Arrived at the travel lodge in time to purchase a reasonable dinner from M&S which was eaten in the splendour of a travel lodge bedroom. Should probably mention at this point that we almost had to go round again as I completely missed the turn for the travel lodge and had to carry out some dodgy maneuvers to get there. That would have been a fun trip down the M6 then back again! Was right about the wifi connection - yes it was available but £5 for 1 hour. Even the dodgiest B&B had wifi available at no cost. Hotels are going to have to improve on this in the future; it's outrageous practice to charge for one hour what it would cost for two weeks on average at home or in business.
Sleeping in a service station is surprisingly quiet and I got the hairdryer on arrival. All pillows were allocated though with none extra to spare. Also had the best sized towels of the trip - best not to mention the quality though.
Decided to avoid the hot food on offer on site and stopped at Tebay for a really good, quality breakfast this morning. Local farm-sourced food, good service and a nice environment.
One more stop en route and we drove on home.
To summarise the last two weeks
We have driven 2,124 miles; visited 17 potential house sites; shortlisted four sites - all of which would be perfectly suitable to build on; made some good contacts on Skye; stayed in some delightful and some dodgy B&Bs; enjoyed a week at Fisherman's Lodge and have made the decision that we will be building and living on Skye.
Message from the estate agents on Skye - the owners of the plot at Fernilea will consider selling half of the croft that surrounds the plot we enquired about. There is already a house site available and this would give us extra land that runs down to the loch. All we have to do is let the vendor's solicitor know what we would offer for the plot and croftland. OK then; quite a bit of thinking to do tomorrow!
We return to find out there is the possibility of an offer on the house - will find out more tomorrow. If so, then we really will be doing some serious planning over the next few weeks!
We will be speaking to a Scottish solicitor tomorrow; need to understand crofting law, tenancy implications and expressions of interest.
Will update as and when things happen over the next few weeks.
In case you're travelling in the north - the travelling community (AKA p...ys) are also on the move swinging their caravans and dodgy vans all over the place.
We stopped and swapped the driving every two hours; had lunch in a glorious position overlooking Glen Coe - away from the crowds in "the" layby.
Arrived at the travel lodge in time to purchase a reasonable dinner from M&S which was eaten in the splendour of a travel lodge bedroom. Should probably mention at this point that we almost had to go round again as I completely missed the turn for the travel lodge and had to carry out some dodgy maneuvers to get there. That would have been a fun trip down the M6 then back again! Was right about the wifi connection - yes it was available but £5 for 1 hour. Even the dodgiest B&B had wifi available at no cost. Hotels are going to have to improve on this in the future; it's outrageous practice to charge for one hour what it would cost for two weeks on average at home or in business.
Sleeping in a service station is surprisingly quiet and I got the hairdryer on arrival. All pillows were allocated though with none extra to spare. Also had the best sized towels of the trip - best not to mention the quality though.
Decided to avoid the hot food on offer on site and stopped at Tebay for a really good, quality breakfast this morning. Local farm-sourced food, good service and a nice environment.
One more stop en route and we drove on home.
To summarise the last two weeks
We have driven 2,124 miles; visited 17 potential house sites; shortlisted four sites - all of which would be perfectly suitable to build on; made some good contacts on Skye; stayed in some delightful and some dodgy B&Bs; enjoyed a week at Fisherman's Lodge and have made the decision that we will be building and living on Skye.
Message from the estate agents on Skye - the owners of the plot at Fernilea will consider selling half of the croft that surrounds the plot we enquired about. There is already a house site available and this would give us extra land that runs down to the loch. All we have to do is let the vendor's solicitor know what we would offer for the plot and croftland. OK then; quite a bit of thinking to do tomorrow!
We return to find out there is the possibility of an offer on the house - will find out more tomorrow. If so, then we really will be doing some serious planning over the next few weeks!
We will be speaking to a Scottish solicitor tomorrow; need to understand crofting law, tenancy implications and expressions of interest.
Will update as and when things happen over the next few weeks.
Friday, 8 July 2011
The final shortlist and time to pack up (for now)
An earlyish start to make sure we get to Fiskavaig in good time for out 1100 appointment with Kenny. We spot the other plot on the way but decide to take a look after we have seen no 20.
Kenny is dead on time and shows us the easy way to reach the plot although we still have to scramble over knee length grass and boggy ground.
Oh; the plot we thought was for sale is in fact sold and the one we should have been looking at adjoins it. This is higher up the hill which is good but closer to the hillock which is not so good as it gets in the way of some of the view. The buyer of the first plot has agreed to put in the access road which is started but seems abandoned. There are more questions than answers after looking at this one (cue a song) We thank Kenny for his time.
We head back via Portnalong which sounds as if it should have a port and it does but nothing else to write home about. Stop at the last plot and over the ditch and into the thigh high ferns and ankle snagging heather. There is no noticeable stake anywhere in the ground so it is difficult to sketch out the plot from the plan. We think we have it. The position of this one is good with the Cuillins on the horizon and Loch Harport below. However there is the small matter of a clump of bushes and small trees that would get in the way of the view - if they were flattened and say, used as fuel, problem solved. We don't really know if they are within the plot's boundaries or on the croftland surrounding it. Decide to ask the agent; also decide to ask if the vendor would sell the whole croft which runs right down to the lochside. Well we can ask!
Off to the Sligachan Inn for lunch which turns out to be larger than anticipated. There are great views today, the sun is out and the temperature is approaching 20 degrees. A fine day to finish our holiday / search for a plot of land.
Sounds today are Rod Stewart, Status Quo and Springstein - a bit retro perhaps but good tunes and the opportunity for some air guitar.
A final visit to the Co-op in Broadford and we head off to take a look at Camus Cross and Isle Ornsay. Camus Cross is a lovely bay with views across to the mainland; some nice properties close to the water and we spy a couple of Mary's designs. Isle Ornsay appears to consist of a hotel and a gallery and not very much parking. Having just eaten and not needing any art, we turn it round and head for home.
A thorough review of the plots we have seen leads to the final, final shortlist of four. The 3 acre plot in Bornesketaig; the plot at Skinidin; and the two we have seen today. Will speak with Mary early next week and ask her to look at them for us. In the meantime, we need to find a solicitor. this feels as if it is really going to happen.
Later this afternoon we both take a walk around the bay and also walk around to see the house the couple next door have bought; this sale has been made on the condition that the existing house is demolished and they will rebuild. We think we find it and it is a decent sized plot but there is a ton of work to do. Wise words from Mary who said that buying a wreck of a house is just buying an expensive plot. Still we wish them well; particularly as they will be building most of it themselves (well David will)
We can hear a seal this evening but can't see it. Saw a pair of herons at Camus Cross. Rumour has it that there is a basking shark around the bay but no sign that I can see and these beasts are meant to be huge.
On the wildlife front we have done poorly. No eagles, sea otters or puffins. Irritatingly the village notice board lists a whole load of sightings - otters helpfully noted as being spotted "at the otter place"
Evening rain finished, sun and midges back, birds making their usual mad noises and a light dinner enjoyed. A small glass or two of chilled chablis to finish off the week and we will be done. We will miss this place.
Tomorrow this blog will be silent as we will be installed in the travel lodge in Carlisle (South) and I have no intention of paying to connect. Also planning to arrive as late as possible so we only have to sleep and shower there. Note to self, book the hairdryer on arrival - if someone else gets there first my hair will revert to type. Luckily I travel with the straighteners at all times.
So that's it folks for a short while. I will summarise on Sunday, journey permitting.
Will also be updating as we move things along and decide what plot to buy and learn where we will live in the time between selling up (hopefully) and moving into our new home. So keep checking; you never know when things will start to happen.
No photos today although I did take a few with my phone; unfortunately the sun was out and I was unable to see what I was doing. There may also be some unexpected video footage; this will be deleted forthwith as soon as I find out how to do it.
Till Sunday xx
Kenny is dead on time and shows us the easy way to reach the plot although we still have to scramble over knee length grass and boggy ground.
Oh; the plot we thought was for sale is in fact sold and the one we should have been looking at adjoins it. This is higher up the hill which is good but closer to the hillock which is not so good as it gets in the way of some of the view. The buyer of the first plot has agreed to put in the access road which is started but seems abandoned. There are more questions than answers after looking at this one (cue a song) We thank Kenny for his time.
We head back via Portnalong which sounds as if it should have a port and it does but nothing else to write home about. Stop at the last plot and over the ditch and into the thigh high ferns and ankle snagging heather. There is no noticeable stake anywhere in the ground so it is difficult to sketch out the plot from the plan. We think we have it. The position of this one is good with the Cuillins on the horizon and Loch Harport below. However there is the small matter of a clump of bushes and small trees that would get in the way of the view - if they were flattened and say, used as fuel, problem solved. We don't really know if they are within the plot's boundaries or on the croftland surrounding it. Decide to ask the agent; also decide to ask if the vendor would sell the whole croft which runs right down to the lochside. Well we can ask!
Off to the Sligachan Inn for lunch which turns out to be larger than anticipated. There are great views today, the sun is out and the temperature is approaching 20 degrees. A fine day to finish our holiday / search for a plot of land.
Sounds today are Rod Stewart, Status Quo and Springstein - a bit retro perhaps but good tunes and the opportunity for some air guitar.
A final visit to the Co-op in Broadford and we head off to take a look at Camus Cross and Isle Ornsay. Camus Cross is a lovely bay with views across to the mainland; some nice properties close to the water and we spy a couple of Mary's designs. Isle Ornsay appears to consist of a hotel and a gallery and not very much parking. Having just eaten and not needing any art, we turn it round and head for home.
A thorough review of the plots we have seen leads to the final, final shortlist of four. The 3 acre plot in Bornesketaig; the plot at Skinidin; and the two we have seen today. Will speak with Mary early next week and ask her to look at them for us. In the meantime, we need to find a solicitor. this feels as if it is really going to happen.
Later this afternoon we both take a walk around the bay and also walk around to see the house the couple next door have bought; this sale has been made on the condition that the existing house is demolished and they will rebuild. We think we find it and it is a decent sized plot but there is a ton of work to do. Wise words from Mary who said that buying a wreck of a house is just buying an expensive plot. Still we wish them well; particularly as they will be building most of it themselves (well David will)
We can hear a seal this evening but can't see it. Saw a pair of herons at Camus Cross. Rumour has it that there is a basking shark around the bay but no sign that I can see and these beasts are meant to be huge.
On the wildlife front we have done poorly. No eagles, sea otters or puffins. Irritatingly the village notice board lists a whole load of sightings - otters helpfully noted as being spotted "at the otter place"
Evening rain finished, sun and midges back, birds making their usual mad noises and a light dinner enjoyed. A small glass or two of chilled chablis to finish off the week and we will be done. We will miss this place.
Tomorrow this blog will be silent as we will be installed in the travel lodge in Carlisle (South) and I have no intention of paying to connect. Also planning to arrive as late as possible so we only have to sleep and shower there. Note to self, book the hairdryer on arrival - if someone else gets there first my hair will revert to type. Luckily I travel with the straighteners at all times.
So that's it folks for a short while. I will summarise on Sunday, journey permitting.
Will also be updating as we move things along and decide what plot to buy and learn where we will live in the time between selling up (hopefully) and moving into our new home. So keep checking; you never know when things will start to happen.
No photos today although I did take a few with my phone; unfortunately the sun was out and I was unable to see what I was doing. There may also be some unexpected video footage; this will be deleted forthwith as soon as I find out how to do it.
Till Sunday xx
Thursday, 7 July 2011
A day of rest, reading and rain
A late start to the day and Gary is unwell with a cold / flu - just as well we were not planning to go far or visit any plots today.
We sit and listen to the rain, have a late breakfast and read voraciously.
I discover Monty Hall's "Beachcomber Cottage" on the bookshelves in the cottage and just have to read it. The book records six months of living in a croft at Applecross but ventures into Skye and the islands a fair bit. I remember the accompanying BBC programme and can now relate to quite a bit of the geography and scenery descriptions. A good couple of hours enjoyment.
I trawl off along the coast in the afternoon leaving Gary to rest and hopefully recover. As the tide is at its lowest, I find I can walk out to what would usually be islands in the bay. Do quite a bit of exploring of these rocky outcrops; there is no one in the bay apart from me. I walk for some distance along the coast, tripping over large pebbles and with the occasional slip on drying seaweed; enjoying the silence and the seabirds. (spot a heron and the usual oystercatchers and a variety of gulls) The sun peeps out and I take what I think are some good photos (soon to be disappointed when they are uploaded)
The best one is below when the wind dropped and there was almost a reflection.
I discover a small cottage hidden at the back of one of the bays; you would never know it was here unless you were directed to it. It has a gate that leads directly into a small cove and looks straight across at the full Cuillin range. They are spread across the horizon in the just the same format that Mary's window seat looks out at.
Back at the cottage, we spend some time "designing" our perfect house - we will share these ideas with Mary to give her a starting point.
Having finished Monty's book, I have now found "Calum's Road" this tells the tales of the crofter (Calum MacCleod) who got fed up with waiting for the council to build a proper road to his house and settlement so decided to do it himself. This was in addition to crofting, delivering the post and occasional fishing and boat duties. Unsurprisingly it took him almost 20 years to complete the two miles across a hostile and undulating environment. The road and the making of it are now quite famous.
The road is on the island of Rasaay, between Skye and the mainland. Not quite as entertaining as Monty but a good read nonetheless. We have often seen the CalMac ferry going to and fro to Rasaay as we drive north on the island.
A peaceful and restful day is coming to an end and we are fast approaching the end of our two weeks away. Tomorrow is the day we meet the owner of one of the plots at Fiskavaig and we have one final plot to view on the road just out of Colbost; this last one stands above the loch with views out to sea as well as to the Cuillins.
Tomorrow could bring a decision - in principle at least. Then we just have to find a friendly lawyer, conversant in Scottish Law (including the crofting variety); submit a note of our interest / make an offer; ask Mary to view and comment on our choice(s); complete the purchase of the plot; agree the design; speak with the planners / amend or submit our design; apply to various for utility and water connections; tender the building work (through Mary) and finally - sometime in the too distant future - start building. Oh, and selling the house in Devon would help too. Seems to me that we could be actually living in our new house by 2015 if all goes smoothly!!
Still, it will be fun, exciting and worth it I'm sure. No doubt these words will return to haunt me over the next couple of years.
We sit and listen to the rain, have a late breakfast and read voraciously.
I discover Monty Hall's "Beachcomber Cottage" on the bookshelves in the cottage and just have to read it. The book records six months of living in a croft at Applecross but ventures into Skye and the islands a fair bit. I remember the accompanying BBC programme and can now relate to quite a bit of the geography and scenery descriptions. A good couple of hours enjoyment.
I trawl off along the coast in the afternoon leaving Gary to rest and hopefully recover. As the tide is at its lowest, I find I can walk out to what would usually be islands in the bay. Do quite a bit of exploring of these rocky outcrops; there is no one in the bay apart from me. I walk for some distance along the coast, tripping over large pebbles and with the occasional slip on drying seaweed; enjoying the silence and the seabirds. (spot a heron and the usual oystercatchers and a variety of gulls) The sun peeps out and I take what I think are some good photos (soon to be disappointed when they are uploaded)
The best one is below when the wind dropped and there was almost a reflection.
 |
| View from hidden cottage |
I discover a small cottage hidden at the back of one of the bays; you would never know it was here unless you were directed to it. It has a gate that leads directly into a small cove and looks straight across at the full Cuillin range. They are spread across the horizon in the just the same format that Mary's window seat looks out at.
Back at the cottage, we spend some time "designing" our perfect house - we will share these ideas with Mary to give her a starting point.
Having finished Monty's book, I have now found "Calum's Road" this tells the tales of the crofter (Calum MacCleod) who got fed up with waiting for the council to build a proper road to his house and settlement so decided to do it himself. This was in addition to crofting, delivering the post and occasional fishing and boat duties. Unsurprisingly it took him almost 20 years to complete the two miles across a hostile and undulating environment. The road and the making of it are now quite famous.
The road is on the island of Rasaay, between Skye and the mainland. Not quite as entertaining as Monty but a good read nonetheless. We have often seen the CalMac ferry going to and fro to Rasaay as we drive north on the island.
A peaceful and restful day is coming to an end and we are fast approaching the end of our two weeks away. Tomorrow is the day we meet the owner of one of the plots at Fiskavaig and we have one final plot to view on the road just out of Colbost; this last one stands above the loch with views out to sea as well as to the Cuillins.
Tomorrow could bring a decision - in principle at least. Then we just have to find a friendly lawyer, conversant in Scottish Law (including the crofting variety); submit a note of our interest / make an offer; ask Mary to view and comment on our choice(s); complete the purchase of the plot; agree the design; speak with the planners / amend or submit our design; apply to various for utility and water connections; tender the building work (through Mary) and finally - sometime in the too distant future - start building. Oh, and selling the house in Devon would help too. Seems to me that we could be actually living in our new house by 2015 if all goes smoothly!!
Still, it will be fun, exciting and worth it I'm sure. No doubt these words will return to haunt me over the next couple of years.
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
The plots thicken and thin out a little
Before I get going with today's blog I must share last night's sunset with you. The rain cleared but the clouds still looked threatening then suddenly the moon appeared, the clouds got moody and the sun set in splendour. We headed to the shore where the best views are - this is at 2300 by the way - and it seemed the whole population of Ord had grabbed their camera and headed out to capture the moment. Quite a way to meet the neighbours. Oh, and the midges also came out to play, swarming above everyone's head but once again no bites to report.
Wednesday
Where to start?
The rain arrived as promised; it has been chucking it down all day. Perfect weather for fooling around in fields full of wet grass, mud and rocks.
Anyway, we set off on our day tour of Skye and ended up in Glendale via Portree and Dunvegan. On the small road to Glendale, we had remembered a plot for sale by an agent based in Inverness - a quick call gave us the OK to pitch up and take a look around the site. This plot has easy access, great views across the loch and already has permission for a Dualchas house. I confess we spent a fair amount of time climbing small knolls, placing the house to take advantage of the views and generally were quite struck with the plot.
On past Glendale and into Milovaig - all five of the plots were in Lower Milovaig. The first was struck off the list because of impeded views and a funny shape! However the location of the second and third was great with sweeping views out to sea from a high vantage point. Both of a similar size, although different in price.
The final two were difficult to locate but we (Gary) eventually managed to orientate the plot map properly and we realise that both plots are away from the sea and one of them will overlook an existing property. Strike both of these. We give another the heave-ho as we try and work out how the required access road would scale the small rockface that apparently made up part of the plot. The agent's details confirmed this with an arrow pointing skywards with the word "plot" attached.
We have one final, new addition, to look at but this is so new to market there is no agent's board yet, although we think we spot the digger working on the access road. Quite expensive this one as it is "almost lochside"
We decide to drive on to Struan where we have a final two plots to look at. It is still raining and as we arrive in Struan, Gary spots a coffee shop so we stop for fuel (coffee and cakes) and an interesting talk with the owner. The shop has been open for six weeks, is doing quite well and also sells books, clothes, crafty things and wool, presumably for weaving. A very interesting place. The owner moved to Skye six years ago and loves it; she also knows the owner of one of the plots in Fiskavaig. You can see Fiskavaig from here; it looks like a small Greek village scattered over the hill above the loch. However there is no blue sea today; steely grey water and low cloud instead. As well as the coffee and cakes, we end up buying two books and her partner in their other shop in Broadford puts the third in the series aside for us to pick up on our way through.
Following her directions, we walk to the final plot for today which sits beside The Old Manse; again a good size plot with much potential.
We have made arrangements to meet with the owner of the elevated plot in Fiskavaig on Friday morning and will re-visit any other plot deserving of a second look. We try hard to draw up a shortlist for Mary to visit as well as a list of questions for owners / agents.
Exhausted, we wind our way home via Broadford (book duly purchased) It is still pouring down as we settle in back at the house. We have plenty to think about this evening. The sound of the rain on the velux windows is quite soothing - I am so glad that we are not in a tent. We did experience a quick power failure earlier, alerted by the house phone beeping in desparation but our only concern of "what about dinner" was never an issue because of the Aga. Plenty of natural light for several hours yet.
Power now restored - and apparently the lift will always work in a downward motion if the power fails; best not forget anything then or you would be stuffed. It's a very odd thing to take the lift to the kitchen in the morning to make the early cup of coffee; there are no internal stairs in the house.
Tomorrow has been declared a day of little driving; some walking in the forest just up the road and a visit to Isle Ornsay to walk to the beach and around its shores; perhaps a trip to Armadale where the ferry arrives from Mallaig.
Sound track today was Leonard Cohen, Robbie Williams and The Who. Yesterday on our way back from Glen Brittle, we listened to most of War of the Worlds. Brilliant.
 |
| Tuesday 4 July, Ord IoS, 2300 hrs |
Wednesday
Where to start?
The rain arrived as promised; it has been chucking it down all day. Perfect weather for fooling around in fields full of wet grass, mud and rocks.
Anyway, we set off on our day tour of Skye and ended up in Glendale via Portree and Dunvegan. On the small road to Glendale, we had remembered a plot for sale by an agent based in Inverness - a quick call gave us the OK to pitch up and take a look around the site. This plot has easy access, great views across the loch and already has permission for a Dualchas house. I confess we spent a fair amount of time climbing small knolls, placing the house to take advantage of the views and generally were quite struck with the plot.
On past Glendale and into Milovaig - all five of the plots were in Lower Milovaig. The first was struck off the list because of impeded views and a funny shape! However the location of the second and third was great with sweeping views out to sea from a high vantage point. Both of a similar size, although different in price.
The final two were difficult to locate but we (Gary) eventually managed to orientate the plot map properly and we realise that both plots are away from the sea and one of them will overlook an existing property. Strike both of these. We give another the heave-ho as we try and work out how the required access road would scale the small rockface that apparently made up part of the plot. The agent's details confirmed this with an arrow pointing skywards with the word "plot" attached.
We have one final, new addition, to look at but this is so new to market there is no agent's board yet, although we think we spot the digger working on the access road. Quite expensive this one as it is "almost lochside"
We decide to drive on to Struan where we have a final two plots to look at. It is still raining and as we arrive in Struan, Gary spots a coffee shop so we stop for fuel (coffee and cakes) and an interesting talk with the owner. The shop has been open for six weeks, is doing quite well and also sells books, clothes, crafty things and wool, presumably for weaving. A very interesting place. The owner moved to Skye six years ago and loves it; she also knows the owner of one of the plots in Fiskavaig. You can see Fiskavaig from here; it looks like a small Greek village scattered over the hill above the loch. However there is no blue sea today; steely grey water and low cloud instead. As well as the coffee and cakes, we end up buying two books and her partner in their other shop in Broadford puts the third in the series aside for us to pick up on our way through.
Following her directions, we walk to the final plot for today which sits beside The Old Manse; again a good size plot with much potential.
We have made arrangements to meet with the owner of the elevated plot in Fiskavaig on Friday morning and will re-visit any other plot deserving of a second look. We try hard to draw up a shortlist for Mary to visit as well as a list of questions for owners / agents.
Exhausted, we wind our way home via Broadford (book duly purchased) It is still pouring down as we settle in back at the house. We have plenty to think about this evening. The sound of the rain on the velux windows is quite soothing - I am so glad that we are not in a tent. We did experience a quick power failure earlier, alerted by the house phone beeping in desparation but our only concern of "what about dinner" was never an issue because of the Aga. Plenty of natural light for several hours yet.
Power now restored - and apparently the lift will always work in a downward motion if the power fails; best not forget anything then or you would be stuffed. It's a very odd thing to take the lift to the kitchen in the morning to make the early cup of coffee; there are no internal stairs in the house.
Tomorrow has been declared a day of little driving; some walking in the forest just up the road and a visit to Isle Ornsay to walk to the beach and around its shores; perhaps a trip to Armadale where the ferry arrives from Mallaig.
Sound track today was Leonard Cohen, Robbie Williams and The Who. Yesterday on our way back from Glen Brittle, we listened to most of War of the Worlds. Brilliant.
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