For a start, it's in Kincardineshire (albeit the local authority is currently Aberdeenshire Council). Anyway, I had a look at the site a week ago and I must say that the development looks promising, provided that standards aren't allowed to slip back to the usual bog-standard speculative housing that's so prevalent in Scotland. The Chapelton proposal is incredibly ambitious overall - let's hope that the developers stick to their guns throughout the development period and produce a town with a real Scottish character. The biggest challenge will relate to the design and commercial success of the 'High Street' in the town centre.

Of course, modernist architects will continue to criticise such developments but I think that they should aim their fire more at the characterless nature of the type of speculative house building that is still the norm, particularly in Scotland.

Is that where they filmed the Truman Show?

Looks promising, nicer than the model housing at dumfries house. Don't suppose you have a site plan of the scheme , Urban realm ?

Bet they drive to their little cottages in fantastically advanced automobiles, that look like the wind, were built in automated factories, sense road conditions and adapt accordingly and even hook up to their mobile phones so they can communicate while on the road.

But of course, living in a house that looks like a 18th Century peasant's is the way forward for good design. Just hope that side door is high enough now that the population has discovered calcium!

The houses look nice. They fit in with the local architecture vernacular. They are certainly not 18th century peasant houses, peasant did not really exist outside of poor parts of the Highlands and Islands in the 18th century, they are farmers and well to do houses.

They look a lot more pleasing than endless English brick and pseudo-little England houses that mass house builders build.

@ #4 Rem - A lot of the most technologically advanced automobiles have traditional features that buyers value - leather seats, timber panels, solid coachwork, aluminium detailing giving the appearance of chromework - because we associate them with traditional hallmarks of quality and feel comfortable in and around them. Big selling modern cars often ape historical designs (Mini, Range Rover, Aston etc). We could all drive carbon fibre blades (and some manufacturers make them - there is a certain market for it) but generally we are drawn to the familiar rather than the 'modern'. And this applies more so to our homes. We have an idea of what the ideal home looks like - welcoming, solid, and timeless - but the construction and technology contained within are still up-to-date. Sure, some like modernist minimalism, and they can live in minimalist houses, but we're talking about the masses here, and we're talking about houses appropriate to a Scottish country estate.
Sure, externally they are not architecturally adventurous or pushing boundaries, but these will be people’s homes. For better or for worse, most people do not wish to live in an experiment, or something riskily fashionable. And as traditional styling goes, these are well done. More Land Rover than Zonda, and none the worse for that.

"welcoming, solid, and timeless" - you have seen the pictures accompanying the article...?

I wanted to resist commenting on this nonsense, but hey ho... I have no desire to live in a world that is predicated on a LIE. Pure and simple. Prince Charles' and Leon Krier's Poundbury writ large again. May as well be Disney. Just one look at some modern Dutch housing would tell you that you can achieve all those human aspirations of domesticated home and scale within a varied townscape etc. without it looking like some inauthentic 18th century ersatz dreck. It is a LIE - pure and simple and you all know it. We are not talking about cars here. Watch Top Gear if you want to do that.

Chapelton of Elsick is an ambitious project and looks to have the potential to deliver what is needed in Aberdeenshire: nicely designed affordable homes. The business model is not unlike that of the Commonwealth Games Village in Glasgow, with various developers/parties working in tandem to provide mixed housing and decent facilities, with public backing. Whilst the Games Village is undoubtedly urban/brown field, Chapelton of Elsick shows that this can also work in rural/coastal locations. This model could be the way forward for Scotland, especially at the affordable/Housing Association end of the sector. I wish the project every success.

#8 James: Couldn't agree more.

Its all a bit of a joke though, isn't it? Please someone tell me it is. Next thing we know the new VW Golf will be available in mock 2 horse carriage styling...

Why was I not involved in this project?