Off grid house build Orkney

@tallsam Here’s what we’re thinking so far, it may alter and evolve as things move forward, but it seems like a good use of the space
1&2 will be summer and winter paddocks for some sheep and will work out about an acre or so each. Number 2 will be the winter one as it’s a little more sheltered behind the other house and higher up too so should have less risk of standing water and getting boggy in the winter. We’ve had someone who keeps these sheep let us know we could probably keep some too. They’re called boreray sheep and are native to this area, they’re direct descendants of the “lost flock” that were taken off st kilda. They’re supposedly really low maintenance as sheep go so could be good to learn with originally. They shed their own wool and will just kind of manage on their own for the most part without us needing a huge amount of knowledge. We don’t intend to farm them as much as just let them live their lives out somewhere. This is all still to be made definite but it’s seeming likely.

3 will be a couple polytunnels, some outside garden patches for potatoes and kale and the like, a decent compost spot and probably a wee garden tool shed in time too.

4 will hopefully be the converted shipping container for anyone visiting to stay (we’re thinking a wee solar panel/battery set up and a composting toilet). Around here we’re also thinking a wee space for chickens and things, although we’re still to properly decide about fowl with what seems to be rolling avian flu crises and needing space to keep them inside these days..

5 will hopefully be bunches of bushes and wildflowers and good things for pollinators and ground nesting birds.

6 is where all those drainage ditches are leading and I’d like to build the back side of a bowl there and have a pond for the birds to hang out at.

And we’ll probably have a wee bit of lawn at the back of the house at number 7 but not much.

Like I say, this is all hopeful, but I think it would work quite well.

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