Interiors: The Drey, Lagganbridge, Inverness-shire

When Judy and Will Carey invested in a plot on a steep, south-facing slope close to Lagganbridge, Inverness-shire, in 2000, they didn't think it would take five years before a building emerged there.

• The Drey

"It took time to find the right people to design and build the house," says Judy, a South African for whom building on steep slopes holds no fear.

This project was born out of need rather than desire. Having run a guesthouse for years, the couple were concerned about their lack of provision for the future. "It seemed wise to invest in a smaller home we could rent out until we retire," Judy explains.

Their purchase of a forested site on the road to the Corrieyairack Pass was driven by dramatic 180 degree views of the dizzying heights of Ben Alder and Creag Meagaidh. Initially Judy and Will envisaged a purist eco-build, but cost ruled that out. However, their desire to build ecologically and embrace those stunning views never faltered, and Judy spent hours sketching ideas.

"But I'm no expert," she says, so she was thankful to receive a call, out of the blue, from friend and professional landscape architect Neil Thomson. He asked Judy how their plans were going.

"I said they weren't, and he offered to design the house for us," she says.

Neil came up with the idea of constructing the house on stilts, a prime concern of the couple being the volume of water potentially cascading down the slope behind.

"The water runs underneath," says Judy, who loves this simple logic, and the fact that this construction method elevates the building further, maximising those views.

Since the site is within the boundaries of Cairngorms National Park, the couple were worried that their plans would be rejected.

But in fact theirs was just the kind of responsible build the park authorities wanted to encourage, and permission was secured with ease.

The final piece of the jigsaw fell into place when the couple discovered a local firm, Spey Building & Joinery Ltd, which was happy to take on this unconventional project.

However, things got off to a rocky start when on 1 April, 2004, around 50 trees felled from the site were dumped in the couple's garden.

"We thought it was an April Fool's joke," says Judy. From the school she worked in, below the site, Judy watched the build's progress.

"One day the builders threatened to make a placard assuring me they were just eating lunch," she laughs.

Keen that the building should blend in with its woodland setting, the couple chose locally sourced larch (supplied by "superb" firm Russwood at Newtonmore) to clad the timber frame, which, like the stilts, is constructed from locally grown oak.

"The larch weathers to a silvery grey," says Judy, although she wasn't so happy with the roof colour.

Happy to go with profiled steel panels (made in an ecologically sound manner), Judy was given a book of colour samples, and opted for a shade that blended with neighbouring slate roofs. But when the roof went on, it was much bluer than anticipated.

"The suppliers evaded responsibility by saying the sample book was out of date," explains Judy.

Roof Veluxes and windows deliver abundant light, while most of the low emission double-glazing is south facing to capitalise on views and solar gain. The building was also packed with insulation and, combined with the under floor heating, the wood burner ensures a warm welcome after a day in the great outdoors.

One of the most amazing moments for Judy was delivery of the huge glulam beams supporting the building's roof. As she drove to the site she could see the crane's huge arm moving the beams into place.

"Everyone was standing on the scaffold in tense silence," she recalls, admitting to feeling rather emotional when all 11 beams slotted perfectly into place.

Internally the couple made extravagant use of the space. The open-plan kitchen/dining/living area stretches through the building's height, to those spectacular exposed beams above. Yet this beautiful "cathedral" ceiling almost didn't happen as the chartered surveyor had planned around the insertion of a first floor.

"Thankfully it wasn't too late to make changes," says Judy.

Spread over 100 square metres, all the accommodation is at ground level, with two twin bedrooms and a bathroom tucked to one edge of the living area, and a third, double bedroom with en suite wet room at the opposite end. This latter bedroom opens to the front terrace, which is also accessed by French doors from the living space.

Above the bedrooms are mezzanine levels, which Will and Judy have earmarked as a study and sewing area for when they retire.

The couple felt a high specification interior would be easier to maintain. Russwood supplied chestnut flooring, while much of the furniture came from a warehouse in Kingussie.They opted for a Shaker-style kitchen with timber worktops from Howdens in Inverness, taking the view that they would probably replace this when they moved in.

"We've been delighted with it," says Judy, although the most interesting feature threatens to be the microwave, plucked from the set of TV drama Monarch of the Glen when the production was filming locally.

Clean lines and crisp white colourways create minimalist style in the bathrooms, as Judy prefers to introduce colour with accessories.

The house has a television, but in truth the wildlife outside makes for far more riveting viewing. The couple named the house after the name for a squirrel's home and The Drey is in high demand from holidaymakers.

"We have no idea when we might move in," says Judy.

She and Will feel fortunate to have found the right people to help them achieve this remarkable building. In 2006 Spey Building & Joinery Ltd picked up the coveted title of Heavenly Builders for their work here in the Federation of Master Builder Awards.

"We made a good decision," says Judy, who despite having a lot of choices to make throughout the build, coped well.

"I had no excuse to dither," she says. "In my head I had been living in the house for years."

For enquiries, tel: [phone], www.laggandrey.co.uk

• This article first appeared in The Scotsman, Saturday September 11, 2010