True country classic
This rural retreat can be yours for a bargain price, says Paul Drury
WE’RE two weeks on from Black Friday but there are still cracking bargains to be had in Scotland, particularly in the property market. One of them is in Ayrshire, a lovely sandstone semi-detached offering outstanding value.
Priced at £30,000 below the cost of the average Scottish home, the Old School House at Dalleagles nestles in open countryside and enjoys outstanding views towards the Southern Uplands.
Immaculately presented, it comes with two bedrooms and a sizeable dining room which could easily morph into a third bedroom if required. Yet all this is available for offers over £135,000.
Owner Gillian Holloway-Botha is honest enough to point out the one possible ‘drawback’, which seems to be putting off prospective purchasers.
She said: ‘We own the driveway but our neighbour has right of access over it to reach their garage. It’s never been a problem. We have lived in complete harmony here for ten years but it does seem to be an issue for some people.’
Mrs Holloway-Botha is originally from South Africa, as is her husband Andre, a retired colonel in the South African Air Force.
She works as a nurse but her passion is landscape photography and she has built up an impressive portfolio of pictures – helped by the fine location of her house.
Mrs Holloway-Botha said: ‘We are only four miles from Cumnock. People look at the map and think we’re remote – we’re not.
‘The school bus stops outside our door and the regional bus stop is just 300 metres away. There are barn owls and foxes galore. The garden is pretty small – but there’s a forest behind the house.’
Her home would be the perfect retreat for a small outdoors-loving family or possibly a retired couple who have had their fill of the city.
The front-facing lounge with impressive views is snug and warm in the depths of winter. The fireplace hosts a multi-fuel burner and there’s double glazing to keep the heat in.
Conversion of the dining room is a real possibility, considering the kitchen next to it is big enough to accommodate a dining table.
It offers views on two sides and sports a warming Rayburn stove.
On the upper level, you will find the shower room with a suite comprising pedestal wash basin, WC and walk-in shower.
A cupboard has been successfully used by the Holloway-Bothas as a small study area.
The bedrooms are doubles, both enjoying elevated views across the surrounding rolling countryside.
But Mrs Holloway-Botha thinks her home’s greatest attribute is its location.
She said: ‘It is an utter joy to be here. You just say to yourself “how lucky am I to have these views?”
‘We are blessed by this countryside and the people are great, too. The folk around here really look out for each other, even incomers like us.’