You might assume that the patio outside the front door of Grandview on Main Street, Portmahomack – with its spectacular views across the Dornoch Firth – is a pretty good place to relax.
But as Lorraine Hamilton and her husband Steven Webster have discovered, sitting there isn’t always relaxing.
“On nice days, when the patio doors are open, I’ve been sitting outside with pals when people have wandered past me into the house thinking it’s a cafe or bar so I had to jump up and point out it’s actually my house,” said Lorraine, who is mum to four grown-up boys who have all flown the nest, and 13-year-old daughter, Aria.
She happily takes the blame for tourists thinking they’ve found the perfect spot to sit and enjoy a cuppa.
“I’m mad about cooking, so when I redesigned the house, I insisted the kitchen, where I spend a lot of my time, was at the front of the house so I could make the most of the fantastic views across the harbour and beyond,” said Lorraine.
She’s created a cook’s paradise. It has a beautiful solid-wood Ashley Ann kitchen with granite work surfaces and comes with a host of upmarket integrated appliances such as a combination microwave-oven, espresso/latte coffee maker and a superb Rangemaster cooker that also includes a wok ring and tempura grill.
Its open-plan design leads on to the elegant living room which has a wall of tall windows from where you can regularly see pods of dolphins swimming in the bay just yards from the beach.
When darkness falls, there’s a lovely fireplace that makes a nice focal point to the room, but even it has a story to tell as Lorraine brought the granite for the fireplace with her when they moved from Cyprus to Scotland.
A self-confessed bargain hunter, the wooden mantle came from an auction.
Husband Steven, an engineer, works in the oil and gas industry and for much of their lives the couple, who hail from Arbroath, lived abroad.
“We’ve lived in Australia, Cyprus, Malaysia, Nigeria and Singapore to name but a few of the places, but we came back to live in Scotland for 10 years for the sake of the boys’ education.
“Having lived in lots of different house types over the years, we became fans of open-plan living and wanted to create that feel in this house.”
Although built more than 200 years ago, the village house feels like a new one – the completion certificate only arrived in March.
“My parents previously owned this house which was originally a small, two-bedroomed cottage,” said Lorraine, 53.
“We bought it two years ago and gutted the entire cottage then built a new house on the back of it.
“I designed it then got an architect to draw up the plans, while Norman McKenzie, from Dornoch, built it,” said Lorraine, who trained as a landscape gardener.
Her creative flair is clear to see throughout the house which is warm and welcoming, luxurious but cosy at the same time.
Then there’s the views – with three of the double bedrooms upstairs enjoying wonderful sea views.
“Apart from all the wildlife, it’s lovely watching the small fishing mackerel and lobster fishing boats, windsurfers, paragliders and kite flyers coming and going. The view is constantly changing while the sunsets are spectacular.”
The full accommodation comprises an open-plan lounge and kitchen, utility room, WC that’s large enough to accommodate a shower at some point and double bedroom with en-suite shower room.
There’s plenty of storage space throughout too.
Upstairs, there are three bedrooms, two with en-suite shower rooms, while the master bedroom has a large dressing room and luxurious en-suite bathroom with Jacuzzi bath, walk-in shower, WC and twin sinks housed within a glass-topped vanity unit.
The waterfall taps caught my eye as they are fitted with LED lights. Turn on and a blue light comes on to show the water is cold, turn green when it’s just right and red to warn you it’s hot, hot, hot.
Other high-tech features include underfloor heating downstairs, central heating upstairs, TV and WiFi access in all rooms.
No expense has been spared on this house which has been lovingly designed with versatility in mind.
Outside is equally picturesque as the rear garden is surrounded by large walls and landscaped into a series of split-level areas incorporating a raised deck, fully-stocked cottage garden, large garden shed and kennel where two large German Shepherds, Duke and Rudi, were patiently waiting for me to leave.
Another attractive feature, reflecting their travels, is a stylish covered decked patio accessible from both the hall and lounge.
“The garden is still a work in progress from a planting point of view but it has lots of rhododendrons, David Austin roses and herbaceous plants which will burst into colour in a few weeks,” said Lorraine.
Grandview, which is on the market at offers over £300,000, is a wonderful, luxurious home in an enviable setting so the burning question is, why are the couple selling?
“Steven has a new job which means moving to Brisbane, Australia.
“One son lives in London, one in Cyprus and two in Australia, so as a family we’ll be a bit closer together.
“I’ve really enjoyed transforming this house and would say it has great potential either as a holiday or permanent home but it would also make a great B&B.”
Contact: Strutt and Parker on 01463 719171.