Stella McCartney has attracted a raft of ongoing complaints from local residents in Lochaber in the Scottish Highlands, following the planning permission request made to build an ultra-modern house on the wildlife-rich Commando Rock in Roshven.
McCartney and her husband Alasdhair Willis – chief creative officer for Adidas – purchased the site in 2021. Knight Frank listed the site as a "a spectacular private peninsula with house site and 270-degree coastal views, including foreshore and beach access", asking for offers over £450,000.
Commando Rock gained its local nickname during the Second World War, when troops trained here to launch assaults from the sea.
The design, brought to life by Scottish architects Brown & Brown, is a mix of concrete, steel and glass, with five bedrooms that look out over the majestic views of Loch Ailort.
Her planning permission to the Highland Council in 2023 was met with more than 60 objections from locals, with fears over local wildlife, complaints over the growing prevalence of holiday homes nearby, and the design being "out of keeping" with the landscape in its prominent position above the beach, cited as reasons.
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But the saga has continued, with an ongoing discussion around the wildlife report McCartney commmisioned for the site. It concluded that while the area offered a suitable habitat for otters – which are a legally protected species – none had been detected.
Locals protested this, showing photo evidence of otter activity near the site. They suggested that building construction would lead to the illegal disturbance of otters living and breeding there. Arisaig & District Community Council has written to the planners, saying "The impact of wildlife – otters and pine marten in particular – on one of the last undeveloped parts of the Roshven coastline, should this development be allowed to go ahead, will be irreversible."
McCartney has been accused of hypocrisy in her approach to the environmental impact of the build. She has a CBE for services to fashion and sustainability and has long championed ethical and sustainable approaches in the fashion industry.
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Objections to the plan are being headed up by semi-retired ecologist Jean Langhorne, who spoke to The Telegraph about the opposition. "It’s ironic that the landscape is being put at risk by the inappropriate and inconsiderate plans of someone whose entire professional image is built around concern for the environment.
This is not mean-spirited Highlands nimbyism directed against a high-profile individual. We would be objecting to development on this site no matter who wanted to build here. But at the same time, it’s hilarious that these plans have been submitted by someone who is talking about saving what you love. People here want to save what we love: one of the last undeveloped parts of this coastline.”
In response to these discussions, the Highland Council has commissioned its own team of experts to record otter activity.
Brown & Brown Architects have been contacted for comment and their response is to follow.
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