An artist retreat in a picturesque north-east village has been put up for sale.
The Creative Retreat in Gardenstown offers art holidays, accommodation and studio space to groups from across the world.
It consists of two properties in the tiny community and has been run as a business.
But owners, Bryan Angus and his wife Carla, are looking to move on and have decided to place both houses on the market.
Mr Angus is an artist in his own right and creates lino prints, paintings and drawings and said he wanted to dedicate more time to selling his work.
He said: “There were two main parts to running the retreat, one was running art holidays over the summer period and the winter seasons when visitors would come in.
“There was a lot of admin, hosting and organisation involved in that.
“After a time I just need to spend time in the studio and Carla has a job with the council that she enjoys so we just decided it was time to give up and move on.”
For the last 15 years both properties in Harbour Road and Bankhead have provided a place for budding artists to find inspiration.
They both look out onto the harbour, beach and cliffs that surround Gardenstown and Mr Angus said they make the ideal setting.
He said: “They have been used individually by groups that come up and take over the building.
“Combined they have seven bedrooms and teaching for up to 15 people, so it’s like a little residential college out in the wild.
“The properties are quite close to each other in Gardenstown and it is well known in the village as somewhere that brings people out to enjoy the environment and the village.
“It’s a beautiful place to work from and there’s loads of beauty there to make artwork from, but it also is a place that is really away from the humdrum life of the world.
“It is detached from the rest of everyday life. That is one of the things people love about it.”
