It’s a fantasy of many people to be able to give up their day job before they reach retirement age, but have a steady income stream which will give them a comfortable living. Koos and Carolyn de Jonge are living that dream.
Originally from the Netherlands, Koos, a former free range pig farmer, has done a wonderful job of converting the old steadings which came with Mains of Auchingoul farmhouse at Inverkeithny, transforming them into lovely holiday cottages. These, along with three substantial and stylish wooden cabins built in the grounds, make it a very attractive purchase for those looking for a lifestyle property.
What’s equally attractive is the asking price of offers over £925,000 because for that, the lucky new buyer will find themselves with seven properties – the six holiday homes plus a large, detached and comfortable modernised traditional-style farmhouse, and more than 11 acres of land.
“I’m from a farming background and moved from the Netherlands to a dairy farm in South Wales when I was 18. I met Carolyn on my travels and over the years we worked and travelled around England, always living in tied homes,” said Koos.
“We moved to Scotland in 2001 and I worked for Grampian Country Foods on the free range pig breeding side. In 2004 the opportunity to have my own farm arose – something I’d always wanted. I ran a 70-acre farm on the Innes Estate between Lhanbryde and Elgin and supplied free range piglets born outdoors to Grampian Country Foods.
“We bought Mains of Auchingoul at the same time, and I commuted to the farm. We’d been looking for somewhere to buy and having driven through the Deveron Valley we saw Auchingoul, and although it was run down, the location was beautiful and private which made us fall in love with it straight away,” said Koos.
Since buying Mains of Auchingoul 14 years ago, the couple have sympathetically renovated the farmhouse to create a wonderful family home which offers flexible accommodation. On the ground floor there’s a beautifully bright and airy sun room, a sitting room, a cosy open plan kitchen/living room with a wood burning stove, a utility room and shower room. On the first floor are three good sized bedrooms, one of which has an en-suite bathroom. Outside it is surrounded by a well maintained garden and orchard which is part enclosed by an attractive stone dyke.
“We originally tried B&B but felt a bit awkward having strangers stay in the house so looked to converting the steadings which at one time provided accommodation for farm workers,” said Koos.
“I did most of the donkey work but we were very lucky to have good local tradesmen we could rely on to do the important work for us.”
The first renovation became Auchingoul Cottage, an attractive home with open plan kitchen/living room with a double height ceiling and a mezzanine gallery above, two bedrooms and a shower room.
“Almost as soon as it was complete we had guests wanting to stay in it so we used the money from it to pay for the next conversion,” said Koos.
Next to Auchingoul Cottage is Swallow Cottage, a delightful converted byre with an impressive kitchen/living room with a door out to a private decked area in a charming private courtyard that’s a bit of a sun trap; a sun room, shower room, WC and two double bedrooms.
Both cottages are double glazed and heated using oil central heating as well as benefiting from wood burning stoves. Adjoining this is an excellent general purpose store room and a gym. There’s also other outbuildings which offer scope for further development and the couple have gained planning permission to convert one of the steadings into a holiday cottage. These buildings include a laundry, stable with four stalls and two wood stores. There is also a useful garage/workshop with a converted loft/office space above and a substantial long tractor shed.
The asking price also includes The Bothy, a quaint and cosy stone-built farm worker’s cottage with an open plan kitchen/living room with a wood burning stove, a shower room and double bedroom.
The asking price also includes three large detached log cabins. Situated in a wonderful elevated position is Bonnie View Lodge, a single storey cabin with fine views towards the river. Accommodation here includes a kitchen, living/dining room, shower room, utility room/store, two bedrooms and a private decked area.
Located down a private track and sheltered by woodland on the banks of the river is Woodland Retreat. From the covered veranda, there is a spacious open plan kitchen/living room with a full height ceiling and wood burning stove. This cabin has a large kitchen/living room with a double height ceiling, a shower room and three bedrooms. Outside, it has a lovely private garden with easy access to the surround woodland and riverside walks.
The final property is Deveron Lodge, another impressive detached log cabin surrounded by mature woodland and built in 2013. It has a separate utility room, shower room and bedroom on the ground floor whilst upstairs there is a further double bedroom and seating area over with access to a balcony.
“The woodland goes right down to the River Deveron and is a lovely spot, so we often have fishermen looking to try their luck on the Deveron staying with us. Our guests also include holidaymakers, those looking for short-term accommodation and professionals who have found it cheaper to live here and commute to Aberdeen rather than to rent in the city,” said Koos.
“We always felt that one day, the farmhouse and steading would pay for itself, and it has. Someone will be getting an awful lot of property for their money. We are now looking to downsize as our children have left home so we now have two in Australia, one in England and one serving with the Army in Germany.
“We aren’t sure yet where we’ll go but are looking at buying a house in Australia where we’d live part of the year. It will be difficult to leave this place – only the right offer will tempt us to go,” said Koos.
Mains of Auchingoul is in Inverkeithny and set in the picturesque Deveron Valley. It is nine miles from Huntly, 11 miles from Turriff and 13 miles from Banff. The nearby village of Aberchirder provides good day to day facilities including a medical centre, a pharmacy, a post office, library, primary school and two churches.
Contact: CKD Galbraith on 01343 546362.
