WHEN you make your living dealing in property, it takes something very special to get you genuinely excited. But that’s how Ricky Frew, a freelance property consultant, felt when he first set eyes on the Old Manse of Craggan, Glenlivet.
The superb B-listed country house sits in an elevated position within the picturesque Glenlivet Estate and enjoys splendid views across the River Avon and the Cromdale Hills.
Ricky, 45, said: “The combination of the stunning location, the views across the valley and the potential the house offered was what sold it to us straight away.”
Thought to date from about 1854, the former manse is built of traditional stone and slate construction, and is now finished to a very high standard, offering a home with both charm and character.
The house has three floors and the accommodation includes three public rooms; five bedrooms and a dressing room; dining kitchen with Aga; utility room, two bathrooms, and WC.
Outside, a former coach house has been converted to a one-bedroom self-contained flat and a garage which can accommodate four cars.
“The house had previously been owned by an elderly lady and it was done in a rather old-world style,” said Ricky.
“The main bathroom, for example, had a bright pink suite with pink tiles up to the ceiling and dark blue walls.
“We put our heart and soul into doing up the house, but a lot of the specialist work, such as damp proofing, can’t actually be seen.
“We modernised the kitchen, put in new bathrooms and redecorated the house from pillar to post, with everything from new flooring to curtains throughout.”
Luckily for Ricky, he had a talented seamstress on hand to keep him right when it came to choosing the textiles – his wife, Lorraine.
“All the curtains are handmade by Lorraine as her former occupation involved textiles and painting furniture.
“Now it’s her hobby – she uses the bedroom in the coach house as a craft studio.
“The coach house is now a super teenage hangout, workshop or guest room, but it wasn’t always like that. I understand it was used previously by a gillie with half-a-dozen dogs so it took a fair bit of work to get it looking the way it does now.”
The accommodation in the main house, which has lots of lovely period features, begins on the ground floor with a sun porch, which leads to a large reception hall. From here, there’s immediate access to a sitting room, dining-room, family room, WC and utility room.
An inner hall leads to the dining kitchen and a second porch at the rear of the house.
The first floor has three very large bedrooms; a luxury bathroom with rolltop bath, large walk-in shower, WC and sink; a separate WC, and an impressive dressing room with a complete wall of storage space.
The top floor has two further double bedrooms and a family bathroom.
Outside, there’s not a neighbour to be seen, which is perhaps just as well as the couple’s teenage daughters own a drum kit.
“The walled garden is nice and sheltered and, as the house is south-west-facing, we get glorious light,” said Ricky.
The garden, which is mostly laid to lawn, has a nice summer house, and there is a walled garden which is used for growing vegetables and soft fruits.
“I’ve been told that the church served the valley and people came from far and wide to it every Sunday.
“The church was demolished in the 1940s, but the footprint of it can still be seen in the garden beyond the coach house.
“Someone told me that before it was demolished the wood was all taken away and utilised, but they left the stones behind. There’s a wood that’s just full of the old stones, but it’s a very serene area.”
Whether it’s a quiet walk, a spot of fishing or exhilarating ski-ing you are after, the Old Manse of Craggan is the ideal base.
“The house really appealed to us because of the location,” said Ricky.
“It’s around a 30-minute drive to Elgin or 40 minutes to Aviemore. Both places have railway stations with connections to the south and north.
“You can leave the house and be ski-ing on the Lecht within half-an-hour, but there are also fantastic hill walks on the doorstep.
“I’m not much of a fisherman, but the Avon and Spey are both great favourites with fishermen.
“But even if you don’t want to go far, there’s always something to see because the background changes every day, especially in autumn, when the colours are glorious.
“We have lived here for almost two years and really enjoyed it. The only reason we are selling up now is because the amount of work I have in the central belt has increased greatly, which means having to move close to that area.”
Although in a rural location, the Old Manse is handy for the neighbouring villages of Grantown and Aberlour, which have amenities for everyday needs such as shops, post office, bank, restaurants and leisure centres.
There are primary schools at Glenlivet and Iveravon and secondary education at Speyside High School, Aberlour.
Selling agent DMH Baird Lumsden is seeking offers over £450,000 for the Old Manse of Craggan, Glenlivet, Ballindalloch, Speyside. For further information, call 01786 833800.