It’s time to see red...
And snap up a landmark that’s turned heads for a century, says Paul Drury
Take it as red – rarely has a single house meant so much to so many people. For generations of families, the sight of the Red House meant that the long trip to the seaside was nearly at an end.
To the carters of kilmarnock, it meant a place to rest for the night on what was once the long road to Glasgow.
For as long as anyone can remember, the Red House has sat on a tight bend on the a77 between Stranraer and Glasgow, south of Newton Mearns, in east Renfrewshire.
and for all that time, it has been painted pillar box red.
Owners Harry and Gloria Stewart laugh as they recall two very different reactions to the colour after they purchased the property 28 years ago.
Mr Stewart said: ‘One posh neighbour said to us, “I take it you’re going to repaint it white?”. I looked them in the eye and said, “It’s been a red house since 1896, I don’t think so”.’
Mrs Stewart remembers a more positive response, on a day when she and her husband were repainting it in pillar box red. She said: ‘The police helicopter flew overhead and dipped down to take a closer look.
‘We could see the crew give us the thumbs-up. I think they approved of the colour.’
The couple later discovered that officers in the air use their home as a landmark whenever they are attending to an accident or looking for a missing person.
The interior is something of a surprise. Gone is the functionality of the tea room which operated here for decades, and in its place is a stylish country house, which makes the most of the striking views across open countryside.
The ground floor boasts a conservatory, dining room, sitting room and dining kitchen.
There are three bedrooms upstairs, plus two converted buildings in the garden – a showroom and a converted building that Mrs Stewart, an interior designer, uses as an office.
Mr Stewart said: ‘Living here is a lifestyle choice. There are oneand-a-half acres of grounds here.
‘We have rescued donkeys, ponies, owls... all sorts over the years because our children loved looking after them. If you like to go into the garden and scream at the moon or play loud music, the Red House is for you.
‘For us, it’s time to downsize. Our four children have left home and now it’s just the two of us. This place deserves a family with children.’
But what happens if the new owners are not so keen on the vibrant colour scheme?
Mr Stewart said: ‘It’s up to them, of course. But I’d like to think whoever buys it will keep it red.’
Offers over £550,000 to Joyce Watt of Corum. Tel 0141 639 5888 or email j.watt@corumproperty.co.uk.