Liberty, Elie, KY9

Commanding a spectacular beachside location in the exclusive conservation village of Elie is Sandbank: a large Victorian villa arranged over two floors incorporating 6 bedrooms, 3 reception rooms, a breakfast kitchen, 3 bathrooms, plus private gardens (with beach access) and extensive gated parking. With uninterrupted coastal views, the property owns the beach to the front of the house, all the way to the high tide mark. Sandbank has been a much loved holiday home for the same family for over half a century and is a rare find on the open market.

The Drawing Room - a perfect space with splendid views, to entertain in

With parquet flooring flowing seamlessly from the reception hall into the drawing room, a wonderful formal reception room awaits. The drawing room, with its oversized bay window, offers delightful views over the gardens, dunes, beach and sea. Centred around a focal living flame gas fire, flanked by a press, the spacious room is perfect for entertaining or some quiet adult time.

The Living Room - a cosy family space to relax in

Overlooking the rear garden is the inviting living room, fitted with a multi-fuel stove in a wood surround. The room is perfect for relaxing family time and ideal for cosy nights during the colder months.

The dining room & kitchen - time to cook and entertain!

Boasting outstanding proportions to seat many guests and family members, is the dining room with sea views. This wonderfully airy reception room enjoys a double aspect, with its twin front facing windows offering those magical coastal views. The dining room benefits from a semi open-plan layout with the kitchen, making the space sociable as well as ideal for family life. The country-styled kitchen comes with a selection of wall and base fitted units framed by solid wood worktops. Neatly integrated, you will find a double NEFF oven, 5-ring gas hob, and extractor hood. An island offers seating space, ideal for morning coffee and socialising while cooking. An under-counter dishwasher complements the traditional ceramic-styled sink and a tall fridge/freezer is also found in the kitchen. A separate utility room offers a discreet laundry space, with ample extra storage, plus space for whitegoods and a sink.

Upstairs bedrooms - tranquil spaces for a good night’s rest

A wide staircase, lit by a skylight, leads to the first floor landing. Fitted with a storage cupboard and a hatch leading to the loft, the landing gives access to the 5 upstairs bedrooms, the family bathroom and a shower room.

The principal bedroom, originally the drawing room, is an outstanding space commanding views over the sea, all the way to Bass Rock and Berwick Law. This large room, with traditional fitted wardrobes, offers ample space for both bedroom and seating furniture. The four remaining upstairs bedrooms are all lovely double rooms, with 3 of them being particularly generous doubles, and one a small double room. The three bedrooms to the front all command the same outstanding coastal views, with the rear bedrooms overlooking the rear gardens. The first floor also houses the family bathroom, with a white three-piece suite and a shower-over-bath, plus a separate shower room, which can be accessed from either the landing or bedroom 2.

Downstairs bedroom and shower room - ideal as an annexe

Found on the ground floor with its own entrance area is the last of the six bedrooms (a double) and a modern shower room. This part of the property also houses the utility room and a small store room, with a window. Due to its own access point, this area could be used as part of the house, or alternatively make a wonderful annexe for a relative, or rental.

Gardens, Outbuildings and Parking - wonderful additions to the house

Leading from the generous Sea Vestibule, a door connects the house to a paved patio overlooking the front garden, dunes, beach and sea. This delightful outdoor space is ideal for alfresco dining and summer barbeques. A path, flanked by lawns, leads to a small gate giving access to the beach. Although not marked, this part of the beach belongs to the house, all the way to the hightide mark. The rear garden is accessed from a gate drive. The gravel drive allows private parking for 5 cars. In the rear garden is an attractive outbuilding, with power and windows, under a slate roof. Currently used as a store/garden room, this outbuilding could possibly be further developed with the correct planning in place. Next to the outbuilding is a raised patio to soak up the late afternoon sun. The gardens are low maintenance but do come with both apple and plum trees.

Holiday Let

Sandbank has been a holiday home for over half a century and for the past 15 years it has also been a Serviced Holiday Let, managed by East Fife Holiday Homes. The house benefits from repeat visitors, some already on the third generation! During the high season, the house lets for £3100 per week and during the low season for £1800 per week, giving an average annual income of between £34,000 and £40,000.

What’s in a name? The history of Sandbank, Liberty

As with so many historical properties, Sandbank has undergone various name changes in its 165+ years of existence. Its first residents, and most probably also the family who constructed the house, were the Sunters. David Sunter was born around 1805 in the village of Kilconquhar and died in Liberty, Elie in October 1862. We know from the 1851 Scotland Census records, that David Sunter was a stone mason employing 4 men and 2 boys, while residing at ‘Liberty Hall or Place, Liberty’ with his wife, Ann (nee Bowie, also from Kilconquhar) and his sons; Alexander, James, Andrew and Christopher. It is fair to assume, as no other historical documents exist for Liberty Hall, that this could have been the earliest name for Sandbank. After David’s death, his wife, Ann, remained in the house, where she passed away in February 1869. From the original title deeds, referencing Ann’s will, the house was now called Sunterville and left to two of their sons in 1869. The house remained in the Sunter family until the late 1920s. In later title deeds, the name changed to Sandbanks, and was referred to finally, in the 1950s, as Sandbank.

The history of Elie and neighbouring Earlsferry

Ancient times: Its history stretches back centuries, with evidence of human settlement dating back to the Bronze Age. It is said that MacDuff, the Earl of Fife, crossed the Forth to Earlsferry (the older of the two villages) in 1054 while fleeing from King Macbeth. In particular the legend tells of his escape being aided by local fishermen, an act which may have led directly to the village being promoted to royal burgh status due to MacDuff's later influence over Malcolm III. By the middle of the 12th century, the Earls of Fife had instituted a ferry for the use of pilgrims en route to the shrine of Saint Andrew the Apostle at St Andrews. The ferry crossed the Firth of Forth to North Berwick, a distance of 7 miles, and it is this ferry that led to the naming of the place. There are the remains of a small chapel on Chapel Ness, built for the use of these pilgrims.

Mediaeval to Victorian times: Created by Royal charter on or before 1565, from the land belonging to the Barony of Ardross, Elie came into existence. Soon after its formal formation, a great storm practically wiped out the whole fishing population. Records from 1791-1799 state that of the parish’s population of six hundred and twenty people, only eight were recorded as being fishermen. Although ‘vessels of considerable size’ were still built here, the area of the shore “…is remarkably well adapted for sea bathing; and is, of late, much resorted to for that purpose’. In the 1870s there were regular steamers to and from Leith (daily) and North Berwick (weekly). Elie was served by ferries as early as the 1820's. When not busy they started taking passengers on excursions and day trips, this eventually led to paddle steamers built for trade, excursions and day trips. A wooden pier, on what is known by some as the Apple Rock, was constructed in 1889/90 to allow paddle steamers to use Elie at all states of the tide. In season, several boats were calling per day in Elie and hundreds of people would be landed to spend time in Elie and Earlsferry which boosted the local economy. Some residents used to commute, by boat, each day to Edinburgh for work. Holiday makers arrived both by boat and rail throughout the Victorian times. The growing tourist trade caused a local building boom, providing work for stonemasons. The village was also renowned for golf club makers for many decades.

Modern times: Elie, Liberty, Williamsburgh and neighbouring Earlsferry were formally merged in 1930. The modern villages now largely share shops and other facilities, but they do retain a flavour of their historical identities. In recent decades, the town has become a very popular destination for wealthy residents of Glasgow, Edinburgh and London. Attractions include the beach, golf, restaurants, sailing, as well as bird-watching and dolphin spotting. Elie won an award as one of the best managed beaches in Scotland in 2018, and in 2020, The Times included Elie and Earlsferry as one of the best places to live in the UK