Paul and Brenda Kerrison both led busy lives working and living in the Lake District and greatly valued their holidays in the North of Scotland.
At no point did they think that one day they’d find themselves living in the fairly remote but beautiful area of Dundonnell in Ross-shire, but a chance encounter with a stranger was to change their entire lives.
“We were on holiday when we spotted a house for sale and were casually looking at it when a chap stepped out of the Mobile Library which was parked there and suggested we might like to take a look at a plot of land for sale nearby.
“He then offered to jump into our car and show us where it was,” said Brenda who was manager of Carlisle Combined Court and originally from County Durham.
“We took up his offer and drove to the site, a croft which had been decrofted. When we saw the spectacular views we just looked at each other and said, wow!”
Situated around six miles outside the picturesque village of Dundonnell, on the south side of Little Loch Broom which is at the foot of An Teallach, the site offered fantastic views. With Loch Ewe and the Torridon mountains and the Benn Eighe nature reserve within easy reach, it’s a picture-postcard location.
“At that point my husband Paul and I hadn’t thought about living in Scotland but seeing the plot changed everything. We wondered, can we do this?”
In a bold move, they sold their home and gave up their jobs to head north where they lived in a small caravan for 20 months while their dream home sprang into life.
“Outside Penrith there was a builder who specialised in eco-properties so we designed the house with the help of an architect, and got the builder to create a kit house using the I-beam system.
“The walls are made with panels made off-site and have 250mm warm cell insulation while there’s 400mm insulation in the roof. The wall panels come already assembled and insulated.”
The house also has oak finishes throughout, low maintenance double glazed Nordan windows, Lindab guttering and downpipes, under floor heating and a mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system.
Local builders, tradesmen and specialists cleared the ground and erected the house with Paul and Brenda helping out where they could.
“Initially I think we were a bit naive, as it was a bit harder than we thought, but it was lovely to see the house taking shape as the weeks went by,” said Brenda who after moving north took a part-time job at the local primary school while Paul took on a number of jobs including working as a ghillie on a local estate for a spell.
Their hard work and efforts paid off and the result is a superb house, Number 11 Durnamuck, Dundonnell, a home which enjoys an abundance of natural light throughout and a fantastic feeling of bringing the outside inside.
“All three bedrooms, the lounge, study and kitchen/diner all look down into Dundonnell and Little Loch Broom. It’s a stunning view and one you never get tired of,” said Brenda.
The accommodation includes, on the ground floor, an entrance hall, with storage cupboard and WC/cloakroom and study/home office just off it. The open plan lounge which has a nice multi-fuel stove, is the perfect place to relax, unwind and admire the vista through the large bay windowed picture windows.
“There’s also a door from here leading to a patio area. At the other end of this room there is ample space for a dining table and chairs.
The house has a beautiful, large open plan dining kitchen with a comprehensive range of wall and base storage units, Neff integrated appliances including oven, grill, hob and hood. A further glass door leads to the patio area.
“Again the use of glass in the design makes this a wonderful part of the house to enjoy the views. At the end of the hallway is a utility room which provides additional storage and space for white goods and a door to the gardens.
An oak staircase leads to the upper level and a delightful master bedroom with vaulted ceiling, fitted wardrobes and stunning elevated views over the loch to the mountains beyond.
There is also a large walk in storage cupboard, two further double bedrooms and a family bathroom, all of which are presented to an impressive standard.
In all the property, which is on the market at offers over £365,000, sits in more than two and a half acres of land. The immediate garden grounds have been designed for ease of maintenance all year round and are laid mainly to lawn with a border running the length of the outside patio area.
A large gate gives access to a deer fenced area and through a second gate to a stock proof area which includes a sheep shelter. There is ample parking for several vehicles and a detached garage with remote control roller door and attached garden store at the rear.
Surrounded by the magnificent scenery of Wester Ross, the area provides opportunities for access to most kinds of outdoor activity, including walking, climbing, golf, water sports, boating, fishing, shooting and cycling.
“It was a big gamble to sell up and move here and it’s been quite an adventure but I’m very glad we did it. It’s a beautiful area with none of the sort of problems you get in big cities. It’s a good community with people helping each other while there’s always something going on in Gairloch or Ullapool,” said Brenda.
“We are selling now to be closer to Paul’s parents as they live 11 hours away. I try not to dwell on what we’re giving up here – we’ll never get a house with views like this again, but concentrating on looking forward to our next adventure instead.”
Contact: Strutt and Parker on 01463 719171.