The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Country living close to town
A converted farm steading in rural Fife is surrounded by countryside and has great views, yet sits only a few minutes’ drive from St Andrews and the East Neuk – and is on the doorstep of the award-winning Peat Inn restaurant.
We love the quality of life here
The “golden hour” – that last stretch leading into sunset – is a good time to appreciate the views from Bankead Courtyard.
To the east are the twin peaks of East and West Lomond, Fife’s highest points. Look north and, much further away, the undulating swells of the Sidlaw Hills in Angus are a hazy, rolling line along the horizon.
Bankhead Courtyard is a small cluster of five houses converted from former agricultural buildings a little over a decade ago.
For the last couple of years number four has been owned by Alison and Patrick Ward.
They moved to Fife after many years spent in Buckinghamshire. “We were initially after something down south,” Alison explains. “We looked at dozens of places but nothing really grabbed us.
“Patrick’s from Kinross and we thought, why not look up in Scotland? As soon as we saw this house we knew it was for us – you get so much more for your money up here.”
The three/four bedroom house occupies a corner of the courtyard site, which is down a farm track off the B940, a mile or so outside Peat Inn and seven miles from St Andrews.
There’s a main front entrance but I come in through the glazed door into the kitchen. The couple recently redid this room, installing new units and Karndean flooring.
There’s a downstairs shower room and a family room with two guest bedrooms off it.
The main living room is upstairs to take full advantage of the views. It has twin aspect windows and a wood burning stove.
The master bedroom has an en suite and there is a family bathroom. A study or fourth bedroom lies off the lounge.
To the front of the house a long private garden leads down to a parking area and garage. At the back a large courtyard is shared with the other four houses, each of which have their own flagstone seating area.
“We like having the courtyard at the back,” Alison says. “There’s plenty of room so you’re not right next to each other – it’s nice to say hello to the neighbours if you’re sat out having a glass of wine in the evening.”
“We love the quality of life here and it’s a great place for having our dog, Molly – there are so many good walks,” Patrick adds.
“St Andrews and the East Neuk are both just 15 minutes away so we walk Molly on the beach every day. There’s also the ‘Flexibus’ which will pick us up at the bottom of the garden and take us into St Andrews if we want to go out for a meal.”
Life circumstances mean the couple have to move back to England. “When we moved in we thought this would be our forever home,” Alison smiles. “It’s a lovely location and we’ll miss it.”