A labour of love
Transforming a hilly wilderness into land suitable for a dream home was a labour of love for the owners of Ardachy House, which sits high on the hills above Loch Ness, writes Susan Welsh
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TWENTY years have passed since Anne English and her late husband, Professor Peter English, first stepped on to the plot of land where they would one day build their dream home.
There was little more than an overgrown track leading to the decommissioned croft, which sits in the hamlet of Bunloit, high above Loch Ness and the village of Drumnadrochit.
The land, which rises quite steeply in places but enjoys panoramic views across great swaths of the loch, as well as impressive views of the Monadliath Mountains, was covered in thick bracken, and the old croft house was uninhabitable – yet against these odds, they fell in love with the spot immediately.
“When we saw the views, our first reaction was ‘wow’,” said Anne, who, before retiring, was assistant head teacher at Westerton Primary School in Aberdeen.
“It’s the same reaction we get from visitors who come here for the first time now; the word, wow, is used a lot around here,” said a smiling Anne.
Taming the wilderness was neither quick nor easy.
Professor English, who unexpectedly passed away earlier this year, was one of the world’s leading experts in animal welfare. He enjoyed a distinguished career at Aberdeen University where, among other things, he pioneered reform of the pig industry.
He was also a well known author, penning books on the people, history and sport of Glen Urquhart, Arnisdale and Loch Hourn in Knoydart, on the west coast.
A native of Glen Urquhart, he met Anne, who is originally from Mull, while she was studying at Glasgow University and had come to the Highlands to visit her family, who had moved there due to her father’s work.
Peter’s career took them to Aberdeen, but as Anne explained, he never lost his passion for, and love of, the Highlands.
“Around 20 years ago, we began to look for a place in this part of the world where we could retire to,” said Anne.
“We bought the land here and, along with our children, Anthony, Susan and Martin, spent the next 13 years clearing it and making it suitable for building a house.
“We spent weekends and holidays here, building a drive in and clearing the land. Sometimes we would pitch a tent and stay overnight; at other times, we would leave Aberdeen at 5am, work here all day, then head back home at night.
“It was a long day, but Peter took pride in clearing the land himself – for him, this was a labour of love and he enjoyed every minute of it.”
Seven years ago, when ready to retire, they asked their son, Martin, an architect and director with Keppie Design, to create a suitable home for them.
Martin has worked on a wide variety of projects, including schools for Highland Council and the Virgin Cinema in Dundee, and is something of an expert in sustainability and the use of renewable and alternative energy sources.
His brief was to create a large, modern family home which paid homage to traditional design and made full use of the impressive views.
It’s fair to say that his design ticked all the boxes.
Passing through the gates to Ardachy House, the drive leading to the house meanders past lovely indigenous trees on the right, with open countryside on the left allowing breathtaking views across Loch Ness.
This is a house full of natural light as almost every room has dual-aspect windows, while some have three windows.
The hall is bright and airy and offers access to a large boot room; a bathroom with a nautical theme thanks to the cheery bright blue painted, half-panelled walls and white suite; a huge understair cupboard; the upper hallway, and the living room.
The living room is a lovely, large, bright room which has been cleverly designed to become even larger should the need arise. Double french doors to the right lead to the formal dining-room, while identical doors to the left lead to the breakfast room and kitchen.
An impressive bay window featuring full-height windows gives the room the air of a conservatory, and from here, a glass door leads to a large patio and decked area – an ideal place to sit and watch the world go by.
The living room and dining-room have Junkers solid oak flooring, while earthy and warm terracotta tiles are used in the breakfast room and the Shaker-style kitchen, which has a host of built-in appliances and a large range.
“The design of the living room is such that if you are having a party, the french doors can be opened, which allows three rooms to become one large one,” said Anne.
“The views from here are lovely, and it’s nice to have the open fire burning in winter. Rather unusually, the chimney is in the middle of the house instead of on an outside wall.
“The design means heat rising from the chimney warms upstairs – sometimes I have to put the central heating off it’s so warm.”
A broad staircase leads up to an impressive upper hall, which gives access to four large bedrooms, three of which have dual-aspect windows. The master bedroom has an en-suite shower-room and a large built-in wardrobe. A walk-in storeroom and a large family bathroom, styled in dramatic black and white, complete the upstairs accommodation.
Outside, the house sits in more than four acres of land, with formal gardens, a pond, a summer house and several outbuildings with electricity.
Mrs English has decided to return to Aberdeen to be closer to her family, but has had a small holiday home built on adjacent land which she will retain for family holidays with her children and four grandchildren.
Selling agent CKD Galbraith is seeking offers over £425,000 for Ardachy House. The family is also selling Drover’s Cottage, an impressive five-bedroom home, also designed by Martin English, which was built five years ago and is currently used as a holiday let. It is on the market at offers over £300,000. The properties are for sale as a whole or in two lots. For further details, call 01463 224343.
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