Balgonie House, Braemar Place, Ballater, Aberdeenshire, AB35

A magnificent detached Country House full of charm and character with stunning views in about 2.5 acres with a south facing aspect in the Cairngorms National Park.

Description

Built around 1898 by James Auldjo Jamieson the house was originally called Beauvais but was renamed Balgonie in the early 1930s. The architecture of the house is quite unusual for this area as it is very much in the style of the "Arts and Crafts" movement and particularly that of one of its most famous architects, Charles Annesley Voysey. Balgonie House was formerly part of the Balgonie Estate which has since been divided. Around the turn of this century, Balgonie House was a renowned country house hotel in the heart of Ballater in Royal Deeside. Since purchasing the property in 2010 the current owners have been meticulous with a significant refurbishment programme to provide a wonderful family home. This is a rare opportunity to secure a home of grandeur in an exceptional location.

Balgonie House is a very impressive detached country house full of character, yet perfectly blending some original with more contemporary features. Incredibly versatile in layout the current configuration has eight bedrooms, all with en suites, and five reception rooms which include the original hotel bar. The house has some original attractive fireplaces, ornate cornicing, and pitch pine staircase. The large south facing windows give the house a light and airy atmosphere providing outstanding views over the golf course and onwards towards Lochnagar. A more stylish and contemporary ambience has been created with a luxury kitchen installed by Kitchens International with extensive drawer, cupboard, and shelf space complemented by polished Gneiss stone worksurfaces. Central to the room is an island featuring a circular end cabinet and chopping block. Appliances include Britannia range cooker and American style fridge-freezer. This area is certainly the heart of the home and allows for very relaxed, informal living space that incorporates a dining space and day room on open plan. There is also a larder, a utility area, and a stable door to outside. More formal and entertaining areas are catered for with three further ground floor reception rooms. The ground floor washroom together with the four first floor en suite bathrooms have been renovated in recent years. Flooring throughout is predominantly carpets, tiles, and Karndean. On the first floor is a spacious family room, an office, and 4 ensuite bedrooms that are named after salmon pools on the river Dee. The additional 4 second floor bedrooms offer further flexible accommodation.

Located nearby in the grounds is the Coach House, a delightful detached chalet-style annex completed to a high specification. The well appointed accommodation comprises three ensuite bedrooms, a utility room and superb contemporary open plan kitchen/living room with access onto the balcony for outdoor dining.

Mostly laid in lawn, the garden gently slopes down to Ballater Golf course with views of the hills beyond. Enclosed by a number of mature trees and a small mixed wooded copse there is ample privacy and seclusion. The boundaries are enclosed by a combination of masonry walls, timber fencing and post and wire fencing. A substantial summer house is presently used as a games room, with electricity and large veranda. This is a perfect retreat room, studio, office or home business premises. In addition there is a greenhouse, three wood stores, and three further storage sheds, and a pond.

The driveway is large and well surfaced at the rear for parking and turning for numerous vehicles. There is a modern detached double garage block. There is also a substantial older timber garage with a large storage area at the rear. The latter is ideal
for garden equipment and furniture.

Location

The attractive Victorian village of Ballater is located in the heart of picturesque Royal Deeside and within the stunning Cairngorm National Park. Ballater includes a wide range of independent coffee shops, restaurants, specialist and everyday shopping, while the B Listed Ballater Railway Station with historical connections to Queen Victoria and the Royal Family has now been restored to its former glory. The Scottish residence to the Royal Family, Balmoral Castle, lies a mere (8 miles) away and attracts local and global visitors alike. Such is Balmoral’s association with the village, many of the local shops bear the Royal Warrant of our King. The renowned village of Braemar lies a further (8 miles) up the Dee valley from Balmoral and hosts the famous gathering in September.

Ballater is well known for its proximity to a wide range of leisure pursuits, including golf, horseriding, and fishing along the River Dee, while the Old Deeside Railway track provides an excellent cycling or walking route towards Aberdeen. With winter sports available within the Cairngorm National Park at both Glenshee and Aviemore, the local area is also renowned for its splendid countryside and breathtaking scenery, most notably Lochnagar Mountain and the Loch Muick Reserve. The community hosts a highland games in August and the village is home to the Craigendarroch country club and spa.

The local bus service provides transportation to Aboyne, Banchory and Aberdeen City, where the nearest railway station is located. Primary education is available within Ballater, while secondary education is provided at Aboyne Academy.

Approximately (40 miles) to the east, the vibrant city of Aberdeen is home to two universities: Aberdeen University and Robert Gordons University. Cultural facilities include a recently extended and refurbished Art Gallery, Maritime Museum, music hall and theatre. P & J Live is the northeast of Scotland main arts and events venue, boasting world-class conference and exhibition facilities along with a superior 15,000 capacity arena. Aberdeen Beach can be found a short distance from Aberdeen city centre and the area is also where Pittodrie Stadium is located, which is home to Aberdeen Football Club, affectionally known as The Dandy Dons. Aberdeen International Airport has national and international flights and there is a mainline east coast train service with frequent journeys to London King’s Cross and rail links further north to Inverness and south to Gleneagles and Edinburgh. Private schools include Robert Gordon’s College, Albyn School, St Margaret’s (girls) and the International School of Aberdeen. Gordonstoun is a co-educational private school for boarding and day pupils for children between the ages of 8 - 18.

Square Footage: 5,091 sq ft


Acreage: 2.5 Acres

Additional Info

Services:Mains electricity. Mains water. Mains drainage.

Main house: The predominantly timber windows are a combination of single and double glazing. Oil-fired central heating. Gas (LPG) hob and fireplace. Wood burning stove. Fire and security systems. Dedicated fire escape to all floors.

Coach House: LPG central heating. Double glazing. Fire detection / alarm system.

Miscellaneous: Conservation Area within the Cairngorms National Park. Accessed via a private drive from Braemar Place. Coach House has full planning permission for use as ancillary family accommodation or short term self catering

Fixtures & Fittings: Standard fixtures and fittings including free standing appliances are included in the sale alongside some other specific items. The coach house chalet is for sale fully furnished.

Servitude rights, burdens and wayleaves: The property is sold subject to and with the benefit of all servitude rights, burdens, reservations and wayleaves, including rights of access and rights of way, whether public or private, light, support, drainage, water and wayleaves for masts, pylons, stays, cable, drains and water, gas and other pipes, whether contained in the Title Deeds or informally constituted and whether referred to in the General Remarks and Stipulations or not. The Purchaser(s) will be held to have satisfied himself as to the nature of all such servitude rights and others.

Possession: Vacant possession and entry will be given on completion.

Offers: Offers, in Scottish legal form, must be submitted by your solicitor to the Selling Agents. It is intended to set a closing date but the seller reserves the right to negotiate a sale with a single party. All genuinely interested parties are advised to instruct their solicitor to note their interest with the Selling Agents immediately after inspection.