In a nutshell, it’s the views
Set your sights on Acorn Lodge’s sweeping Borders countryside vista
YOU know that you are looking at a special kind of property when one of its biggest attractions comes absolutely free of charge. Striking Acorn Lodge at Whitsomehill, near Duns, Berwickshire, was built 12 years ago by a local property developer for his own use.
Yet, while quality of finish is a theme that runs though the house, the setting is such that you are likely to spend most of your time peering out of the windows.
South-facing bedrooms and much of the downstairs accommodation enjoy an unrivalled panorama of the rolling Borders countryside, undulating fields of green and the moody, peaks of the Cheviot Hills.
Estate agent Patrick Paton, of Rettie, has a long association with ‘This place has to be among the top three I have ever seen’ the area but even he says he was taken aback by this perfect perspective when he first saw it.
He said: ‘Inspecting rural properties has been part of my job for years. If I’m being honest, this place has to be among the top three I have ever seen.
‘You are in the Scottish Borders. It is beautiful. As well as the Cheviots, you can see the Kyloe Hills in Northumberland and, in a certain part of the house, you can even make out the sea.
‘This is why people want to move to the countryside and, in the light of lockdown, you can see why rural properties are now attracting so much attention.’
So much for the views. What about the house?
Well, there’s quite a lot of it. Fully 4,500 square feet of prime accommodation, split over two floors.
Needless to say, the house has been designed to make the most of its place in the landscape, with bi-fold doors cleverly inviting the outside in.
Most of the ground floor accommodation can be accessed from the hallway, most notably in the spacious open-plan kitchen-cumdining room.
Here, you will find a range of contemporary wall and base units with Corian surfaces, a selection of integral appliances, a breakfasting island and sliding glass doors which open to a decking area.
The kitchen leads through to a large sitting room, which offers a fireplace as its focal point and bi-fold doors to an outside patio.
Next to the kitchen lies a practical utility room or second kitchen, a family room, a study and shower room. Yet another public room is currently being used as a home office, a domestic accessory now in great demand. Upstairs is accessed via a floating staircase, leading to five generous bedrooms, including the master suite, which has an en suite shower room and separate dressing room.
Supporting the bedroom accommodation on this level is a family bathroom and separate shower room. You reach the floored attic space using a pull-down ladder.
Acorn Lodge is reached along a gravelled driveway which passes through woodland. A second driveway leads to the rear of the property and a detached garage.
The gardens lie mainly to the front and side elevations and there’s a raised deck area, ideal for dining alfresco. A large timber summer house is on standby if things turn a little chilly.