House with its
Past remains palpable in family home
NETHERWOOD was once the retreat of a wealthy Victorian lady.
Today, the 19th Century Highland haven that once sported rooms for maids, cooks and nannies, has had a 21st Century makeover. But it hasn’t lost its historic charm.
Owner Claire Welsh was living in London when the family bought the five-bedroom property in Dornoch eight years ago. ▼ Professional interior designer Claire – who shares the holiday home with her investment banker husband Christopher and children Cameron, 15, and Lucy, 12 – tells in10: “We were looking for a counterbalance to hectic urban life.
“Having searched far and wide, my husband found Netherwood, and it’s been a dream Highland home.
“It was originally designed and built as a bolthole for a well-to-do lady. Its working servants bells – which we have retained – point to how the house was used in a bygone era.
“There were rooms for a nanny and a maid, day nurseries and night nurseries; it’s very different to the way we live now.
“We were lucky that the property was packed with original period features and that these had been preserved through the years.
“But we had a huge amount of work to do in updating the house. We had it fully rewired and re-plumbed and we changed the kitchen layout.
“The renovations took about a year to complete.
“I was looking to create a relaxed, but classic feel to the property.
“I have mixed traditional elements and antiques with