Week Seven

Week beginning 18th July.

On Saturday morning we had some visitors from next door.

This visitor doesn’t care about Health & Safety.

We wake at 7.30 to the sound of a digger but it’s not on our plot! It’s now 8am and as we settle down for breakfast Lorne arrives to start digging which throws us in a panic because we are not expecting him until 9. We have a brief chat about his plan and he gets started.

The first scrape as the groundworks begin. On the left is the Portaloo.

It’s Monday and quite a few family members are on holiday nearby so we take some time out to go canoeing and swimming on/in Loch Awe at Kilchurn Castle near Dalmally. It’s a hot day and we have found a great spot with a beach and a breeze.

It’s not all work for us we enjoy a bit of a canoe given half a chance.
A perfect day for a swim – it’s hot and the water is not too cold.
Molly and her boys, Eddie and Zadjil, enjoy a paddle on Loch Awe.

We are going back to the plot to pick up a few things before heading to the holiday home and find Lorne working away.

Eddie videos the work in progress.

We have a lovely family dinner with our children and their partners, our grandchildren and their aunt and other set of grandparents and we’ve all had a lovely day.

We head back to the plot for the night to find that Lorne has been busy and good progress has been made but we have a new view from the caravan.

Molly relaxes after a lovely day with our new view in the background.

It’s Tuesday morning and we are up early so we don’t get caught out again and Pete is enjoying his morning coffe from his charity shop purchase of the month.

We are amazed at the speed of change and the amount of rocks and stones that are needed to support the foundations and house.

A mound of rocks and stone that weighs in at 60 tons but much more will be needed to prepare the ground.

Andrew is away abroad on holiday so Pete is working closely with Lorne on the logistics and how to understand the plans. It can be a bit stressful at times when you don’t have any training but Lorne is very understanding and reassuring.

Lots of progress by the end of the second day.

Time is marching on and it’s Wednesday already. We go to Oban to pick up some supplies and on our return we are really pleased to see the transformation.

Preparations for the foundation slab are really coming along.

It’s great to have the family around to see the fantastic progress that Lorne is making.

By Pete Ross

After years of living in a beautiful Victorian flat in Edinburgh, Molly and I have decided to sell up and build our new house ourselves in Argyll, Scotland. We have called it Gar Bothan which is Gaelic for warm bothy or cottage or hovel!!!!

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