I think this look lovely.

But ofcourse, there doesn't appear to be any wonky angles, abstract forms, white render and zinc panels or any of the ubiquitous signs of the modern age as determined by our superiors in the planning departments. So, I expect a lot of criticism of these plans -- why have traditionally inspired architecture (which majority of people love) when we can have non-de-script contemporary boxes?

Chantelle's Milfy Maw: the disillusioned-architect side of me secretly agrees.

I really love the renders but a part of me is always really cautious about an image that is so realistic.
Will the finished product be as sharp and will you be able to tell that it is not just a very good rip off of what the vast majority of the population think a Scottish traditional town should be like.

@El

Good point.

But then again, look at most CGIs that architects produce -- they use every light effect known to man to make grey and dreary landscapes appear like the Bahamas.And then they add in the 'united colours of Benetton' approach and have every ethnicity known to planet earth running around with kites in perfect racial harmony. lol.

I'm actually quite happy the renders attempt to be realistic.

Thank God we have Big Chantelle's Maw to speak for the majority. So obviously the absolute arbiter of what good Architecture should be.

living in a ghost town...

Oh Auntie Nairn. I'm sure you've commented on the architectural merits of numerous designs/developments on this website, so BCM's perfectly entitled to express an opinion. And, like it or not he is speaking for the majority. Maybe not the majority of the architectural or design community but then again this group makes up a tiny proportion of the overall population. There is irrefutable evidence that wider public have spoken in favour of 'traditional' architecture, both through their actions (mass housebuilder properties overwhelmingly 'traditional') and in survey after survey. And this seems to be a big improvement on the mass housebuilder version of traditional so will undoubtedly prove popular with buyers and less so with the blinkered architectural community who are too busy designing for each other and the architectural glossies to maybe notice that modernism has been around for almost 100 years now and still hasn't managed to sway the general public. The only place modernism has ever been delivered to a mass audience is through social housing; basically architects/planners giving a bit of medicine to cure the poor taste of the great unwashed. And we all know how successful and popular the designs of social housing have proven to be. Oh, but what wait, that glass box with a little cantilevering... maybe a wonky zinc bit, yeah, that's what will crack this conundrum of getting the masses on board. Your opinion expresses the problem with design - the arrogant architect unwilling to consider the validity of the opinion of others.

@juan

Well said. I only espoused MY opinion but did acknowledge some facts -- traditional architecture is generally viewed positively by the majority.

@Auntie Nairn

Please learn to read. Nowhere did I claim to speak on behalf of anyone other than myself.You are simply wrong on that.

And ther we go again. Just because I don't subscribe to the so-called populist view (by the way - prove it) - you automatically assume I am an 'Arrogant Architect'. If accusations of arrogance could be levelled at anyone it is you two.

Ooops typo. Happens to the best of us. 'ther' should be 'there' of course.

Disappointing that, as ever, everyone focuses exclusively on the architecture. Firstly, with such a large development it's very likely it will all be one architectural approach throughout.
Secondly, the architecture might help with marketing (as noted above, it's popular), but that won't determine it's success as a place to live - the urbanist principles/place-based master planning just might though.
A debate is desperately needed, but the one about style is a dead end; ones about place making, scale, density, walkability, mixed use etc will help us move on.
Surely we've learned from the big experiments with modernism than it's about more than style/taste/fashion.....?

Typo above ' ....very UNlikely it will all be one architectural style'!