If I didn’t think their house would be snapped up quickly, I’d try to persuade Jan and Alf Holliday to stay on and enter the P&J Garden of the Year, competition.
For this green-fingered pair have put in a tremendous amount of work to the garden which surrounds their home, Corrie House, on the outskirts of Dingwall.
Looking around at the lush vegetation, beautifully landscaped gardens, wide array of mature specimen trees, colourful flower beds and shrubs which afford peace and privacy it’s almost impossible to believe that, not so long ago, this area was barren and once the site of a quarry.
While Alf was out picking the strawberries which are just coming through, Jan chatted about the house and gardens. “In terms of a garden there was nothing here when we moved in, just four big trees, and that was it.
“Now there are hundreds, maybe thousands of plants here – I hate to think how much money we have spent on it over the years.”
What this pair don’t regret for a second, is the amount of time and TLC lavished on their dear green space.
“We have loved being in the garden. The year starts with daffodils, bluebells and snowdrops, then the rhododendrons follow and the azaleas come out. There’s also lots of flowering bushes in the garden.
“It was difficult to find the right type of plants to grow here and it’s been a case of trial and error.
“One thing that has worked are hardy geraniums and we have lots of different types which are not only colourful but good ground cover and keep the weeds down,” said Jan.
Corrie House is a magnificent, flexible family home which sits in an elevated position within a fantastic rural setting around one and-a-half miles north-east of Dingwall. Built in 2001, the distinctive architect-designed, split level property blends naturally into the hillside and provides great flexibility with bright and airy living space and wonderful panoramic views.
“The land originally belonged to Woodland Farm and this parcel of land was used, a long time ago, as a quarry for mudstone rocks, which were used to make farmers’ roads. The house was built by local builder, John Williams, and we are the only people to have lived here,” said Jan, 64.
“My husband and I had been coming for holidays to the Brahan Estate for 20 years. At 50 he got the chance of a golden handshake and early retirement so took it. We used the opportunity to follow our dream of living in the Highlands.”
“Our last home had been a big, six bedroom former Victorian mill owner’s house in Huddersfield and while I didn’t mind if we bought an old or modern home, I knew our next house had to have lots of space. I didn’t want a little bungalow with a corridor running up the middle.”
Corrie House ticked all the boxes. “The rooms are big and all my furniture fitted in. When you have a four poster bed, you have to make sure it fits in,” said Jan.
On the market with Strutt and Parker at offers over £340,000, the accommodation here includes a broad entrance vestibule which leads to a very spacious hall.
Immediately to the left is the sitting room with seven big windows flooding it with natural light and offering magnificent views over Dingwall and distant mountains. Features of note here include hardwood flooring, ceiling coving and a wood burning stove.
The dining room can be accessed off both the sitting room and the hallway and the layout works perfectly for more formal occasions or entertaining guests. The modern, contemporary kitchen comes with a comprehensive range of lightwood units, underfloor heating, a breakfast bar and a range of Neff appliances.
The rear porch doubles as a utility/boot room and there’s a WC/cloakroom. The hall has a storage cupboard and a further door leading upstairs to a fantastic, spacious home office/fourth bedroom with great views, shelving and storage space.
Back in the hall a further staircase leads downstairs to two large double bedrooms both with storage facilities and a few further steps lead down again to the master bedroom which has two storage cupboards and an en-suite shower room. There is a large family bathroom which comes with a WC, wash hand basin, bath and large walk-in shower.
“It’s a lovely big house but what we initially liked about it was the location. The views from here are stunning and not just in the summer months. On dark winter nights, when the moon is shining on the Firth and the sky is full of stars, you really won’t see anything more beautiful.
“We love the pace of life here and the people are lovely. Moving here made our dreams come true and we have had 16 wonderful years here and loved it.
“My goodness I’ll be sad to leave here. But life changes and the time has come for us to move on. We need to sell but don’t need to sell in a hurry, but we do now need to think about moving on so I’d rather do it with time on my hands.”
Reflecting on their time at Corrie House, Jan said: “We are proud of the changes we have made here and hope the new owners appreciate all the hard work we’ve done for them.”
Contact: Strutt and Parker on 01463 710171.