Stranraer Gateway

Completed in June 2015, at a cost of £55,000.00, the refurbished café and new pavilion have been exceptionally well received by the public. Architecturally, the intervention sits comfortably and in scale with its natural setting on the loch shore located on the existing coastal path and cycle route. It provides respite for walkers and cyclists along this route and for drivers using the lay-by in a scenic and strategic location for the observation of wading birds and distant ferries arriving and leaving down Loch Ryan.

A simple palette of materials have been applied taking cognisance of the local surroundings. The main construction material, larch, was chosen as a Scottish sourced material being durable, natural and cost effective whilst weathering from brown to a less obtrusive grey. The building lifecycle was an important consideration requiring minimal maintenance throughout the life of the structures within an exposed locale.

Importantly, it retains and improves a well-used eating facility and breathes new life into the location in a dramatic yet subtle transformation for minimal cost.