I have to admit that as I walked around Pitfour Chapel, I did feel like I was Kevin McCloud in an episode of Grand Designs.
The historic building, which lay derelict for more than 100 years, has been beautifully transformed by Ian and Eileen Clark.
It’s definitely a “grand design” and something I have never seen before. The uniqueness of it was one of the things that first drew the couple – who own construction company Mr C Contracts Ltd – to the project.
Eileen, 46, said: “We bought the chapel in 2003. We have developed different properties over the years and we are always looking for something different.
“We found out that this was for sale. We knew about it and saw it when we drove past and I just thought it was such a unique building.
“Ian came round to see it and he agreed. It took us five years to finish it.
“We really wanted the challenge of doing up an old property. We had always built bungalows before so we just thought this would be a challenge for us.”
“And I like a challenge,” added Ian.
The building, complete with three-storey tower and rows of stained-glass windows, was once a private place of worship for landowners, the Fergusons of Pitfour, who owned Pitfour Estate, Mintlaw.
The family, who acquired a vast amount of Buchan land in 1700, lived in a spectacular mansion near the chapel.
The home was demolished in the 1920s and the kirk was left to go to ruin. Ian explained there was quite an unusual story behind the chapel itself.
He said: “The Fergusons used to go to a church with the Russells who owned the Aden Estate, where the country park is now.
“Supposedly they had a falling out because they both wanted to sit on the same side of the church so the Fergusons built their own chapel. That was in 1856 and they used it till 1871 and it’s laid empty since.”
Although the main shell of the building remained intact, nothing was left of its interior and most of the roof was also missing.
It was a big task but the Broch couple were ready to take it on.
“Because we wanted to make it a family home, we couldn’t keep it the way it was as a chapel,” Ian said.
“It was being used to store cattle at the time so it was full of animal manure. That was the first job, taking all that out. It was up to the windows.”
Ian did all the work himself, working on one particular section of the house at a time.
“If you looked at the project as a whole, it could be quite overwhelming. I just did it all in my spare time”, he said.
“We wanted to keep it absolutely as it was. The whole point was to be a family home in a former chapel. But we did have to make some changes.”
Originally the church was one large room, but to make it more family friendly, the couple created three floors, all connected by a grand oak staircase.
The main public room is the living room on an open-plan basis with the dining area and has more space than you could ever wish for.
Original features such as the traditional windows have been retained while doors that were missing have been replaced with church-style designs – that look so good, I was surprised to find out that they weren’t in fact the original doors.
Ian and Eileen have worked hard to breathe new life into this building while also transforming it and bringing it into the 21st century.
“We worked really hard on the design,” Eileen said.
“It’s a unique building so we wanted to get it right.”
While Ian worked on the structure, Eileen took on the role of interior designer, picking the decor and furniture. Wanting to match the interior with the building’s previous life, Eileen said she went for a “gothic” decor, which I had to admit works really well.
The project took five years to complete with Ian working 24 hours towards the end to complete it on time.
So what did the developer couple enjoy most about their historic challenge?
“I liked seeing it all come together at the end, that was my favourite part,” Eileen said.
“Also the first year we moved in, the Christmas was brilliant. We had a real tree and because we have all this space, we got a 12ft one.”
The house has many unique features to it, constantly reminding you of its history. Every detail has been thought out – including making the most of the building’s tower and roof.
While many people might just leave the restoration of the roof, Ian and Eileen have gone the whole hog and even managed to track down a clock (and made it digital) for the tower.
They have also transformed the roof into a lovely viewing – and in the summer, sunbathing – area, which can be reached by a beautiful bespoke spiral staircase.
“There are not a lot of buildings where you can stand on the roof, 60ft up,” Ian said.
“It has incredible views.”
“I love the clock”, Eileen added.
“It’s such a unique feature. It just looks so grand when it’s all lit up at night and you can see it from the beginning of the drive.”
As well as five public rooms, the house also features seven bedrooms – some with en-suite bathrooms – a beautiful rustic kitchen, stylish and modern family bathroom, a home office and a garage.
Outside, there are more than two acres of grounds, a sweeping driveway leading you to the house and ample space for off-street parking.
It’s always nice to see older houses given a new lease of life – and Ian said many local people also feel the same.
“Local people feel a part of this project as well,” he said.
“They saw it when it was all derelict and were very supportive when we took it on. They say lots of nice things about what we have done. It’s very humbling.”
Their hard work was also recognised at the 2010 Aberdeenshire Council Design Awards where they won awards for craftsmanship and conservation.
And while I enjoy walking around their spectacular home, Ian and Eileen have already moved on to their next project – to build an ultra-modern home in Fetterangus.
“That will be a completely different challenge,” Ian said.
“But we are looking forward to it.”
Contact: Masson and Glennie on 01779 474271.