If you like a house with charm and history, then this interesting home will be right up your street.
Davidston House near Drummuir in Banffshire is an utterly enchanting and fascinating fortified laird’s house.
Dating in part from 1678, it was one of the last houses in the north-east of Scotland that was built to be defensive.
It is entered in a charter of 1545 as forming part of the barony “de Huntlie alias Strathbogy”. John Gordon of Pitlur Castle acquired it between the years 1670 and 1673 and built the castellated house in 1678.
His initials and those of his wife (Jean Abercrombie), as well as the date, are carved into the stonework with a mask in the supporting corbelling of the north-east turret.
It was extensively restored in the 1970s and 1980s while further conservation and modernisation has been done over the past 18 years by the present owners.
Today it is an extremely comfortable family home with great character, delightful gardens and well tended wooded grounds of about six acres in total.
The substantial renovations were very sympathetically done and included the recreation of the windows, studded doors and a staircase, using old pine and oak.
Stonework was restored, and new bathrooms and the kitchen were installed, using traditional style fittings, but giving the best of modern living.
The adjoining wing was also fully renovated at that time.
It currently provides separate staff accommodation but could easily be incorporated into the main body of the house.
Within the main part of the house the accommodation is arranged over three floors with an attic floor above.
Both the dining room and living room/kitchen, together with a bedroom suite and study, are at ground floor level.
The drawing room is above with a full length window replacing what would have been a defendable entrance door with outside steps.
There are four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a dressing room at first and second floor levels with an attic room, with its old box beds, above.
Downstairs there is the laundry and a conservatory link to the wing, which has a sitting room, kitchen, three bedrooms, dressing room and bathroom.
Outside the house, on the market for offers over £710,000, are two car ports, a store with a door to a wine cellar and a garden shed/workshop.
There are also delightful enclosed gardens to the front and side of the house while at the back there is a flower and vegetable garden with a wooden summer house.
Davidston is situated within a most attractive rural area, close to the River Spey and Speyside.
Keith, about six miles to the north, provides for day to day needs, including primary and secondary schooling, and Aberdeen is about an hour away.
Contact: Savills on 01356 628628.