Inspired by the stunning scenery and landscape of Aberdeenshire, Claudia Zeiske and her husband Nick moved to Huntly from Holland in 1995 determined to open a bed and breakfast.
Having bought the beautiful Battlehill Lodge, located on the outskirts of the town, it wasn’t long before Claudia knew that their beautiful new home was was much more than a B&B. Soon after arriving, Claudia started a job in the arts and immediately the couple began to reimagine their new home as part of an artistic venture.
“We live with two sets of artists,” said Claudia. “I myself have set an artist in residence organisation called Deveron projects here in Huntly. The artists normally live in the town but the internationally renowned theatre company Dudendance lives here with us.”
However, the couple have both recently stopped working full time and are ready to move on to another property.
“Our children have flown the big nest and we are looking for new adventures,” said Claudia. “It is just a good time for us to consider a change.”
The house, built 1890, is close to the train station making it ideal for commuters to Aberdeen or Elgin. It is also easily accessible for visitors to the property, with the family playing host to many writers and musicians over the years, such as Mike Scott from The Waterboys, writers Mairi Hedderwick and Janice Galloway, plus Turner prize nominee Christine Borland, among many others.
And it’s clear the property has served as an inspiration not just to artists but to their three children, who made good use of the space the property has to offer, both indoors and out.
Claudia said: “When our children were teenagers, this was the place to come to have a “safe” party away from your parents. Outdoors we have lawns to play in, a vegetable garden full of goodies and recently we have experimented with a small rewilding area.
“One of the most wonderful things here is the views to the front garden over the mature trees. A real tree lover must have lived here in the early days. Every tree is different, and the best one is the majestic noble fir.
“Our three children have now grown up, but they are full of fond memories of the place,” she adds.
Battlehill Lodge is set in 1.75 acres surrounded by lawns with beautiful mature trees and shrubs providing privacy and seclusion. A sweeping drive leads to the front of the house where there is plenty of parking available and at the rear is a lovely patio area for enjoying summer barbecues. The outside area is completed with a summerhouse, also at the rear.
The interior tells a similar story of elegance and style. The house benefits from stunning period features such as high ceilings, cornicing and plasterwork, stained glass, ceiling roses, columns and large bay windows. As an artist, Claudia was determined to maintain and respect the original heritage features of the turreted building, painstakingly restoring the stained glass and plasterwork with careful general maintenance of the property.
With three reception rooms, eight double bedrooms (some en-suite) and six bathrooms and water closets, there was plenty of work to be done. The property also comes with a large kitchen plus guest kitchen, a utility room, pantry and storage room.
Claudia said: “We left all the historic features and brought many of those back to life. We also did a lot of sensitive maintenance to the roof, stonework etc.
“A key thing is that we renovated and double glazed many of the windows in heritage keeping. This made the house very warm and cosy, while keeping to the original sash window features.”
Claudia is sad to be leaving the property but is certain that the next owners will love it as much as she and Nick have, and believes the town is big bonus for house hunters, too.
“We found Huntly the prettiest of all the places around Aberdeenshire,” she said. “Huntly has everything that we as a family with three children needed: good schools, lots of sport facilities, skiing at the Nordic and Outdoor Centre (we love cross country skiing!) and ample amounts of nice walking in the lovely surroundings. As seasoned hillwalkers we are also very quickly in the Cairnngorms from here.
“The house would lend itself to many possibilities from bed and breakfast to a more residential enterprise to home working,” she added. “Now with home working being so much more prevalent, everybody can find a good corner to work from here. The opportunities are almost endless.”
Huntly provides a wide range of shops and amenities with a hospital and two supermarkets. Huntly Primary and The Gordon Schools are nearby along with a local swimming pool, sports grounds, golf course, play park, river walks and fishing.
Battlehill Lodge, Huntly, Aberdeenshire, is on the market for offers over £475,000.
To arrange a viewing go to the Purple Bricks website and select a date, or use the online message option to contact the seller directly.
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