Does riding your horse for miles through a magical forest appeal to you?
How about playing hide-and-seek as a child in a lovely farmhouse?
Or being surrounded by tranquil countryside and an abundance of wildlife while still being close to a city?
These are just some of the amazing benefits Pearl and Vic Peterkin have experienced since building their home, Bogincaber House, six years ago.
The couple were already living in the Auchenblae area when they decided they needed a new house.
Pearl, 48, who works in the oil industry, said: “We lived at a house in Chapelton, which is one mile away, so we knew the area and we loved it.
“We started looking for a new home because we needed space for our Clydesdale Stud. That was really the driving force. We bought this Bogincaber land and built the house ourselves.”
The couple are no strangers to all that is involved in building your own house – Vic is the managing director of Peterkin Homes.
The 55-year-old said: “I’ve been building houses for 30 years. I really enjoy it. It doesn’t feel like work. Work doesn’t even feel like work.
“This one is a very similar style to our last house. We loved the previous one so much we decided to base the design on that one. We just made it a little bigger.
“We built the house in 2008, during which time we stayed in a caravan. That was pretty tough.
“We could have rented somewhere while the work was being done but, because we had 10 mares foaling, we needed to be on the site for that.”
Peter said they used a good local architect to design the home and he took all their ideas on board.
Six-bedroom Bogincaber House has been designed in a Georgian style, right down to its finer details such as cornicing and skirting. Every detail has been thought through to create a lovely traditional feel overall.
Rooms of note include the billiard room and connected sitting room, both fantastic entertaining and relaxing areas. The sitting room has a welcoming fire and an abundance of light from three aspects.
But it is the kitchen, dining room and family area that are the highlights of this fantastic family home.
“The kitchen is nice and spacious,” said Pearl.
“People who have seen it say it has a bit of a New England style to it. And if you are into cooking, it’s great because it has a four-oven AGA plus three electric ovens and an induction hob.”
Vic added: “The lounge and the billiard room really come into their own when there are lots of people in the house.”
The amount of space in the house is also something the family have really fallen in love with.
Pearl said: “It’s great having all the space, especially when you have guests. We can have big family-and-friends get-togethers no problem.
“But even though it is a large house, it still feels really intimate.
“The kids love it too. Lots of space for them to play hide-and-seek and have their friends over.”
The space proved essential when Vic turned 50 and the couple decided to throw a party.
“We put a marquee up in the big shed and had a big party for around 200 people,” Vic said. “It was great.”
The party is just one of many memories the Peterkins will take away with them, having now decided to put their home on the market.
The sale also includes an office block, 25 acres of land, private access to nearby Forestry Commission woodland and lots of equestrian facilities, including harness room, outdoor rubber-surfaced riding arena and a new portal frame shed suitable for many uses, including an indoor riding arena and stables.
The remaining 270 acres of land is available in separate lots or as a whole.
A passion for equestrianism is something the whole family, including daughters Charlotte, 5, and Victoria, 9, have enjoyed – and their extended family definitely will be going with them to their next location.
Pearl said: “The horses will be coming with us. We’ve always had them. They are a family interest.
“Vic breeds and shows the Clydesdales. I compete in dressage and eventing and both the girls have ponies.”
Bogincaber Farm is located between two villages – Auchenblae and Drumlithe – and is only a 30-minute commute from Aberdeen and 45 minutes from Dundee.
It is a great location for those wanting to have a lovely country hideaway while still being within commuting distance of a city. When I drove out to the house, I was so surprised at how quickly it took me to get there from Aberdeen.
It is also only seven miles from Stonehaven and about the same to Laurencekirk – meaning you have a score of schools, shops, pubs and leisure facilities right on your doorstep.
The Peterkins have enjoyed living in the area so much that, despite selling up, they are not moving too far away.
“We’ve been really happy here so we didn’t want to leave,” Pearl said.
“To be honest, I never thought we’d leave here, but Vic found another project he wants to do and he managed to persuade me to move.”
So, as they prepare to leave their home, what will they miss most?
“I will miss a lot of things about the house,” Pearl said. “It’s just been a really great place to live. The house is traditional in style but with all the modern touches you would want.
“When we first spoke about it, I told the architect I really wanted a traditional farmhouse, and I like that feel about it.”
Bogincaber House is on the market for offers over £1,700,000. The rest of the land can also be bought as whole with the house for offers over £3,122,000, or as four additional blocks of land:
Lot 2: Drive Fields:
About 46.31 acres; Offers over £330,000
Lot 3: Field 27:
About 22.5 acres; Offers over £112,000
Lot 4: Burn of Guinea Fields:
About 40.4 acres; Offers over £200,000
Lot 5: Bogton Fields:
About 151.2 acres; Offers over £830,000
Contact: Strutt & Parker on 01330 826800.