The Herald - The Herald Magazine
NEW TO MARKET
Westpoint Homes’ new Beechwood Lea apartments in Thorntonhall offer buyers a wonderful lifestyle with top class local amenities and easy access to the city
LOCATION, character, space and quirky, unexpected extras combine to make Crooksmill a unique and highly desirable family home with income potential in Moray, one of the sunniest and driest regions in Scotland. Scenically poised on the banks of the River Isla, just off the A96 to the west of Keith, the B-listed converted mill dates back to the late 1800s. It has been sympathetically renovated/refurbished in recent years to create a beautiful character home with a few unexpected extras, such as a slate-tiled lower ground floor incorporating a 38ft private pub – fully functioning and complete with bar fittings, sofas, bar stools, pool table, TV and original mill workings, while next door is a cosy snug with wood-burning stove. Completing this level is a store/games area and cloakroom toilet.
The main accommodation is spread between the ground and first floors, the former providing an entrance hall, 22ft sitting room with raised corner woodburning stove and original mill stones, dining room, large family dining kitchen, well-equipped utility, cloakroom and internal access to an integral garage.
Upstairs, there are five bedrooms with fitted storage (two en-suite), plus two further family bathrooms, both of which have a bath and separate shower. Currently operating as a successful Bed and Breakfast business, the immaculately presented interior is rich in detail and original features. Inside you will find solid oak flooring, exposed ceiling beams, bespoke open-tread oak staircase with ornate wrought iron balustrades, high-end fitted kitchen with integrated appliances, range-style cooker set into a red-brick surround, and access to a decked seating area outside overlooking the river, while the formal dining room opens onto an enclosed terrace.
Outside, the grounds include an equally impressive and well-maintained garden with well stocked beds and borders, decked seating area, patio with built in fire pit, and a charming pond.
The nearby town of Keith offers a good range of local shops and services, primary and secondary schools, leisure facilities and a railway station. Crooksmill is also within easy access to several golf courses, the worldfamous ‘Whisky Trail’ and beautiful sandy beaches along the Moray coast. Offers over £460,000 to Galbraith’s Elgin office.
WHERE city connections meet countryside living, Thorntonhall has always been a highly desirable place to live. Surrounded by the peace and tranquillity of the great outdoors, the village is perfectly placed for commuting to Glasgow city centre by car or train.
Built over two spectacular blocks, Beechwood Lea presents 28 apartments, each with uninterrupted views of the rolling countryside. The Woodland and Meadow Collection both comprise of two and threebedroom apartments and penthouses. With ten styles to choose from, there are options to suit everyone.
Boasting a full range of modern essentials, including lift access to all floors, high-spec fittings, as well as allocated parking, Beechwood Lea really is a luxurious living option.
The show home is a contemporary apartment with classic appeal. Interior designer Clare Turley from Flounce describes her strategy: “Our brief was to create an interior that was classic in its appeal, yet felt modern and fresh.
“Overall, we wanted to achieve a feeling of understated luxury. The apartment boasts a warm palette of soft neutral colours, with highlights of earth tones, classic gold and touches of black.
“The most-used colour palette for the past few years has been soft grey tones but we are finding that fashion is moving away from these and people are beginning to embrace warmer shades. Our base tones for this scheme have been Taupe and Sand.”
All bedroom headboards are custommade, with the master showcasing honeycomb panels, while the second bedroom boasts a darker, more contemporary headboard, finished with chic, suspended bedside lights, nicely contrasted by the gentle pinks and warm creams of the third bedroom.
The lounge areas feature large windows, allowing endless natural light to flood the room. The upper-floor apartment lounges also feature sliding doors that lead to private balconies, while the ground-floor apartments have access to private gardens below.
The majority of the apartments have been designed with an open-plan kitchen, creating the ideal space for hosting dinner parties with friends and family. However, for those who prefer a traditional kitchen separate from the living space, Westpoint Homes has also provided such an alternative.
In terms of privacy, even within the already secluded enclave of Thorntonhall, there is something especially peaceful about Beechwood Lea. Sheltered at the western edge of the village, there is no through road to spoil the tranquility – this is the epitome of privacy. Surrounded by endless countryside, there are also plenty of green spaces right on your doorstep.
Living in Thorntonhall offers you a host of schooling options: there are several nursery, primary and secondary schools within South Lanarkshire and nearby East Renfrewshire. Furthermore, Hutchesons’ Grammar, Belmont House School, St. Aloysius College and The Glasgow
Academy are all nearby. Please note – a position in local schools is not guaranteed.
Travel links are great too – it’s only a short walk from the development to Thorntonhall train station, which is just a 25-minute journey away from central Glasgow. You also have easy access to the M77, M8 and M74 motorways, as well as international airports.
Prices at Beechwood Lea start from £365,000. To arrange an appointment to see the show home from Thursday to Monday, simply call 0800 587 9992. www.westpointhomes.net