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A plan to build four bothies on a strip of coastal land near Castletown is being opposed by several nearby residents who are concerned the access road is unsuitable and too narrow for such a development.

But the company behind the project, Cruive Ltd, is hoping these issues can be resolved and some of the bothies could be ready by the spring of next year.

The bothies and office/service building would be constructed on land 600 metres north-east of Battery Road in Castletown, just off the North Coast 500 route.

Company director Gary Paterson, who is from Thurso but lives and works as an architect in Fife, said the bothies would be "off-grid retreats" to enable people "to get away from it all".

He acknowledged that the access plans for the site from Battery Road is causing concern to residents but Mr Paterson, who gave a presentation at last week's meeting of the Castletown and District Community Council, is hopeful the problems can be addressed.

He "totally gets the message" and stressed the company would widen the road junction and improve the 420 metres of farm track leading to the bothies. Additional signs would be installed at the junction and further down the road while other measures could be undertaken to try to minimise disruption.

"We hope to come up with a solution as it is in our interests to keep the road in good condition," he said. "If we can get past these issues we would hope to have some of the bothies ready for the spring of next year."

Mr Paterson said his company is aiming at the North Coast 500 market as well as artists and academics who want to "get away for a bit of peace and quiet".

He will be looking after the design and contracts while his brother Mark and wife Nicola will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the project. Peter Kushner would be involved in erecting and fitting out the bothies. Gary, Mark and Peter are directors of the company.

Billy Dunbar, the chairman of the Castletown and District Community Council, said access to the proposed site is "the big issue".

He explained that several people in Battery Road have lodged objections to the plan as the road is single-track and said to be unsuitable for such a development. There have already been problems with camper vans going down the road and having to turn in residents' gardens, he explained.

Mr Dunbar said people now have the chance "to think about things" following the presentation.

Documents submitted with the planning application say the site is situated on a coastal strip of land between a gun battery – a late 18th-century scheduled monument – and one of the many Caithness broch sites, and is a 10-minute walk from Castlehill Heritage Centre and harbour.

The proposed access is from the A836 and Battery Road via a track that extends down to the west end of the site, where a turning circle would be provided to allow large vehicles to get in and out.

"The existing core path will be maintained with one agricultural galvanized steel gate in a timber post-and-wire fence to define the boundary of the site towards the east. This will remain unlocked to always ensure access. We do not plan to create any barrier to access from the Battery Road side," states the company.

The application is under consideration by Highland Council.