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Constructing a Celtic Dream - 15th June 2011

~ Young couple’s dream set in stone ~
What was once an empty field of grass and rushes in the small Scottish village of Kilmore near Oban in Argyll, now lies five thatched holiday cottages that have been carefully constructed to emulate a small Celtic settlement.

Clan Cottages are a dream come true for owners John and Mary MacKinnon. Having acquired five acres of land in 1995 on an idyllic site in Kilmore on the shores of Loch Nell, the couple settled there, have three children and in 2007 turned what was a postcard picture into a reality with the help of Fernhill Stone.

“I was made redundant many years ago, and at the time I was studying horticulture in the evenings, said John MacKinnon. “Like many people who have now lost their jobs in the recession, I had to pick myself up and look at new possibilities. After setting up a nursery business and expanding it with the help of my family, we became interested in Scottish Clans.

One thing led to another and after discovering an old postcard showing thatched fishing cottages on the shores of Barra where my father had been brought up, we dreamt of building cottages on our site in Kilmore. After much consideration, we decided to look at possibilities and began the search for the right stone in order to turn our dream into a reality.”

Creating a specific country yet Celtic look was important for the couple and they set out by looking at and pricing stone from a local quarry. However, after seeing samples of products by Fernhill Stone, a specialist in stone cladding, they were so impressed with the wide range of stone cladding products available and how natural the stone products looked. They decided to build their cottages with cement blocks and complete the build with stone cladding.

“Clan Cottages are sympathetically designed to integrate and blend with the surrounding countryside and also, to reflect the past and a way of life in the area many years ago,” said Meredith Jackson, managing director, Fernhill Stone. “The local planning department is very satisfied with our product as the stone fits so well into the natural landscape. For exterior builds, stone cladding must work well with the original build as well as deliver for aesthetics. We are very pleased to have been able to help bring about these wonderfully quaint and very picturesque set of cottages on the MacKinnon’s five acre holding.”

Stone cladding for the five cottages was installed by local builders who had never worked with Fernhill Stone before and they were particularly pleased at how easy installation of the stone was. Allowing a year to get the cottages built, the couple was delighted with the quick and easy installation of Fernhill Stone’s product and it meant that the cottages were built in ten months.

Clan Cottages are family-run holiday cottages that appeal to visitors from home and abroad. They are the first thatched cottages to have been built in the area for over one hundred years and are therefore that extra bit special. For that reason alone, products had to be chosen that would wear well and the couple say that the product C/W Monaghan grey stone, which they chose from Fernhill Stone, is perfect for restoring and maintaining natural beauty in the area.

“In my experience, stone cladding is a worthwhile investment”, said John MacKinnon, owner, Clan Cottages. “Fernhill Stone has first class products that are so natural looking. They also get the thumbs up on price and ease of installation. The Fernhill Stone product was much cheaper and less labour intensive for us than using quarry stone, which we had first considered. We are just delighted now with the end result. The stone we have on the cottages really brings them to life and you would never know that the cottages weren’t original stone builds. Fernhill Stone has helped us captivate the beauty surrounding the area to which we are so thankful for. Not only has it made a dream come true for us, the stone cladding really adds to the experience for our visitors when they come to stay in our cottages.”

The five Clan Cottages each have Clan names: MacKinnon, MacKenzie, MacDonald, MacNeil and MacDougall and they all have their own garden areas. Two of these cottages have spa baths with his and her sinks and the Clan MacDonald cottage is fully equipped for wheelchair access.
While the cottages are modern inside they have been constructed to emulate a small Celtic settlement. Today, the cottages attract visitors from all around the world and have been selected as one of the 50 best cottages to stay in Britain and Ireland by Vincent Crump -
The Sunday Times Travel Magazine.

With a 4 star rating from Visit Scotland’s Quality Assurance Scheme and a Silver Green Tourism Award, Clan Cottages are a must see and must stay.

Clan Cottages are a blend of old and new and a very good example of how new opportunities can be born out of difficult challenges in life and that dreams do come true.

For more information on Fernhill Stone, please visit www.fernhillstone.com

For more information on Clan Cottages, please visit www.clancottages.com

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