Within the pages of the Your Home supplement, we’ve featured homes with many unusual features – Victorian baths, gothic windows, hot tubs with a view to name but a few.
But this is the first time we’ve featured a house with a hidden, spring-loaded bar.
It may sound like something out of the movies, but the bar has been a much-loved, and until now secret feature of Dunmore House, one-time ancestral home to the MacMillan clan who lived in the grand property for almost 300 years.
The bar is hidden behind the attractive oak-panelled walls in the dining room – a room that if walls could talk would have plenty of interesting stories to tell.
With turrets reminiscent of a Walt Disney castle, the 18th-century property remains a far-from-ordinary home.
Set within an estate on the Kilberry Peninsula in Argyll, it was built as a two-storey house in the early 1700s with a four-storey tower added in 1820.
The estate has a colourful history going from a riding school to being owned by a film maker, a whisky baron and was the childhood home of Venetia Taylor, the late Countess of Devon.
In 1984, a mysterious and dramatic fire left the tower a roofless shell before its present owners, Scottish conductor Stewart Robertson and his wife Meryl, stabilised the structure, providing future home-owners with the perfect playground for the ultimate renovation.
It boasts striking baronial interiors, high ceilings and a number of luxury rooms and has a price tag of offers over £875,000.
The full accommodation comprises, on the ground floor, a dining hall, drawing room, library, study, kitchen with extensive pantry.
Upstairs, there are four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a dressing room which could be converted to an en-suite, plus a drying room.
Mairi Kennedy, of selling agent Bell Ingram’s Inverness office, said: “Dunmore House is steeped in history from being the original home to the MacMillan clan to being owned by the inventor behind the Argyll Car.
“Sitting on 114 acres of land, views from the main house look out on to some of Scotland’s finest nature including dense forestry and the stunning West Loch Tarbert.
“Inside, there is a very cosy atmosphere despite the 3,000 square feet of space including four large bedrooms, a library and a study.
“There is also a few quirky features including a bar that pops out from a spring-loaded set of wooden doors in the dining room, perfect for entertaining guests.
“It’s not very often we see properties like this on the market offering so much space both inside and out and the chance to renovate should the buyer want. I think we’ll see a great deal of interest in this and hopefully find somebody their perfect home.”
A 3,500-year-old Bronze Age fort sits behind the home in the walled garden, from which Dunmore – “big fort” – gained its name.
Owner Stewart has lived here for 16 years with his wife. He said: “I am devastated to be leaving Dunmore House but it’s time for us to move on.
“There is huge potential for new home-owners to make Dunmore House even more striking.
“If the tower gets renovated, it will provide an extra 5,000 square feet to the home including a grand staircase and massive ground-floor room.
“The location of the home is also perfect. I’ll often sit outside and watch the world lazily pass by, something any wildlife or nature lover will adore.
“Along with traditional features, my favourite part of the home has to be in the dining room. I always keep it as a surprise for guests.
“Some of the wall panels there are spring-loaded which opens a pair of doors and a bar pops out. It’s always a great talking point when we have friends or family round.
“This quirky feature, along with wonderful views over the loch, is sure to drum up a lot of interest. I really do hope we find a buyer that will love this home as much as my wife and I have during our time here.”
The estate also features Dunmore court, the former stables for the House of Dunmore, four cottages and a lodge.
The small village of Kilberry, famous for its sandy coves and historical sites, lies seven miles to the west while Tarbert is seven miles to the north-east.
Contact: Bell Ingram on 01463 717799.