Who: Laura Torrance,  61, who runs her own small bespoke embroidery and sewing business called Laura Westville Scotland, and her two cats Skye and Pixie.
What: A beautiful detached traditional farmhouse with annexe and detached cottage.
Where: An elevated position overlooking Strathisla to the south of Keith.
Here Laura shares her renovation journey…Â
“I’m an ex-computer industry executive so I’ve lived and travelled abroad extensively for most of my adult working life.
However, my world and career radically changed forever after being diagnosed with having multiple sclerosis (MS) back in 2003.
Due to the illness I could no longer handle such a high pressured job and after a few years of rest living in Marina del Rey in Los Angeles, California, I felt a strong desire to return back to Scotland, my homeland, in 2007.
‘I fell in love with the property straight away’
On returning from the US, I rented a small 17th Century castle just outside of Oldmeldrum in Aberdeenshire.
I thoroughly enjoyed my three years living there but the owner did not want to sell the property and it needed so many costly repairs.
So, in 2009, the search began in earnest for my forever home.
It took me quite some time and many viewings to find Mains of Auchindachy but I fell in love with it straight away and purchased it in August 2011 before moving in the following month.
‘I love sitting in front of the fireplace’
The property is a beautiful traditional country home with a self-contained one-bedroom annexe, as well as the separate ‘Wee House’.
The traditional Victorian farmhouse is full of original features including the old front door pull bell, great fireplaces, excellent woodwork and beautiful stained glass windows and doors, plus lots of other quirky character pieces.
My favourite parts of the house include the oak room, especially in the summertime when you can throw open the doors to the enclosed outdoor patio area.
During winter, I also love sitting in front of the fireplace in the lounge.
Traditional yet modern vibes…
Over the years, I’ve also enjoyed spending time in the study and I’ve loved long soaks in the Victorian bath which is next to a real fire.
In terms of decor, I would say Mains of Auchindachy has a traditional feel to it mixed with a modern country house style.
Throughout the property, I’ve mainly used paint from the Dulux heritage range and also Laura Ashley.
I’ve also made most of the soft furnishings and curtains.
‘My furniture has been all over the world’
Meanwhile, some of my furniture has travelled more places than a lot of people have.
For example, my brass bed was originally purchased in the 1980’s in Durban, South Africa before it was shipped to London in the 1990’s then on to Los Angeles in the 2000’s and is now at Mains of Auchindachy.
Many of the antique items in the house were purchased at auctions.
In July 2016 I started operating a self-catering holiday let in the attached annexe.
Historically the annexe was the old feed rooms but I turned this part of the home into a cosy one-bedroom Scottish country style cottage with a bespoke four poster bed, a wood burning stove, conservatory and its own private patio area and garden.
‘I built a small house for my mum’
The annexe was very popular with guests from all over the world who were visiting the whisky distilleries in the local area and it also won awards from both Airbnb and Tripadvisor.
Due to personal health reasons I closed it down in March 2023 but it remains a lovely little one-bedroom cottage.
Two years later I also built a small house on the property for my widowed mum.
She delighted in picking all the various options for it and it sits in a perfect position with its raised decking providing a wonderful elevated view over the valley towards Dufftown and the Isla Hills.
It’s time for Laura to start a new chapter…
Outside, the garden is a good size as it’s not too big to handle yet not small either with a beautiful collection of mature trees and seasonal shrubs, which seem to flourish year after year in the fresh countryside air.
One area of the garden is very secluded with great old trees and wonderful views over the valley onto the Isla Hills.
This range of hills directly in front of the house provides a natural clock as you can tell what week in the year it is from where the sun sets on them.
‘The property needs a new family’
I also built an all-weather cabana in the ‘secret garden’ and installed a hot tub in it, which is really good therapy for anyone with MS or anyone else who loves coffee in the snow and fabulous sun downers all year.
The bench at the top of the garden is also perfect for watching the Northern Lights.
In terms of location, the property is close to Keith which is known as ‘the friendly toun’ and I’ve found the vast majority of the local people do actually live up to that motto.
When I bought this house 13 years ago, I never imagined I would ever move again.
But life happens, things change and the best option for me right now is to find a much smaller place, which will give me more time to focus on my business, Laura Westville, as well as spend a lot more quality time with my adult children and five grandchildren.
The property now needs a new family –perhaps a multi-generational family – to enjoy the space and love the place as much as I have.”
Mains of Auchindachy, Keith, Moray, is on the market at a guide price of £620,000.
To arrange a viewing contact Galbraith on 01463 224 343 or check out the website galbraithgroup.com
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