The Old Manse of Kinneff will forever be associated with one of the best known episodes in Scottish history.
For if it was not for the fast thinking of its past owner more than 350 years ago, one of the most popular displays at Edinburgh Castle may not actually be in Scotland.
As Oliver Cromwell’s army advanced into Scotland in 1651, Parliament ordered Scotland’s Crown Jewels (also known as The Honours of Scotland) to be removed to Dunnottar Castle in Stonehaven for safety.
The Sceptre and Sword of State had been presented to James IV in 1494 and 1507 by Popes Alexander IV and Julius II respectively. The Crown had last been worn at the coronation of Charles II at Scone in 1651.
In September 1651, Dunnottar Castle was besieged by Cromwell’s forces and the garrison commander, George Ogilvy of Barras, realised that its capture was imminent. To save the Regalia, his wife and Christian Grainger, wife of the parish minister of Kinneff Church and Manse, devised a plan to smuggle them to safety.
Mr and Mrs Grainger firstly kept the hidden articles in a bedroom in their Manse before moving them to under the pulpit in Kinneff Church. They stayed there for nine years before they were safely returned to Edinburgh Castle in 1660 for the restoration of Charles II.
“Although the castle had been captured, people were allowed to come and go. So Christian Grainger being the minister’s wife, nobody saw her as a threat,” said Diana Peters, who now owns The Manse with husband, Tony, both 67.
“The jewels were hid in the bedroom before they were moved to the pulpit in the church. They used to take them out every three months to clean them,” added Tony.
“We have an engraving in the house of Christian Grainger and her husband hiding the crown jewels. That will stay in the house for the next owners,”
But despite the house playing a very important part in Scotland’s history, it is a story that not a lot of people know about.
Visitors to Dunnottar and Edinburgh Castles can read about the Crown Jewels’ journey but Tony and Diana admit that even they didn’t know anything about it until they were told by the previous owner of the Manse.
“In the main no, about 98% of people don’t know the history or the local connection,” said Diana.
“It’s terrible but we didn’t know anything about it until we moved here. We lived in Stonehaven before but we never went to Dunnottar Castle. Things just keep coming up but now we have moved we’ve been lots of times.”
The history and charm of the Manse was just some of the many things the couple fell in love with when they first saw the home after spotting it was for sale in the Press and Journal more than 18 years ago.
Tony said: “We were in Stonehaven for 25 years, brought up three children there, the last one was just about to leave Mackie Academy for university and we just thought let’s move out to the countryside.
“We started looking at different properties in this area and then we came across this one. We saw it advertised in the Press and Journal, it was quite a big advert because of the history so we decided to come see the house.
“We had actually already seen the house a few years back when we went to look at the church one day. But we didn’t know anything about it’s historical relevance then.
“When we came to see that second time, it was in the middle of June, and it was a great summer so the place looked fantastic. When we bought it we thought we have got ourselves a little slice of heaven.”
“It had a nice atmosphere, I just felt instantly that this would make a very nice, cosy and comfortable family home,” Diana added.
Having been extended over the years, it is now a beautiful and grand six bedroom family home. Many of the original features still remain including thick stone walls in the kitchen and the bedroom in which the Honours of Scotland were hidden.
The kitchen, which was once a larder, store and kitchen has been transformed into one large and bright space complete with a beautiful Aga. A study has been created in the space which would have once been the maid’s room and a lovely garden room has been added to the side of the house.
The couple also added in an en suite shower room for the master bedroom and modernised the downstairs bathroom.
Tony and Diana have also uncovered their own “jewels” over the course of living at the Manse.
Diana explained: “The side of the house was completely covered in ivy and when they managed to remove it all, we found a lovely archway and pathway that would have led to the church. You can just imagine the minister leaving the manse and walking along there.”
There was another surprise for them when they decided to buy some nearby land and create a garden for themselves.
Tony said: “The land had previously belonged to a farmer and was covered in daffodils. When they disappeared the farmer agreed to sell the piece of land which we turned into the garden. As they were ploughing the land, Diana hit a snag and couldn’t dig anymore.
“I had a look and discovered it was a stone slab almost the size of a dining table. Underneath it was a huge hole which we later discovered was a well.”
The well has since been restored and is a lovely feature in what is a large spacious garden surrounded by gorgeous views of the countryside and coast.
“It was really exciting discovering the different things over the years,” Diana said.
“It’s been interesting finding out about things you didn’t really know about.”
With so much space and so many rooms, it’s hard picking a favourite. But Diana and Tony admit that one section has really become the “hub of the house”.
She said: “The kitchen and garden room are probably my favourite rooms. Even though we have space for everyone, most of the time we end up crouched round the Aga because it’s so cosy. I’ll be sorry to leave my kitchen. If I could just pick it up and take it with us, I would. I love the grouse and pheasant mural behind the Aga.”
The area has also become a favourite aspect for the couple.
“Tony would probably be happy moving further into the country but I just love being beside the sea,” Diana admits.
“We get a lot of wildlife here, sometimes you can see the roe deer and down by the coast we have puffins and guillemots.
“It’s a very safe area for children and animals, we don’t get any through traffic. I never have to worry when the grandchildren are out playing.”
Despite its Dundee postcode, the Manse is actually only eight miles from Stonehaven and around 22 miles from Aberdeen.
Laurenckirk, Inverbervie and Montrose are also nearby meaning the house is surrounded by amenities including shops and medical centres.
Primary education provision is available in Kinneff and secondary education is available in Stonehaven.
Now the couple has decided to put their beloved manse on the market for offers over £625,000. But with the area such an important part of their lives, they have decided not to move too far. They are in fact moving next door.
“We are moving to a house next door which we renovated around 10 years ago,” Diana said.
“We initially thought we would use it as overflow accommodation when the children came home but it never really worked out that way. We leased it out for a while and now we’ve decided to move into it ourselves.
“I will miss the manse, it has a lovely feeling about it. Some people ask us does it not have a spooky feeling but it doesn’t at all. It has lots of character and charm.
“It’s really nice knowing that we are part of its history now. It makes it more personal for you and you want to find out more about it and be able to tell other people about it.”
David Strang Steel of Strutt and Parker’s Banchory office, who are marketing the property, added: “This is a rare opportunity for someone to buy a large, period family home in an idyllic rural setting. The views of the sea are stunning and to know that the house has played such an important part in Scotland’s history makes it very special indeed.”
Contact: Strutt and Parker on 01330 826800.