Off grid house build Orkney

Got my ass kicked by covid for the last week so haven’t been on here much. Since I last posted I’ve finished working at the housing association and was just offered a part time position at the local mental health charity which I’ll be starting soon. Feels like a much better place to be, much more in line with the work I’ve always done, and will also help me take on the stress of the house build in a much more manageable way, I’m really happy with it. Will allow me 2 days on site and time the other 3 days to show up and answer any questions/reply to emails/organise deliveries.

@tallsam we’re really fortunate, the biggest predators we have are stoats and otters. Because of the amount of ground nesting seabirds up here there’s a stoat eradication scheme as well to help and protect bird numbers. We have big shore rats here, but unless there’s food scraps thrown out or ways into houses in the cold they generally stay down at the shore. I’d really love some ducks for down on the pond I’m going to build, we’ve got some mallards nesting down there this spring already.

That’s pretty much all the internal boarding done on the ceilings and just waiting for the walls in the central space. Because we’re doing limestone tiles we want to get the plastering done first so there’s not scaffolding and plaster all over the tiles after we just fit the floor. Going to be an expensive few weeks running a heater and dehumidifier off the diesel generator to get everything dried out for the plastering to start..

It’s by no means well made but put a raised planter in the polytunnel just using some offcuts from the woodpile. Like I say, not pretty or hugely well done, but will serve it’s purpose..

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