Fashion designer Stella McCartney's controversial plans to build a remote Highland retreat have encountered a fresh technical challenge, with a new report revealing the project will require drilling a borehole an estimated 100 metres (330 feet) deep to secure a private water supply.
Backlash Over Clifftop Retreat Plans
The celebrity couple, McCartney and her husband Alasdhair Willis, have faced significant local opposition to their proposed glass-fronted, four-bedroom family home on the Moidart Peninsula in Lochaber. More than 60 objections have been formally lodged with Highland Council, with critics labelling the site on Commando Rock a wildlife haven that should be protected.
The couple purchased the clifftop plot for £450,000 after it came on the market. They have consistently pushed back against claims the development would be a holiday home, with Mr Willis stating in 2023: "We’re building a permanent family home. We want to live here full-time and be part of the community." They also argue the design has "minimal environmental impact" and will be "barely visible."
Technical Report Details Water Challenge
Agents acting for Mr Willis, in whose name the planning application is made, commissioned Highland Water Supplies to assess the feasibility of a private water source. The company's Nick Urquhart authored the report, noting that exposed bedrock on site contains bands of quartz, which is a positive indicator.
"This indicates that drilling of a water well borehole has a good likelihood of striking sufficient water to supply at least one residential property," Urquhart wrote. He cautioned, however, that "drilling to 100m depth, possibly further, may well be necessary."
Environmental Safeguards and Next Steps
In a bid to mitigate ecological concerns, the applicants have proposed that no building work would take place between May and August, coinciding with the local otter breeding season. Furthermore, a separate licence from NatureScot, Scotland's nature agency, will be required before any work can proceed.
A spokesman for Highland Council confirmed the authority hopes to bring the application before a planning committee for determination early next year. The plot already benefits from existing planning permission, but the new application has sparked the heated debate.
Ms McCartney has a longstanding connection to the Scottish Highlands, having spent much of her childhood on the nearby Kintyre peninsula, a location famously celebrated in song by her father, Sir Paul McCartney.
