We are delighted to have recently completed this fascinating conservation project near Inverness. The project restores balance and clarity to a remarkable early 20th-century baronial composition by reinstating a lost wing to a Category B-listed estate house set within Strathnairn, the broad glen that follows the River Nairn southwest of the Highland Capital.

Set within mature woodland south of Inverness, the house is defined by its crowstepped gables, corbelled detailing and a distinctive four-storey tower. The demolition of its original north wing in the 1960s left the building subtly unresolved; the tower appearing overly dominant and the architectural hierarchy weakened.

Our brief was to reinstate that missing wing and re-establish the building’s intended form. Working from historic plans and archive material, we carefully reconstructed the footprint, scale and massing of the former two-storey service wing. The new extension follows the original logic; set back from the principal elevation so the tower retains its prominence. The composition once again reads as a cohesive whole.

Material integrity was central to the project. Ashlar stone was sourced and detailed to align with existing coursing and tooling. Lime harling was used to reflect historic finishes to the secondary elevations. New timber sash and case windows replicate original proportions and glazing patterns, and rainwater goods were deliberately positioned to conceal junctions and maintain visual continuity. Each decision was made in dialogue with the existing fabric, ensuring the intervention feels confident, disciplined and entirely at home.

We’re delighted to share a selection of recently taken photographs of the completed Kinmylies Early Learning and Childcare Centre in Inverness, designed by Colin Armstrong Architects for The Highland Council as part of the wider Charleston campus.

The building adopts a straightforward, context-driven form; a single-storey arrangement that responds to site levels and provides a clear, legible entrance for staff, children and parents. A robust external palette and continuous covered frontage were used to balance civic presence with durability and ease of maintenance. The project was delivered on site by Morrison Construction.

The internal layout is organised around open-plan, paired classrooms with direct access to secure external play areas. Large doors support free-flow learning and strong supervision between internal and external spaces.

Daylighting was a key design consideration. Classrooms are naturally lit through a combination of perimeter glazing and rooflights, providing consistent light levels throughout the day. Given the open-plan arrangement, acoustic performance was carefully coordinated to ensure spaces remain calm and usable in practice.

From an environmental and technical perspective, the project follows a fabric-first approach, supported by heat recovery ventilation to maintain indoor air quality and thermal comfort. Low embodied energy materials were used where feasible, alongside construction methods that supported build quality and programme certainty. Structural and civil engineering design was provided by Fairhurst, with M&E design by CDMM.

The completed nursery is a practical, well-resolved building that demonstrates how clear briefing, coordinated design and technical rigour can deliver efficient, robust learning environments for early years education.

Photographs courtesy of Morrison Construction

As the year draws to a close, we’d like to thank our clients for their trust, and our contractors and collaborators for the care, skill and commitment behind every project. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year; and look forward with excitement, hope and optimism for 2026.

We are delighted to announce that our Associate, Michael Macdonald, has passed his exams and is now an accredited Passive House Designer. This strengthens CAA’s ability to deliver buildings that are comfortable, efficient and designed with long-term performance in mind.

Passive House is an internationally recognised approach that focuses on creating a well-insulated and airtight building, with carefully designed windows and ventilation to reduce heat loss. This means your home needs very little energy to stay warm in winter and cool in summer; running costs are lower, comfort is more consistent and air quality is noticeably improved.

We’re delighted to see the opening of this new Café we worked on with New Start Highland, can’t wait to pop down for a brew!

We’re delighted to share these images we have just received of the completed first phase of our Chapelton housing development in Balloch, Inverness. The project was delivered for The Highland Council and Highland Housing Alliance and completed in June 2025. This initial phase provides a mixture of tenures including council rent homes, wheelchair-adaptable bungalows, cottage flats, and properties for mid-market rent and low-cost ownership. Supported by the Scottish Government, it forms the first stage of a wider masterplan of around 300 homes.

The new photographs show the development as it was intended, with simple and contemporary houses set within a well-connected layout. They capture the quality of the new streets, gardens, and open spaces, and the way the design promotes walkability, safety, and attractive frontages. The images also illustrate the sustainable features of the homes, which have been designed to exceed current building standards for energy efficiency and accessibility.

This first phase creates a strong foundation for the wider Chapelton masterplan. By offering a genuine mix of housing types and tenures, it addresses varied local housing needs and provides a framework for a balanced and sustainable community. We look forward to future phases continuing to build on this vision.

Project Contributors

Client: The Highland Council & Highland Housing Alliance
Funding: Scottish Government
Architect: Colin Armstrong Architects
Structural & Civil Engineer: Cameron + Ross
M&E Consultant: KF Consulting
Cost Consultant: KLM Partnership
Contractor: IBI Consulting
Landscape Architect: Horner + Maclennan
Clerk of Works: Helica Ltd

We’ve recently been working with Novar Sawmill on the delivery of a new garden building in Rosskeen, Ross-shire. The building incorporates a Douglas fir frame, pre-fabricated and erected on site with visible connections and clean geometry. The next phase of the project will see the build become wind & watertight with natural slate roofing, larch cladding and high-performance aluminium clad timber windows.

Careful coordination was needed to integrate roof lights, purlins, and rafters, especially given the tight tolerances of off-site fabrication. The roof structure follows a 600mm grid, with purlins at 1200mm centres and chunky timber ridge beam.

As architects, we’re acting as the lead designer, managing design development and interface with engineers and the client. Design and technical packages were developed and coordinated in Revit, with regular interdisciplinary reviews. The timber elements were detailed to align with fabrication drawings, and a SER certificate was issued following sign-off from Etive Consulting Engineers Ltd.

Inglewood is modest in scale but a great example of craft-led modern construction—built with natural local-sourced materials, careful detailing, and a collaborative team approach.

We are really pleased to have achieved completion of this affordable housing project, designed by CAA in collaboration with The Highland Council in Portree, Skye. 

The new houses make good use of a brownfield site and will provide much-needed energy-efficient accommodation for local residents. Thanks to RK Joinery, the Main Contractor, for the photograph.

CAA are pleased to announce the promotion of architect Michael Macdonald to the position of Associate.

Michael has been a key member of the CAA team since joining in 2013. He passed his Part 3 exam in 2018 to become a fully qualified architect and has undertaken the role of project architect on projects across multiple sectors, including housing, commercial, retail, and industrial.

He has a keen interest in adaptive reuse and low-energy design and has recently become our in-house SAP Assessor. Congratulations Michael!

AW Laing and Colin Armstrong Architects are delighted to be holding Public Exhibitions for a proposed residential development adjacent to Lettoch Road, Nethy Bridge, on November 13th and 27th, 2024, between 4 pm and 7 pm.