Aberdeenshire is an attractive prospect for house buyers with rolling hills, beautiful coastlines and now a perfect opportunity to downsize.
As people resolve to cut the clutter in the new year a bothy in Lonmay near Fraserburgh with only 70sqft of floorspace has been put on the market for £12,000.
For less than the price of a new car, prospective residents can enjoy underfloor heating, hot and cold running water and a chemical toilet in the garden.
But perhaps the biggest draw is the company the buyer can keep. The bothy neighbours the A-listed Crimonmogate Estate and House, owned by one of the wealthiest couples in Scotland.
William and Candida Petersham, otherwise known as Viscount and Viscountess Petersham, own the neoclassical mansion which is available to hire as a wedding venue.
Viscount Petersham, 48, is the heir to the £100million estate of his father, Charles Stanhope, 12th Earl of Harrington.
His sister Serena is married to David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linley, the Queen’s nephew, and his 44-year-old wife Candida is a face of Chanel’s Allure perfume.
But prospective buyers of the bothy – a former water meter hut currently marketed by Auction House Scotland – should not fear keeping up with the Joneses.
The hut has a charm all of its own and is advertised online as “detached house for sale”.
The advert reads: “Rarely available opportunity, would make a great purchase for a walking or cycling enthusiast. Low guide price by motivated seller.”
It is understood the property will be available for around £12,000.
Photographs from the interior of the bothy show a small sink and fold up bed. The exterior is whitewashed and the hut comes with its own address and post box.
Local farmer Alice Douglas, who has lived at a nearby farm for more than 25 years, said: “It used to be the old water board meter house.
“I actually put in a bid on it in 2009. I was going to knock the end off and put my ride-in lawnmower in it because we live just down the road.”
