A home for all seasons
In sunshine or snow, this gem is the perfect family home
TODAY marks the start of the meteorological winter – but you can keep out the cold at the striking Craigmount House, which truly is a home for all seasons. The chill of the darkest months can be eased by the original fireplaces that are found in all of the principal apartments, offering the warm glow of a roaring hearth.
There is central heating throughout and a toasty, traditional Rayburn stove in the kitchen.
But it is not only in winter that this property comes alive.
The imposing country house – in Strathmartine, north of Dundee – is set back from the main road, with a winding driveway leading up to the late Victorian property.
When Craigmount House was built between 1896 and 1898, it was pitched into the greenery of the lovely rolling Angus countryside.
With little development since then, it still finds itself surrounded by an attractive, undulating landscape that is a joy to behold in the spring and summer months.
The house is enveloped in wellmaintained lawns, with a range of mature trees and shrubs.
The surrounding hills and glens make the house ideal for riding, hillwalking and cycling, while there are plenty of courses nearby to satisfy the demands of any golfer.
The Tay Estuary is ideal for water sports enthusiasts and the Glenshee Ski Centre is about an hour’s drive away.
The house is typical of its time – a two-storey villa built of stone beneath a grey slate roof.
The deep eaves with plain bargeboards are representative of the popular Victorian style. The Blisted
home was designed by William Gillespie Lamond, while he was a draughtsman for the firm of C&L Ower. The client was Elizabeth Mount of South Balluderon.
Stained glass welcomes you as you enter the porch, with a more elaborate example waiting to greet you halfway up the staircase.
The rich feeling continues throughout thanks to the doubleheight skirting boards, original doors with etched glass, high ceilings and intricate cornicing work. While much of the inside is deeply traditional, the curved walls in the main public rooms are rare in Scotland’s period properties.
You have the typical arrangement of drawing room, dining room, sitting room, cloakroom and kitchen on the ground floor.
The drawing room and sitting room both boast spectacular views of the gardens and countryside.
Split between the first floor and the converted attic room are six bedrooms and three bathrooms. In the garden you find something that is unquestionably a product of the 21st Century. The owners call it ‘the studio’ but this is a modern, single-storey, detached property in its own right, which could be put to all manner of uses, such as a deluxe home office.
Approached via a lovely cobbled pathway, its windows look out to an idyllic garden scene.
Conversion could make it work as a granny flat, a teenager’s den, or even an Airbnb retreat. Space would not limit your imagination as ‘the studio’ has 517 square feet.
Dundee is only three miles away – just a 15-minute drive – and the city is enjoying a renaissance of sorts through the opening of the V&A Museum and revamped waterfront area.
Craigmount House is well-served by schools, shops and hospitals and, thanks to its location near the city, you will have two football teams to choose from. So that’s one extra season to enjoy...