Scandi-style living
Idyllic country getaway boasts cracking views and trendy decor on celebrated distillery’s doorstep
Gorgeous Scots cottage is a Nordic delight.
DREAMY Drumin Farm Cottage sits on its own in a pretty picket-fenced garden close to Glenlivet Distillery in the breathtaking Cairngorms National Park.
Both the location and the super-sleek Scandi interior make it the perfect rural retreat.
But this idyllic Banffshire getaway hasn’t always been quite so perfect, as its Edinburgh-based owners Scott and Adele Anderson reveal. Adele says: “We bought the cottage in January 2015. It hadn’t been lived in for six months or more but we saw the potential in it.
“It was a lovely traditional stone-built cottage with a good-sized garden, in a great location with the potential to extend.
“The fabulous surrounding scenery and views made it an ideal choice for us. We had been on holiday on numerous occasions to properties in the same area so being located in the Cairngorms National Park was also a huge attraction.
“The cottage was habitable and could have just been decorated but we decided we wanted to extend it and modernise it throughout.
“We also wanted to create a further guest bedroom. We knew what we wanted the cottage to look like and Stephen Ritchie Architectural Services, Grantown-on-Spey, put it all together for us.”
They created a new Apex roof to allow them to have a high ceiling under which is an open plan living space with large windows to let in light.
The gable was also opened up to give a view of the
spectacular Cromdale Hills from the open plan sitting room/ dining room/ kitchen.
The decision to relocate the original kitchen into the new living area made space for the creation of a utility room and an en suite bathroom to serve the master bedroom.
Adele adds: “The interior design was all done by ourselves and we knew were looking for a finish of modern clean lines.”
Of the approach outside, Scott says: “We wanted to keep the existing stone of the original cottage and add a more modern cladding and slates to give a contrast between the old and the new. We used thermally-modified natural cladding which is very smooth. It blends beautifully with the trees outside and the surrounding area.”
The redevelopment work, which took about nine months to complete, was carried out by Grantown-based Colin Lawson Builders.
With its breathtaking views, underfloor heating and log burner this home makes for comfortable living all year round.
The Andersons – who let the property to holidaymakers through Unique Cottages – couldn’t be more thrilled with their getaway.
Adele says: “Seeing the cottage finished just as we had envisaged it is such a joy. We love admiring the view from the main living area.
“The Cairngorms National Park has so much to do: walking, fishing, golf, mountain biking, and skiing. The whisky distilleries on our doorstep. We feel very lucky to own a Cottage in such a wonderful location and our guests have loved it too.”
unique-cottages.co.uk