RIAS 2025 – Winner
The Boathouse features a primary oak frame, with Douglas fir cladding inside and larch cladding on the exterior. Craftsmen installed a roof of reclaimed Ballachulish slate, finished with traditional lead detailing. The foundation combines Staffordshire blue brick with Scottish Whinstone.
To accommodate modern vessels, the team built a new reinforced concrete retaining wall. They lined it with blue brick to match the foundation.
At the core of the Boathouse stands a bespoke, hand-crafted oak frame. This material was selected for its natural beauty and long-lasting strength. Given the flood range of up to 1.7 metres above mean water level, the oak frame, stud work, and detailed hardwood joinery offer resilience against the site’s changing conditions.
Jointed cruck-blade trusses define the Boathouse’s keel form. These trusses, made from hand-selected air-dried oak, shape the curved roof. Spline joints connect the trusses to the green oak post-and-beam structure below. Knee bracing ensures the frame remains rigid.
The first floor, raised above ground level, offers sweeping views across the Loch. A cantilevered balcony extends from the glazed gable frame. Throughout the building, joinery follows traditional pegged mortice and tenon techniques.
Constructing the Boathouse required skilled coordination from all teams involved. The site’s ecological sensitivity and limited access posed significant challenges. All materials arrived by water, using a slipway, barge, and landing craft.
The Kishorn Heritage team installed outer and inner coffer dams. These created a dry dock, enabling the team to pour the foundations. Afterwards, the Carpenter Oak team used a mini-crawler crane to raise the oak frame.
