Despite its remoteness, the Mull of Galloway attracts in excess of 40,000 visitors per year. The South Rhins Community Development Trust website says, “As the southernmost tip of Scotland it is an evocative place. It has excellent views out to sea, across to Ireland’s Antrim Hills and the Mountains of Mourne, the Cumbrian coast of north-west England, along the ridge of Mona’s Isle on the Isle of Man, and across Luce Bay to the closer Machars of Galloway, behind which can be seen the Galloway Hills.” The Gallie Craig Coffee Shop here is a “unique visitor facility at the Mull of Galloway (and) has been designed with environmental issues foremost. The turf roof allows the building to blend into the contours of the land, which reduces the detrimental effect on the landscape thus keeping this beautiful area as natural as possible.”The name Gallie Craig was chosen as it is a local landmark – a ragged rock protruding from the sea. It is towards this rock that visitors will look from the glass encased Coffee House and its terrace.” The grounds contain the RSPB Nature Reserve, a Lighthouse from 1828, a Visitor Centre and the Gallie Craig Coffee House. The area around the lighthouse is an RSPB reserve and is designated as a site of special scientific interest. The Mull consits of three types of habitat: lichen-covered cliffs, rough grassland and maritime heath. This is one of the few remnants of the natural habitat that used to cover much of the Galloway coast. Co-owner Harvey Sloan of the Gallie Craig Coffee House, Dumfries and Galloway, won the Scottish Enterprise 2005 “Individual of the Year” award by “creating a vibrant and dynamic place which is a fantastic example of high quality design seamlessly blending the built and unbuilt landscape of Scotland.”

The coffee shop at Drummore is positioned on the cliff overlooking the Mull of Galloway. In view of the outstanding natural beauty of the location it is not surprising that the project had to go through rigorous planning authorisation before construction could begin. A ZinCo green roof system from Alumasc was chosen to bring visual and environmental benefits of a naturally planted roof. The finished building achieves a remarkable level of harmony with its environment. The planting was carried out by the client.The build up of the extensive greenroof includes:Derbigum Warm roof waterproofingRoot resistant capSSM45 MoistureMatFloradrain FD40 Drainage layerFilter sheetZincolit infill