Auchbreck House stands for everything the Sutherland family have achieved, and over the past 30 years it has been transformed from a neglected farm to a stunning family home complete with swimming pool.
The owners, James and Marie, have made no secret of the fact that it will be a real wrench to leave the five-bedroom family home near Fraserburgh behind but they have finally decided that the time has come to downsize.
The couple have passed their thriving business, Whitelink Seafoods, into the capable hands of their five children, and Auchbreck has played host to their 16 grandchildren.
With a peaceful location, not to mention 10 acres of private grounds, the detached property is now ready and waiting to welcome a new family whilst James and Marie enjoy their time travelling together.
Their home has gradually evolved along with the size of their family and business, and Marie says they both feel incredibly blessed to have enjoyed so many years at Auchbreck.
“We do everything together, we have lived here for more than 30 years and the house has grown along with every other aspect of our lives,” said Marie.
“I’m 73 whilst James is 82 so we have finally decided to sell up but it hasn’t been an easy decision.
“I remember when we first came to see Auchbreck and we stood at the top of the lane looking at it.
“It wasn’t a pretty house by any means at the time but I remember turning to James and saying we could make something of it. Thankfully he agreed.
“We’ve been extending the property ever since bit-by-bit; James did some of the work and we’ve slowly built our dream together as and when we could afford it.”
Auchbreck has certainly suited the Sutherland family from big get-togethers for Sunday lunch to happy Christmas dinners.
There are three public rooms so you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to entertaining or unwinding.
Marie and James can often be found drinking in the views from the front of the property, where they can enjoy the calm offered by the dining area/sun lounge.
This is a fantastic and versatile space which overlooks the gardens, and you can unwind in the relaxation zone or enjoy your morning coffee with only the odd deer for company.
“We call it the conservatory although it actually looks nothing like a conservatory and it’s a brilliant space to have, it’s very peaceful,” said Marie.
“We have thoroughly enjoyed living out in the countryside but with Tesco only five minutes away, we’re not out in the wilds.
“It’s particularly comforting come winter time because you can see the lights twinkling in Fraserburgh, it’s the best of both worlds.”
There is a further sitting room alongside the gorgeous lounge where there is a stone wall with open fireplace, and steps lead to the extensive dining area. You can just imagine hosting dinner parties in this room or you could enjoy the more informal setting of the stylish dining kitchen.
There is ample storage space and a breakfast bar which can seat five people if you just fancy a quick bite to eat, and you’ll be able to chat to guests as you cook.
Completing the downstairs accommodation is of course the heated swimming pool which comes complete with a changing room, toilet, and shower area and there is a further shower room on the ground floor.
“We built the swimming pool about 20 years ago, at the time it wasn’t particularly common to have a swimming pool at home.
“It was something we really wanted for the children to enjoy and we had the land available, so it wasn’t particularly difficult to add on.”
All bedrooms can be found on the upper floor and the master-bedroom enjoys an en-suite shower room alongside a dressing room.
A sitting room can also be found upstairs and, thanks to the large window, there are great views of the garden grounds.
If you ever grow tired of relaxing in the swimming pool, you can opt for the jacuzzi whirlpool bath in the family bathroom.
The grounds of Auchbreck are perfect for little ones to run around in, but offer endless opportunities for those who may harbour dreams of keeping a small holding or even horses.
There are two fields which add up to six acres of land so there’s certainly the space on offer, while the garden offers a great patio area for alfresco dining.
There is ample parking alongside three garages, and Auchbreck also offers a security camera and alarm system.
You can enjoy the surrounding countryside but Fraserburgh is only a short drive away, as is the local primary school.
“We feel very blessed to have enjoyed so many happy memories here with our children and grandchildren, and we are proud of what we have created,” said Marie.
“It’s a real wrench to leave but the time has come to let another family take the reigns.”
Offers should be made in the region of more than £595,000.
Contact Brown & McRae on 01346 515797.