A towering achievement

A beautiful country home near the Fife village of Auchtermuchty sits in 10 acres of grounds, including paddocks and woodland. Trails lead into Pitmedden Forest and the house and garden are a magical place to spend summer afternoons

It looks as if it’s been sitting there for hundreds of years but in fact Pitmedden House was built in 1993.

“There were two existing walls from a ruin which were incorporated into the building but the rest of the house was new,” explains owner Alison Galloway.

While its only 25 years old, Pitmedden House was built using original stone, giving it a much more ancient appearance. It sits in rural idyll a short distance outside Auchtermuchty on the edge of Pitmedden Forest.

Alison and her husband Bruce have lived in the five bedroom country house for 18 years, sharing it with their daughters and their Labrador, Jasper.

At the heart of the home is an open plan kitchen-dining room. A large family room has two sets of glazed doors leading out onto terraces. One of the most magnificent spaces is the drawing room, which has a vaulted ceiling and gallery above.

“We’ve had 50 people in here for parties before and it hasn’t felt too crowded,” Alison says.

On the first floor is a master bedroom with en suite bathroom and dressing area. Another first floor bedroom is en suite, while the other two bedrooms and study/bedroom five share a family bathroom. The gallery looks down on to the drawing room and is a fine place to sit with a book.

Up another flight of stairs is the tower room, which could be used as a bedroom, children’s playroom or an area for adults to enjoy a drink. Windows on all four sides give superb views across countryside to the Lomond Hills.

“Our kids grew up here and it was a fantastic place to spend their childhood,” Alison continues.

It’s also been a great home for Alison and Bruce, who works in investment banking. “It feels really remote and rural but Edinburgh’s only 45 minutes away and there’s a railway station in Ladybank,” Alison says.

Dog Jasper understandably looks happy as he lounges upside down in the garden, a toy in his mouth. If anything, the grounds are even more impressive than the house itself. Acres of lawn roll away from the house, bordered by paddocks on one side and forest to the other.

Grazing accounts for just under five of the property’s 10 acres. Two-and-aquarter acres of woodland, lawn and gardens make up the rest.

A private gate opens into the enormity of Pitmedden Forest. “I’m not sure quite how big the forest is but I used to do marathons and I once ran 13 miles in there without going over the same trail twice,” Alison smiles.

“The garden’s also a haven for wildlife. I looked out of my window one morning and saw an albino stag out there – it was just amazing. We also get red squirrel and deer in the garden almost every day.”

“Our kids grew up here and it was a fantastic place to spend their childhood