Take the second star to the right and fly straight on till morning.
Long before satnav systems existed, these were the words Peter Pan used to guide Wendy, Michael and John Darling to Neverland.
Getting to Dhivach Lodge and Coach House, former home of Peter Pan creator J. M. Barrie, is much simpler.
Follow the A82 from Inverness towards Drumnadrochit, turn right into Balmacaan Road, and at the end of a two-mile single-track road, you’ll find your own enchanting version of Neverland.
This wonderful period house was built around 200 years ago as a stopover for shepherds who came down from high pastures above Dhivach to sell their flocks at Glenmoriston market.
The original bothy is still part of the eccentric structure of the lodge and is now the west-facing sitting room.
Changing times meant the bothies were no longer needed and this brought change to Dhivach.
John Philip, Queen Victoria’s favourite artist, who leased Dhivach in 1865, was responsible for the first leg of renovation.
He improved the light by adding tall north-facing windows to the studio, a pulley device to the studio ceiling, a cellar, a first-floor study with a balcony, and two bedrooms.
In 1867, Arthur Lewis, a London merchant, artist and close friend of Phillip’s, took over the lodge and continued to develop it.
An old stone well-head outside the house, engraved JP 1867 AL 1868-1900, bears testament to their work.
Barrie took over the lodge in 1907. One of his first visitors to the house was Captain Scott following his first trip to the Antarctic.
Sitting in a magical setting, not far from Loch Ness, on the edge of a small ravine surrounded by lush green forest and a 98ft-high waterfall and burn, it’s the sort of place where imaginations can run wild.
Barrie spent the summer of 1910 at the lodge with the three children that inspired the Lost Boys after their mother, Sylvia Llewely Davies, passed away.
It is said the boys turned the bothy into their own version of Neverland, and as they played, Barrie put the finishing touches to Peter Pan.
If the walls of this fairytale home could speak, they’d certainly have interesting tales to tell.
Novelist Anthony Trollope said of the house: “There is not, throughout all of Scotland, a more beautifully romantic spot in which to reside.”
Along with Trollope and Barrie, it has entertained many well-known people including artist J. E. Millais, Dame Ellen Terry and renowned actor John Gielgud and his family.
The lodge was let until the end of World War II, when it was sold by Seafield Estate.
Conversion to the present accommodation began at the end of the 1960s and further renovations have updated and improved the property to make it an exceptional home – one that’s steeped in history and tradition yet with all the comforts required for modern-day living.
The accommodation includes an entrance hallway leading to a modern fitted kitchen with a range of wall and base units and integrated appliances.
There is an impressive triple-aspect formal dining room with vaulted ceiling and wine cupboard. The sitting room has a magnificent bay window with commanding views over the gorge.
An inner hallway leads upstairs to a further bedroom and bathroom. A set of stairs lead down to the utility room/cellar and further steps up to a bedroom with a balcony and stunning views.
There are four further bedrooms, three of which have en-suite facilities, and a magnificent studio with tall windows overlooking the gorge.
The asking price of offers over £850,000 includes a refurbished L-shaped former coach house, designed by renowned architect Hector MacDonald, which has been successfully and sympathetically developed. It is now home to a spacious modern kitchen/dining/sitting room with double-height ceiling and a woodburner.
There’s an additional mezzanine-level seating area and a small second bedroom with bunks in the coach house, which is currently used as a charming holiday let.
Outside, the original cobbles form a delightful courtyard where you can enjoy the stunning views and sense of tranquillity.
The garden surrounding the house is fully fenced while the grounds extend to around 9.1 acres and include the Dhivach burn and falls, which lie in the wooded gorge below the house. There are lawns, established trees and shrubs and a superb timber-decked terrace accessed from the kitchen which offers exceptional views.
For the last 10 years, the property has been owned by Alan and Shirley Parry, who spend three months here annually, but their connection to the house goes back some 40 years.
They are selling their beloved Highland home as Shirley, who has Parkinsons, has been advised not to travel from their home in East Sussex any more.
But they leave with many happy memories.
“I fished for several weeks each year on the River Ness and we used to rent Dhivach, so when it came on the market we jumped at the chance to buy it,” said Alan, a retired chairman of a Lloyds Insurance broking firm.
“Our boys and grandchildren had wonderful holidays here so they’re upset we’re selling, but it’s no longer practical.”
Like previous owners, the couple were good hosts and welcomed a steady stream of visitors.
“We’d find that when friends came to stay they’d want to come back again and again,” he said.
“One of the best things about the house is waking up in the morning and seeing the beautiful views.
“Sometimes we were above the clouds, which made staying here even more magical.”
Contact: Strutt and Parker on 01463 719171.