With breathtaking views, wonderful light and fabulous rooms, it’s no wonder the owners of The Old Manse at Alness are sad to be leaving, writes Susan Welsh
One of the joys of writing for a property supplement is that, on occasion, you get a chance to revisit a home that has been featured previously and see how, over the years, different owners have put their own stamp on it.
Such is the case with The Old Manse, Alness. The P&J ran a feature on the house, which is a landmark building on the outskirts of Alness, some 15 years ago, when it was called Lismhor House.
Steeped in history, it was built as the manse to the adjacent ruined church in 1792 on the site of the previous manse, which dates back to the 13th century. The parish was of real significance in the time of Mary Queen of Scots, who chose the manse especially to present to the Regent of Aberdeen College in 1547. Being such an important landmark, in the 17th and 18th centuries, it was the scene of several important events, including being wrecked by warring clans, while, post-Culloden, there were several army skirmishes around the manse.
Remains of the old manse through different years can still be seen in the massive cellars which today are put to good use as storage space for the current owners, Kristina and Arthur Byng, who have lived there for 10 years.
When the P&J last visited, the grand house, which is on the market at offers over £395,000, had been decorated in particularly bold, adventurous colours, selected to reflect 18th-century Adam-style times, when the house had been rebuilt following a fire.
Today, the house has a much calmer, relaxed and peaceful atmosphere, as it has been decorated throughout in neutral tones. What hasn’t changed is the warm, welcoming feeling visitors get as soon as they step into the impressive reception hall, which is flooded with natural light.
But as Kristina explained, she didn’t even get as far as the hall before making up her mind that this was to be home for her and Arthur, whom she married 10 years ago.
“We’d been living in England and originally were on the lookout for a holiday home in Scotland. I went to university in Edinburgh and had been holidaying on the west coast since I was 14, so knew Scotland well.
“I saw an advert for this house and, despite it not being on the west coast, liked the look of it. As soon as I saw it, I loved it. The setting is beautiful with fine views over the Cromarty Firth and mountains, while the house is the most marvellous blend of Georgian and Victorian architecture. Walking up the steps to the front door, I knew this was the house for us.”
She decided on the spot she had to have it and, after viewing, immediately phoned Arthur to break the news that they weren’t now the proud owners of a west-coast holiday home, but a large five-bedroom detached Scottish mansion in Ross-shire.
It’s easy to see why it stole her heart. An elegant grade B listed property, it sits on a south-facing elevated site just a few minutes’ walk from the town of Alness. Dating from the early 1790s, it was destroyed by a fire in 1869, was completely restored and renovated by Dingwall architect W. C. Joass and the result is a pleasing marriage of Georgian elegance with Victorian innovation.
This manse was sold by the Church in the 1970s and bought by Kirstina and Arthur in 2004. Since moving in, they have upgraded the plumbing and electrics, installed a new oil-fired boiler, water cylinder and septic tank, upgraded the bathrooms and completely decorated throughout.
“The original flooring in some rooms was quite dark, so I had it stripped back to a pale colour as I’m half Swedish and prefer light timbers and colours,” said Kristina.
The house remains full of original features such as large, high-ceiling rooms, open fires, working shutters and deep skirting and cornicing, all of which helps to retain the period character.
Accommodation on the ground floor includes a porch, grand reception hall, large drawing room, sitting room/formal dining room, dining kitchen, utility room, study, cloakroom and back porch. Upstairs, there are large, bright hallways which give access to five large bedrooms, two luxury bathrooms and a WC. Below the house, there’s an enormous cellar with boiler room, wine cellar and store.
Following a long military career, Arthur, a former colonel with the Royal Signals, spent 10 years as a computer consultant and a further 10 years as a portrait painter before finally retiring. Both he his wife share a passion for painting and that’s another reason they love the old manse.
“The light is wonderful here. Many of the rooms have dual-aspect windows, while others have dual windows, so it’s very bright and there’s a fabulous view to be enjoyed from every window,” said Kristina.
The gardens and views are equally inspirational.
“The beauty of this home is the setting and it has to be visited for real appreciation,” said Arthur.
“Sitting in the back garden looking out across farmland, watching buzzards, kites and wild geese; watching the sun go down behind Cnoc Fyrish with a glass of wine, or seeing the pink light on Ben Tharsuinn in the morning make this location a joy.”
The grounds at The Old Manse extend to more than one-and-a-half acres and include well-tended gardens, mature trees and shrubs and a large walled garden with fruit trees, rose-clad walls and a kitchen garden with potting shed. There’s also a garage, boathouse and garden store.
Alness has a good range of shops and facilities, including a health centre, leisure centre, supermarkets and schooling up to secondary level.
“Alness is a good place to have on your doorstep. There’s a local golf course and swimming pool and it’s all looked after by an imaginative and busy council. There are plenty of great social activities ranging from art groups to music, bridge and book – there are more activities than time,” said Arthur.
“We have absolutely loved every minute of living here and have made so many friends. There are wonderful people in Alness,” said Kristina.
“But with Arthur and I now having a combined age of 150, and with 14 grandchildren between us, we feel it’s time to head south to be closer to our families. We have a good, smaller place waiting for us, but it’s sad.”
Contact: CKD Galbraith on 01463 224343.