Sitting pretty in early-victorian splendour

An extremely attractive village property in Aberdeenshire has spectacular grounds to match, finds Kirsty Mcluckie

Fettercairn is a very picturesque rural village in southern Aberdeenshire, set at the base of the spectacular Grampian Mountains and at the lower end of the route north to Banchory over the Cairn O’ Mount pass.

The village has its fair share of attractive properties, but Burnigill, an earlyvictorian house on the outskirts of Fettercairn with open fields behind and an approach which takes in a private bridge over a burn, is particularly charming.

The property dates from the 1840s and is enhanced both by its rural setting and by its own delightful gardens.

Elizabeth Hartwell bought Burnigill with her late husband almost 40 years ago when his work, originally with the navy and then with Shell, brought them to and kept them in the area and the couple started a family.

Over the decades, the pair made many improvements, notably a new kitchen, with cream Aga, integrated Neff appliances and a breakfast bar, which is open to a cosy sitting room with woodburning stove.

The drawing and dining rooms have been reconfigured and opened up, together they make a lovely entertaining space that includes a fine marble fireplace.

At first-floor level is the master bedroom which has a good-sized ensuite bathroom, two further bedrooms, a study or nursery and the family bathroom, while the top floor is home to an additional two bedrooms, bringing the total to five.

The enclosed gardens run to over one-third of an acre and are beautifully planted, with expanses of lawn, paved seating areas, woodland and beech hedging. The outbuildings include stores and a kennel.

Elizabeth says: “When we first moved to Scotland we lived outside Stonehaven in an old manse but got fed up with the haar, so when this house came up it suited us perfectly, as we had two small children at the time.

“When we first saw it, it was already a very pretty house from the outside but over the years we have done quite a lot of work to make it work for us inside.”

She was keen to carry out everything in keeping with its age, and brought a love of interiors, patterns and fabrics but says most of refurbishment was really about creating a home.

“It’s the size of house we wanted, it isn’t too huge but there was space for everyone when the children were growing up.”

Burnigill is on the edge of the village, so within a couple of minutes’ walking distance to shop, cafe and a hotel and pub, Elizabeth says that the family have enjoyed the location. “There’s everything you would need and a lovely primary school.

The house is also opposite the village playing fields with a tennis court and bowling green.

The grounds are a testament to Elizabeth’s hard work and artistic eye. She says: “I used to be a freelance florist and I adore flowers, so the garden is full of flowers.

“When we first moved in it was nice, but in the last few years I thought if I am going to stay here I am going to take everything out that I don’t like and put in everything that I do. So it has evolved as a garden, as gardens should.”

The grounds have formal lawns, a beautiful selection of shrubs and trees and the wooded area at the back. Climbing