Steeped in history and surrounded by breathtaking gardens, you’d expect to pay a King’s ransom for Achara Estate in Argyll, but the asking price means it’s not entirely out of reach
There’s a quarter of a million reasons why Achara Estate is of great interest – every one of them worth the equivalent of a £1 coin. That’s because the beautiful estate, not far from Fort William, has had £250,000 knocked off the original asking price of offers over £1,250,000.
So for around £1million, or about the same amount as you’d pay for a large family home in an upmarket part of Aberdeen, you can live the good life in a grand estate stretching to nearly 200 acres and have the privilege of owning not one but four houses, beautiful gardens, grazings and woodland. That’s a pretty special offer especially as the beautiful period principal property, Achara House, has three reception rooms, eight bedrooms and four bathrooms – and a ballroom.
Achara House is category B listed, and largely built around 1900 on the site of an earlier house. It’s in a great position, overlooking its own parkland with views towards the shore of Loch Linnhe. The architectural style of the house has been influenced by the well-known architect Sir Robert Lorimer, and everything about it is stylish and grand.
A solid oak double door leads into a welcoming entrance and reception hall which gives access to all of the ground floor rooms. There is a magnificent drawing room with a large bay window fitted with window seats from where there are open views over the garden and beyond. There is a dining room which seats 16 and has interconnecting doors to both the drawing room and to the fully-fitted kitchen.
There is a cloakroom with WC and wash basin beyond which is a short corridor which leads to a large games room/ballroom and to a utility room. On the first floor there are four bedrooms, one of which has an en- suite bathroom, together with a further bathroom. On the second floor there are four further bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Other homes on the estate include the two-storey Coach House, which lies a short distance from the main house and has been created from the former coach house and stables. On the ground floor there are two bedrooms and a bathroom, while on the upper floor there is a large open-plan sitting room/kitchen together with a further bedroom and bathroom. It is currently vacant but has been successfully let in the past.
Watson’s Cottage lies to the rear of the main house and is a singlestorey traditional cottage which comprises sitting room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. It is vacant but has also been successfully let in the past while Padbury’s Cottage, a single-storey traditional cottage with sitting room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, is let on a Short Assured Tenancy for £325 per month.
The gardens at Achara are a particular feature of the property and are helped by the warm Gulf Stream from the west coast making it an ideal climate for growth. To the rear of the house are some fine lawns which centre on a beautiful, stocked trout pond which is bordered by numerous species of rhododendrons and other flowering shrubs.
The present owner has created a wonderful woodland garden with a path meandering up the hill which is flanked by a host of rhododendron species and hybrids and from where there are some spectacular views.
The gardens, which contain more than 130 species and hybrid rhododendrons, are included in the book “Scotland for Gardeners” by Kenneth Cox of Glendoick Nursery. But if flowers aren’t your thing then perhaps a game of tennis is. If that’s the case you’re in luck as within the grounds there’s a hard tennis court. Another unusual feature is an ancient standing stone believed to be more than 3,500 years old.
Achara derives its name from the Gaelic for “field of the monument.” The land in total amounts to around 194 acres of which 33 acres is good quality in-by grazing with the remaining area comprising woodland which is managed under a woodland grant scheme, the full details of which are available from the selling agents. The grazing land is let on an annual grazing agreement.
The coastal estate is a short distance from the village of Duror, close to the shores of Loch Linnhe and the picturesque Cuil Bay, an ideal picnic spot. Fort William is around 19 miles away and Oban, some 25 miles away. The nearest town is Ballachulish (eight miles), which has a range of local amenities including a grocery store, coffee shop, a number of guest houses and a hotel.
The local area is steeped in the history of the Scottish nation with the Glencoe Massacre and the famous Appin murder taking place nearby. It is this surrounding area that offers a wealth of outdoor pursuits. The unusual combination of a rugged and mountainous landscape with a fine coastline, attractive lochs and extensive forests, makes it ideal for keen walkers, outdoor enthusiasts, nature lovers, skiers, artists and photographers.
There’s also plenty to please golfers with a local course, Dragon’s Tooth, at Ballachullish and a further five courses within a two-hour drive.
Contact: Knight Frank on 0131 222 9600.