Sale of the century
Elegant villa on market for the first time in 100 years, writes Paul Drury
The last time this house was for sale, the Great War was raging and another Vladimir was in the Kremlin, the one named Lenin. The elegant detached villa has been owned by the same family for 100 years – and been a happy home to four generations.
Parting with the property is an emotional prospect for its owners, but their loss will be someone’s tremendous gain.
Seller Alison Page can barely contemplate the day when she must hand over the keys, and it is easy to see why her family have held on to this place for a hundred years.
The attractive, stone-built huntly house, in Dollar, Clackmannanshire, is in one of the prettiest spots in Scotland.
It sits in front of the Dollar Burn and looks out onto the Ochil hills, with Castle Campbell above.
A handsome garden is protected by thick stone walls and fronted by Victorian timber.
The footprint of the house is classically 19th century.
The vestibule, which has a broad glazed door, opens into a fine reception hall, off which are two beautifully proportioned formal room that have most recently been used as a drawing room and sitting room.
The beauty of a century of continuous ownership is that you do not have a succession of owners making changes to suit the times.
As a result, the ‘good’ rooms of huntly house still have their original fireplaces, floorboards, doors and window shutters, and they retain a period feel.
The circumstances which led to Mrs Page’s family buying huntly house in 1918 peel back a dark chapter in history.
her grandfather was only two years old when his mother died, shortly after giving birth to a girl.
The cause was Spanish flu, a worldwide pandemic believed to have claimed 50million lives.
The family were living next door at the time. When two aunts moved in to take care of the children, they realised more space was needed and they shifted to huntly house.
Mrs Page’s grandfather grew up to become a solicitor and town clerk to Dollar Town Council.
his son followed the same line of work and even occupied the same civic office.
You can just imagine the procession of councillors, provosts and baillies who have been invited to discuss matters of local importance in the formal rooms of huntly house, or who possibly sat down to a fine meal in its lovely dining room.
The kitchen has some lovely oldfashioned touches. The alcove for the original range is still there, as is a ceiling pulley and the old staff bells.
Talking of staff, the maid’s room is now a single bedroom and there are four more above, with the master looking out on to the lovely Burnside.
Mrs Page said: ‘It’s a lovely place. I have very fond memories of my childhood here.’
Offers over £600,000 to Andrew Thomson of Savills. Call 0131 247 3717 or email athomson@savills. com.