The Hamilton Family approached MILL Architects to help them design and manage the development of a new wedding venue they hoped to create from two adjoining, portal-framed lambing sheds at their farm in West Lothian.

Time was of the essence to submit a planning application in order to take advantage of Leader Funding.

Mill was responsible for designing the venue, securing planning consent and working in partnership with the client to project manage the build.

Blighted by the COVID lockdown, along with the attendant shortage of labour, the Hamiltons became both client and contractor. This evolved into an extremely hands-on project for everyone involved.

Working closely with the family, a design was developed which is unique to the site, reflective of its agricultural heritage and sustainable in its use of local materials, many of which were sourced on the farm. Stands of Scots Pine and Sycamores, due for felling, were milled on site, carefully stacked, air dried, and then used for the external cladding and internal finished joinery. Fieldstones form the base perimeter walls, and a new feature rubble wall that separates the Ceremony Room from the events space gives a traditional "barn" feel to the otherwise steel-framed building.

Some stringent planning conditions were imposed, not least of which was a requirement that nearby houses could not hear any sound coming from the venue. Careful choice of cladding materials ensured the necessary acoustic attenuation was achieved, along with a warm interior heated by ducted warm air.

Foul Drainage disposal proved to be another potential show-stopper. Mains drainage is absent here, so an alternative solution was required. Unusually, for west Edinburgh, the ground was too porous to use a soakaway, so a large treatment plant was installed to break down the effluent. Fortunately, the site lies close to a large water body, and by treating the waste to the high level of purity demanded by SEPA, it was possible to use this as the disposal method.

The venue offers a ceremony room overlooking the loch, a function room for up to 140 guests, and first-class catering produced on-site from an extensive kitchen setup, all with the backdrop of Cairns Hill and the surrounding Pentlands.

Overnight accommodation for up to 24 guests is provided between the stunning Edwardian Farmhouse and six luxury cabins within a woodland setting beside the venue. The "Keep", a sumptuous, converted stone barn, is there for the happy couple when their big day is done.