Interiors: A traditional Highland home has been rescued from dilapidation

Jamie MacQueen was well placed to tackle the renovation of a rundown blackhouse on his Skye croft, since his family has run a building business for 75 years. Despite its location, the property wasn't built for crofting purposes, but as a room in which local people received reading lessons from the church. Later it served an altruistic role as a shelter for islanders without a permanent home.

When Jamie began work on it, the building had served no purpose for 60 years and lacked water and electricity. Give or take two feet of stonework, the blackhouse had to be largely rebuilt.

Today Tigh nighean Bhan ("house of the fair lady") is a decadent little holiday abode absorbing magnificent coastal views and memorable sunsets, with superb walks departing from the doorstep.

Jamie's approach to this transformation has been sensitive, his respect for the past melding with recognition of the building's 21st-century needs.

Externally the blackhouse, with its whitewashed finish and thatched roof, couldn't be closer to the perfect example of a Highlander's cottage. A preceding year of bad weather made sourcing reeds for the roof difficult, but Jamie tracked down what he needed from a Tayside reserve, and asked thatcher Neil Nicholson from North Uist to complete the skilled job.

Jamie always wanted his blackhouse to combine historical integrity with modern luxury. So while the thatching and its timber framework were executed in a traditional manner, the roof is packed with insulation and features a membrane that protects against inclement weather on this exposed site, the nature of which called for landscaping with eight-year-old trees (birch and alder) rather than fragile saplings.

The characteristically thick walls of the blackhouse were built up using stone salvaged from the original structure, while sash and case windows complement the traditional facade. But the chimneys won't be emitting smoke as real fuel is prohibited, given the possibility of a holidaymaker setting fire to the thatch. A living flame gas fire in a cast iron stove is an attractive, and less labour-intensive, alternative.

Given that the entire cottage has been fitted with underfloor heating, there's no issue with warmth. This exemplifies Jamie's balance of contemporary comfort and tradition; the heating pipes are fitted beneath stone slabs that look as though they have always been there. Some stone is original, while supplementary slabs were brought from Inverness. In combination with white walls, the dark stone floor lends the interior a natural, unsullied style.

"Modern building methods also granted the cottage a greater internal floor area within the original footprint," says Jamie.

He invited Blair Hunter, of Rural Design, based at Dunvegan, Skye, to come up with an interior style that was sympathetic to the building yet which would avoid a cold, inhospitable feel in favour of something more comfortable.

Blair responded with a palette of natural materials, from solid timber furniture to a linen-covered sofa and pure cotton bedsheets. Even the ironing board (from Garden Trading) is wooden, while the dustpan (from Labour & Wait) is stainless steel, accompanied by a natural fibre brush.

"There's no plastic in sight," laughs Blair.

Although she found lots of bits and pieces locally (such as the gorgeous fireside rug from Skyeskyns), Blair took a road trip to the mainland in search of antiques.

"Vintage furniture gives visitors a sense of stepping back in time, without compromising on the modern facilities," she says.

She met Jamie at the Scottish Antique and Arts Centre at Abernyte to accumulate a hoard of pieces such as the dresser and church pew in the living area, as well as a splendid bed and wardrobe.

"Jamie was hesitant about the choice of wardrobe as it's really old," says Blair, "but it has got great character and is also perfectly functional."

The winged leather armchair in the living area was chosen from John Lewis for its antique finish, while the sofa, which is upholstered in linen, was an online buy from sofa.com

Blair's travels also took her to Harris, where she visited a warehouse holding stocks of vintage tweeds from the island's old mills. Oatmeal-coloured Harris Tweed was chosen for curtains throughout the blackhouse, creating a warm tactile finish.

The only space that deviates from traditional styling is the bathroom, a deliberate contrast that Jamie sought. "There's an element of surprise in finding a contemporary bathroom in a house like this," he says. With its freestanding bath, rectangular sink and separate shower clad in "lava"-coloured tiles by Keope, this is a chic bathroom any city hotel would be proud of. Most fittings came from suppliers in Inverness, and Blair matched the colour of the low-profile shower tray, by Bette, to the tiles, creating a "lovely dark space" with a luxury edge.

Chris Campbell, a joiner with Jamie's firm, handcrafted the kitchen. Having considered a modern cooker, Jamie and Blair decided only an Aga would create the desired focus and were pleased to find a compact single-oven model at The Aga Shop in Inverness.

"It was worth pushing the budget for this," says Blair.

The Aga and a Belfast sink are showcased by Chris's beautifully crafted timber units, which retain the traditional feel while concealing modern appliances such as the dishwasher.

Blair was also particular about hiding the television behind doors that were fitted to recessed storage within the living room's dense walls. And she was equally meticulous when sourcing ironmongery and lighting, favouring the aesthetic of products from Holloways of Ludlow and Jim Lawrence.

Old paintings and prints, many from Jamie's own collection, finish the interiors, although the finest attention to detail is perhaps the stock of vintage books, many of them on the subject of holidaying in Scotland.

For a building constructed with reading in mind, it's fitting that visitors can enjoy Tigh nighean Bhan in the company of a good book.

For availability contact Large Holiday Houses Ltd, tel: [phone], www.lhhscotland.com For more information visit www.ruraldesign.co.uk; www.skyebuilder.co.uk

This article was originally published in The Scotsman on 27 February 2010