Hudson Architects has boldly reworked The Machrie hotel on the Isle of Islay

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Alan Williams

The Machrie is a major redevelopment and extension of a previously dilapidated hotel on the Isle of Islay by Hudson Architects. Originally built as a farmhouse, the existing building occupied a commanding location overlooking a popular golf links and the Atlantic coast. Transformed into a hotel in the nineteenth century, it served the island for many years before falling into decline and eventually closing down.

The architect has redeveloped the hotel’s existing core, and added a large south-facing wing comprising 28 en-suite rooms. Using robust high-quality materials, the renovation seeks to blend old and new without losing any of the building’s character and historic charm, says the architect.

Externally, the scheme takes its cues from the simplicity of the original building. At two storeys high, it reads as a contemporary extension, with white render walls and pitched slate roofs complementing the original structure and providing a coherent new form.

The south wing forms a wide chevron that embraces the surrounding landscape, punctuated by three ‘tower’ elements. Full-height, zinc-framed corner windows overlook the golf links, further animating the new elevations. Smaller zinc-clad box bay windows mimic the rhythm of the original hotel. The large first-floor terrace is also clad in zinc and cantilevers from the facade, providing an outdoor ‘room’ overlooking the sea.

The new wing encloses the rear of the original building to form a central courtyard. A timber deck provides a flexible outdoor event space at the heart of the hotel. Inside, the extension contains a lounge, spa, gym, golf shop, conference suite and hotel offices. It also houses a large restaurant, bar and 30-seat cinema.

The first-floor guest lounge is a double- height space lined with painted timber paneling. An outsized open fireplace serves as the focal point for the room. The main restaurant has a ridge lantern running its entire length, beneath which a battened ceiling structure appears to be supported by long timber ‘pylons’. Full-height windows open directly onto the first-floor terrace, which becomes an outdoor dining area in the summer. A more intimate space at the end of the restaurant can be enclosed for private dining, and provides coastal views from its full-height corner windows.

Several of The Machrie’s suites include small kitchens, and all ground-floor accommodation features double doors opening onto private terraces. The Hogan Suite occupies the southernmost ‘tower’ and incorporates an open-plan kitchen and dining room. Four guest lodges are detached from the main hotel to provide private accommodation for families and groups.

Construction in such a remote island location was a challenge, says the architect. Most of the materials were imported from Northern Ireland, with specially chartered barges used to transport the entire timber frame. A fleet of lorries arriving by ferry delivered the remaining materials.

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