A glen of peace and tranquility

You can’t hear traffic in the garden, you can’t be seen from or see the main road – it’s like an oasis of calm

THE house is beautiful, the location is perfect – but the gardens swung it for Rosemary and Colin Finnie when they first spotted Helensburgh home The Glen for sale eight years ago. Winding woodland paths, a pretty waterfall, fruit trees and colourful shrubs fill the sheltered space which extends to around half an acre.

“It is really lovely, all year round, and very protected because of the old Victorian walls which surround it,” explains Rosemary.

“There are stone circles and stepping stones, then you go up a few steps to the apple trees and plum trees – and I have my bee garden, full of plants and flowers which encourage bees and butterflies to come.”

She adds: “The little paths take you down through the trees to the side of the burn, and I’ve spotted herons there. It’s an interesting garden to explore and very safe and private.

“It’s unusual to have a house, so close to a town centre, which feels like it’s miles away from anywhere. You can’t hear traffic in the garden, you can’t be seen from or see the main road – it’s like an oasis of calm.”

The considerable charms of The Glen, a five-bedroomed detached home on the town’s Victoria Road, extend beyond the gardens.

This bright and spacious property includes a lovely lounge, which has an inglenook fireplace and a wood burning stove; a stylish dining room, with sliding patio doors leading into the rear garden; and a wonderful breakfasting kitchen and family area.

“This is my favourite room – I can sit on the sofa, facing the window and watch the birds visiting the bird table,” smiles Rosemary. “It’s very peaceful and I’ve spotted 39 different species so far.”

She also has a soft spot for the lounge, with its dramatic red wall and vibrant artworks.

“I was nervous about the red paint at first, but I love it – and with Elvis and Marilyn on either side of the fireplace, it is really dramatic,” she laughs.

“This is the fun bit – we call it the music room, because there’s a jukebox in there too – and then the sitting room with the woodburning stove is the cosy bit.”

The house was built by the previous owner to the Finnies, as Rosemary explains.

“He was incredibly fussy about it, so we knew we were getting a very good house,” she says. “His attention to detail was incredible. He even made the bricklayers take down a wall of bricks because it wasn’t quite right! The quality of the craftsmanship is incredible.”

The ground floor of The Glen also includes a handy utility room, with an integrated freezer and space and plumbing for a washing machine and tumble dryer, and a fantastic leisure room with an impressive sauna-style cabin and gym area.

A staircase leads up to a gallery-style hallway which provides access to the five bedrooms and the family bathroom, complete with Jacuzzi bath.

The master bedroom has its own dressing area and a three piece en-suite shower room, and there are three further double

The half-acre garden attracts many different species of birds and is protected by Victorian boundary walls