Interview: Life can be suite in the wild west

How did you get started in the business?Jack: The Cadzows came to Luing in 1947 and created a new breed of cattle, which became a recognised pedigree breed in 1965. We have farmed here ever since, and now it is myself, Emily and my brother Archie, who also runs WildLuing, but my mum and dad are very much still involved in the farm.

We thought about WildLuing around five years ago as we were really getting into social media. We started to put pen to paper to come up with the physical side of WildLuing just before lockdown.

What was the process of building the accommodation like?

Emily: We submitted the planning application just before Covid 19 arrived, and the application received a good response locally. Many of the [surrounding] islands already have hotels and distilleries, unlike on Luing, so introducing a new economic input to the island was seen as a good thing as a whole.

We broke ground in November 2021 and completed last February, so it took about 14 months.

What were the key considerations for the build?

Jack: Emily and I had been living down south and had stayed in lots of different types of accommodation, from tree houses, shepherd’s huts and cabins, so we had a good vision of what space we wanted for it to be a more luxurious size.

Because of the ferry limitations, I had to design it in a way that I could get steel manufactured in Glasgow and have that shipped to the farm, where we built the units in the sheds before carting them up to site and lowering them into position.

Was sustainability important?

Jack: Rather than pouring concrete into the foundations so it is set there forever, we recycled old railway sleepers that were bolted together and fixed to the underside of the units.

If the suites were to be removed, you could lift up the foundations to leave behind a base core which can grass over really easily.

Emily: Each suite has a beautiful tin roof and on the end is locally-sourced larch cladding.

We are using Highland Soap Company for all of our luxury bath products, which are really sustainable, and provide homemade tablet from the island.

We are trying to incorporate the community as much as possible with the hope that we can create real energy on the island.

How did you design the interiors?

Emily: Jack’s mother, Tootie, and I worked on that, and some friends with experience in interiors helped us come up with the colour schemes. We have four colours based on coasts, rivers, forests and hills to incorporate the land around us.

We used Oka as the main designer brand for the big cushion covers and had the curtains made for us. The sofas are from sofa.com so they are really comfortable.

We have gone for five-star in terms of what we have invested, we wanted to be able to deliver the best from the beginning.

What is the Observatory used for?

Emily: There is a laundry space, open-plan kitchen, and a table that can sit 20.

There are three huge sofas, which are really cosy, and if a group was to rent all eight suites they could enjoy the Observatory together with drinks and dinner.

It is very diverse and beautiful with a big decking and fantastic views out the front.

Who is your clientele?

Emily: We want to be as inclusive as possible. This summer has been our first season, and we have hosted a range of guests. I was expecting a lot more young people, which we’ve had, but those in their 60s love it. They may have enjoyed camping, but now want a more luxurious experience.

There are lots of things to enjoy here, including swimming, walking, and there is good kayaking around, but it is quite tidal.

What else do you offer?

Emily: We are working on a proposal for a micro-wedding event, and we had a corporate week where we did team building, built rafts and went wild swimming.

We have a yoga retreat planned for November, and just held a feastwhere we showcased all of our region’s local produce.

It has been exciting to see the range of people who have come to stay, including those from Canada, London and Switzerland.

We are planning for a pontoon next year and hopefully to have a sauna as well.

People have written in our guest books that they have really enjoyed seeing the seals, otters, sea eagles from the shoreline.

Find out more at wildluing.com