Interior design ideas: the house on the rocks - in pictures

Perched on the shores of Loch Ailort, between a stream and a rocky outcrop, this timber house on Scotland’s west coast merges almost completely with its remote wooded setting. It has views to the Hebridean islands of Eigg and Rum, and on a clear day you can see the Cuillin Hills on Skye. 'The only noises are natural: the bubbling burn and the sea,' says owner Helen Lucas, an architect. 'We didn’t remove any trees while building the house, so the birds are very close. A pine marten comes on to the deck every evening, and we watch otters swim across the bay.' → Photograph: Angus Bremner

The house is a four-hour drive from Edinburgh, where Lucas and her husband Malcolm Fraser, also an architect, run their respective practices. They had often visited friends who live nearby to go sailing. 'We knew the area from the water, not from the land,' Lucas says. They christened it Frisealach, which means Frasers’ Place in Gaelic. The house is supported by 14 green oak posts that sit on concrete pads, giving the impression of floating over the rocks. 'We’re 8m above the water, so if there’s a north-westerly wind, we’re in the heart of it, but even in the roughest storm we don’t get spray on to the house,' Lucas says. Meanwhile, the building is sheltered from the prevailing south-westerly wind by the hills behind, helped by hemp and cotton insulation. → Photograph: Angus Bremner

When their friends suggested they buy this piece of land, the couple were initially unsure: they hadn’t thought about building a second home, and had assumed that if they ever did, it would be on the east coast, closer to Edinburgh. But they were drawn to the west coast. To reach the house, they take the West Highland line north from Glasgow to Fort William and Mallaig, across the magnificent Glenfinnan Viaduct (a journey made famous by the Harry Potter films). → Photograph: Angus Bremner

The four-bedroom, two-storey house is long and thin: because of its position on the rocks, it had to fit into a space just 8m wide x 20m long. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the double-height open-plan living, dining and kitchen space soak up the views, while a timber-decked terrace wraps around the house. Walls are lined with lime-washed pine and floors are made of oak. → Photograph: Angus Bremner

The pair created a mezzanine level above the living space, home to a small study. It is accessed via a timber ladder that eats into less floor space than a staircase. 'It’s a bit of ship’s deck fun,' says Lucas. The 'f' carved into the woodwork is a nod to the house’s Gaelic name. The pendant is by Scottish designers, Timorous Beasties, and the armchairs are from Ikea. → Photograph: Angus Bremner

There’s underfloor heating, and on the coldest days a wood-burning stove in the living space helps to crank up the heat. → Photograph: Angus Bremner

The couple escape here every month with their three children. It may be isolated, but it has everything they need. There’s broadband but no mobile phone signal ('A plus!' Lucas says), and instead of having a television, they project movies on to a screen. → Photograph: Angus Bremner

If they crave civilisation, they head to the town of Arisaig, 15 miles away, for groceries, a cafe, post office and marina. But living here is about leaving the hustle and bustle behind. 'There are no piles of paperwork here, no clutter,' Lucas says. They relax, chop wood for the stove, kayak to remote sandy beaches, swim in the loch, go hill-walking and take boat trips to nearby islands. Unsurprisingly, the worst thing about Frisealach, Lucas says, is having to leave. Photograph: Angus Bremner