Cambridge, it must be said, isn’t known for its ski slopes.
Yet in a small way, the city of dreaming spires is responsible for thousands of people learning to ski and snowboard in the Highlands.
Mike Shepherd, owner of Lynphail, an extended detached house close to Carrbridge, hails from Cambridge and until recently, operated The Ski and Snowboard School based on the CairnGorm Mountain.
Over several decades, hundreds of thousands of people of all ages learned ski and snowboarding skills thanks to him and his experienced team of staff.
“Over the last few years, the school taught between five and seven thousand people each winter. Multiply that by the 28 winters I’ve spent here and I guess you could say that’s a fair number of people,” said Mike modestly.
It was through his love of sailing that saw Mike get into ski-ing.
“When I was 19, I left Cambridge and got a job as a sailing coach in the south of England at a big outdoors sports centre,” he said.
“While there, I learned to ski on the training slopes and liked it so much I thought I’d come and try ski-ing in the Highlands. I loved it; got a job as an apprentice ski instructor and ended up setting up the ski school.
“My winters were spent on the mountains while the summer months were spent working as a sailing coach all over the Highlands.”
In 1996, he bought Lynphail, a detached house located around half a mile from the pretty village of Carrbridge. The house is within the Cairngorms National Park and set in around an acre of gardens and surrounded on all sides by stunning views over the local countryside and beyond.
Yet it isn’t isolated as it’s just a 20-minute walk to the village, while a single track road has direct access to the A9 which means heading north or south is easy.
“The house was originally a holiday home and a bit draughty, but over the years we put in new windows and doors, extended it and reconfigured the layout to make a more modern, warm home,” said Mike.
The accommodation in the house, which is on the market at offers over £345,000, includes a wide and welcoming hallway which comes with two large storage cupboards. The large dining kitchen comes with a modern comprehensive range of wall and base storage units and integrated appliances.
There is a six-ring Rangemaster, centre island and ample space for a big dining table and chairs. The utility room is located off the kitchen and provides additional storage space as well as housing the boiler and Megaflow water tank.
The sitting room is a fantastic public room which attracts an abundance of natural light through four large Velux windows. With exposed roof beams and a wood-burning stove, this room is the perfect place to relax after a day on the slopes.
The downstairs accommodation is extremely spacious and flexible and includes a study/bedroom, bedroom and an upgraded family bathroom complete with bath, walk-in shower, heated towel rail, WC, wash hand basin and a tiled floor.
On the upper level, the large master bedroom enjoys lovely countryside views and comes complete with plenty of storage space and an en suite shower room. There are two other good-sized bedrooms and a modern shower room.
Outside, there’s a range of useful timber outbuildings/workshops to the front and rear as well as a timber play house; parking for several vehicles and grounds laid mainly to lawn and bounded by a small burn.
The village of Carrbridge is just a short walk away and home to a shop, Post Office, two hotels and according to Mike, an excellent pub. The area is tranquil and is surrounded by spectacular mountain and moorland scenery and famed for the many outdoor pursuits it offers, something that makes it a hugely popular draw for tourists.
“I’ve seen enormous changes in the area since I first arrived. Watching Aviemore grow has been amazing – it’s several times the size it was compared to when I first moved here in 1988, while the number of people visiting has grown hugely. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the weather, as it’s still as erratic as ever.”
Asked to recall his favourite year, Mike said: “The best winter for ski-ing was 2010. I didn’t see my garden from November to May because there was so much snow.”
With his teenage son having headed off to university and his daughter about to do the same, Mike and his partner, Caroline, feel the house is now too big for just the two of them.
“We’ve enjoyed our years living by the mountains but now want to live by the sea so are looking for a property on the west coast, but we’ll miss this area and will definitely be back at some point.”
Contact: Strutt and Parker on 01463 719171.
