Prestige property: Secluded Perthshire abode is way above par

The idyllic Perthshire town of Auchterarder is perhaps best known as the home of the prestigious five-star Gleneagles Hotel, which features Scotland’s only two Michelin-star restaurant, and three championship golf courses.

Prestige property: Secluded Perthshire abode is way above par

Situated in an enviable plot overlooking Auchterarder Golf Course, Cloudberry is a magnificent five-bedroom family home with views toward the Ochil Hills, which lie just eight miles south of the popular residential town.

The house was built in 1938 at a similar time as the exclusive and desirable Caledonian Crescent in Auchterarder – an address that has been reported to be the third most expensive in Scotland – and current owner Christine Thornton believes it was originally intended for use as a holiday home.

She bought the grand dwelling with her husband 11 years ago and recalls: “At the time, I just thought it was such a pretty house and a rare find. I just loved it because it is very secluded, down a driveway, and you wouldn’t know it was here from the main road.”

The Thorntons were also impressed by Cloudberry’s commuting distance of around 50 minutes to Glasgow, where Christine’s husband used to travel daily for work.

She spent six months transforming the property into a modern family home prior to moving in, as although a number of previous owners had added their own cosmetic touches, the Thorrntons felt a full restoration was required.

“People had sort of painted over the cracks, whereas we decided to do it up properly,” Christine explains. “We literally ripped out everything, so for six months we were in Glasgow and I came up to the house every day, but it was definitely worth it.”

The generously-sized home comprises of more than 5,500sq ft of floorspace, and visitors first encounter a welcoming hallway which leads to a light and airy open-plan kitchen, dining and family space that forms the heart of the house.

The kitchen boasts an Aga range with a large breakfasting island, and the family space enjoys a gas fire for extra warmth on colder days. Here, elegant French doors open directly to the rear garden where there is an attractive bricked terrace.

There is also a formal lounge, study, and dining room on Cloudberry’s ground floor, as well as access to a basement-level wine cellar.

Upstairs, the principal bedroom, which has an ensuite with free-standing bath and a dressing area, is blessed with breathtaking views over the home’s 1.25-acre grounds and the golf course further afield.

Christine, a retired secretary who spends her free time volunteering, adds: “The garden is super. There is a little white fence, but the grounds go beyond that – we have dogs, and I didn’t want them running away, but it is great for anyone who has children.

“We also have a really nice pond and, again, if you have children it is good to have the gate shut. It is a great garden which is flat, and because it is south-facing it is really warm in the summer.

“It is a beautiful house and I will be sorry to see it go, so I will be looking for a mini version of this somewhere, which I am sure I will never find.”

The location is also ideal for anyone commuting to the Capital, Perth and Dundee, and lovers of the great outdoors will admire the plentiful hillwalking opportunities to be found nearby, including at Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, which is a half-hour drive from the house.

“I love the peace here – it is like living in a little oasis of calm,” Christine maintains. “We have a great school, a doctor’s surgery, and you can walk to everywhere from this house, which is really handy. Further north is a bit more rural, but you are a bit more cut off, so Auchterarder ticks all the boxes. You come down the private driveway and you are just in your own little world, which is lovely.”

Cloudberry, Orchil Road, Auchterarder, Perthshire. Offers over £1.6m.

For more information, contact Savills on 0131-247 3738.