The Herald - The Herald Magazine
Highland beauty comes of age
I was looking to create a relaxed but classic feel and so have mixed traditional elements with modern ones
AFTER searching far and wide for a home that could be an escape from hectic urban life, Claire Welsh stumbled upon Netherwood.
“It’s the perfect Highland home,” she smiles. “Although, we did have a lot of work to do when we first moved in….”
Netherwood is an impressive traditional property, dating back to the 19th century, with a wealth of period features.
“Originally designed and built as a bolt hole for a well to do lady, the working servants’ bells point to how the house was used in a bygone era,” says Claire.
“There were rooms for a nanny and a maid, day nurseries and night nurseries, 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 and we fully rewired, replumbed and changed the kitchen layout.”
She adds: “The kitchen wasn’t a principal room in years gone by, but it’s now the heart of the home and we love the Aga for a whole host of reasons.”
The sympathetic upgrade means Netherwood offers a combination of old and new, combined to beautiful effect and tastefully decorated throughout.
Claire says: “Having worked with Colefax and Fowler for a number of years, I have a great appreciation of traditional interiors.
“I was looking to create a relaxed but classic feel to the property and so have mixed traditional elements and antiques with some more modern ones to create a classic contemporary feel.”
The broad hallway (complete with handy below-stairs cupboard which currently houses white goods) leads to the stylish sitting room, which still has several original features including window shutters, raised skirtings, coir carpeting and a feature fireplace.
Across the hallway lies a large dining room, perfect for entertaining guests and more formal occasions, which conveniently opens up into the exquisite, bespoke dining kitchen.
The kitchen includes smart units, a Villeroy & Boch sink, the aforementioned Aga and the original servants’ bells.
A carpeted staircase leads up to the first floor, where the master bedroom boasts pleasant views over the front gardens and a luxurious, modern en suite shower room with wc, wash hand basin and heated towel rail. There are a further two bedrooms, a family bathroom and a shower room on this level.
The top level includes two attic rooms, which provide flexible options for more accommodation. The house sits in beautifully landscaped garden grounds only a short distance from the centre of Dornoch.
“The garden was an unexpected joy,”
says Claire. “We had much work to do in hard landscaping the front, flattening and re-laying the lawn and cutting back years of overgrowth on the bank.
“Once finished we found that the front is an incredible sun trap.
“South facing and sheltered from the