Steve and Anne-Marie Skidmore built Ewe House at Whiteinch Smallholdings, Kinloss in 2008, in the style of a country smallholding.
Having moved up in 2001 from Lanarkshire, they are now looking to travel the world in search of their next adventure.
“We’ve been everywhere, we are both ex-airforce so we have been all over the place,” said Steve.
“We came up here looking for the good life. We were here in the 80s and loved it back then, so we decided to make this our home as we got older.”
After receiving planning permission in 2006, the couple used a local architect who got them through the build.
The £425,000 detached five-bedroom house sits in four acres and has a workshop, double garage and a barn.
“The land has been reconditioned. It was in quite a bad state and is now nice and lush,” Steve said.
“The house and the land would probably be more beneficial for someone who has horses or an equestrian type business.”
The house is in a peaceful location; near to Findhorn Bay and close to the local woods.
“It’s easy access. If you have horses, you could ride out of the house onto the bay, or take them up Cluny Hill. It’s next to some great locations,” said Steve.
Anne-Marie agreed and said: “Its not far from Forres itself, only a few miles so it’s not the middle of nowhere. We can walk into Kinloss if we want a pint, drive into town or cycle the back roads.”
The location is also dryer than most: “It’s a nice area, very pleasant. It’s very dry compared to other places,” said Anne-Marie. “We are in our own micro-climate because of Findhorn Bay.”
The couple originally wanted somewhere they could grow vegetables and rear livestock, and even had Shetland sheep.
Steve explained: “We used to rear them ourselves, but we are now at the age where we want to go travelling so we are going to downsize and move into town, and then go travelling.”
In the air force, Anne-Marie was an air traffic controller while Steve was a policeman. Their careers took them all over the world, but now they want to sell up and see more.
“We were both in our 40s when we moved up, so we think its about time to go and see Australia, New Zealand and the rest of the Americas,” said Steve.
Anne-Marie expanded on their plans: “We’d like to spend some time in India and Nepal, and some of Africa.
“I’ve been to Chile but Steve hasn’t so we would like to go places like that if we got the chance.”
The couple have made the most of the space at Ewe House. They currently use the barn for DIY, and Anne-Marie uses the workshop for her crafts.
“I used to use the wool off the sheep and send it to Cornwall to get it spun,” said Anne-Marie.
“I knit things, make things, invite friends to come and join me; I’m part of a local group and we use the space that way.”
Inside, the accommodation is spacious and bright. Upstairs there are two bedrooms while the remaining three are downstairs, including the en-suite master bedroom. The bedrooms at the back of the house have huge windows and patio doors overlooking the expansive gardens.
The open-plan kitchen/ dining room has patio doors facing south and plenty of work surfaces and storage. The lounge features a full-height cathedral-style ceiling, wood burning stove and patio doors with impressive views.
Anne-Marie, describing the view from the window, said: “We will miss the house because we have great big windows on our sitting room and lounge-diner that go out onto the garden which then go out onto the field.
“We have a constant stream of bird activity, from little birds to great big birds. We get a flock of pheasants and a pair of magpies who are quite entertaining. There are buzzards who are regulars and a big sparrowhawk,” she said.
“It’s fantastic to look at because the light changes quite a lot. The birds and the grass and trees all change. The trees at the moment are just about to burst into leaf. I love it. We’ve got this hint of green which is just about ready to go.”
“I call it my television,” said Steve.
Contact: Cluny Estate Agents & Property Management on 01309 673836.
