Turriff, Aberdeenshire, AB53

Drachlaw House is situated in a peaceful and private setting and is accessed off a minor public road, just off the B9024. There is a tarmac entrance driveway with parking area to the side of the property. The attractive property is constructed of red sandstone, harled, beneath pitched slate roofs. Parts of the building pre-date 1923. The house contains later additions, the most recent of which were constructed in the mid 1980s (kitchen/diner, conservatory and double garage) and early 2000s (front entrance hall). Drachlaw benefits from well-proportioned reception rooms including a drawing room with open fireplace, a library lined with mahogany bookshelves and a dining room with an open fireplace, as well as an adjacent area fitted with an expanse of shelves and undercounter cupboards. There is a large “Gaggenau” dining kitchen (with pantries and scullery/utility area), which opens up to the conservatory with views over the Deveron and access to a southeast-facing decking area. Upstairs the bedrooms again are all well-proportioned, with fitted wardrobes in four of the five, overlooking the gardens and with lovely views of the river. There is a large principal bedroom suite with walk-in wardrobes complete with bathroom with an oval bath and separate shower.

To the side of the property, there is an integral double garage which also houses the boiler room. A door leads out from the kitchen to a large decking area next to the sun room. To the front of the property there is a large stone patio. The gardens include lawns to the front and side of the property with planted borders and surrounded by attractive mixed mature woodland.

Adjacent to Drachlaw House, there is a traditional L-shaped steading building (258m²). Currently used for storage, workshop and garage, the building would lend itself to residential development (subject to gaining planning consent). The building has sixteen photovoltaic cells which receive a Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) income (see renewables). There is also a large area of garden to the front and rear of the steading, including a greenhouse (in need of repair) and a former tennis court area (which could be re-established). Below the house and steading, a path leads down to an attractive water garden, in need of some weeding and pruning. There are three shallow ponds, fed by the Tollo Burn, supporting a variety of plants, including willows, hostas, gunnera, lilies and bamboo. A massive chestnut and an ancient walnut tree stand in majesty over the waters. The adjoining grassy field, flush with daffodils in spring, supports impressive evergreens with some lovely old cherry trees both here and by the Tollo burn. The old mill ruins are at the bottom of a path through the beech woods near the house - the water supply for Drachlaw now comes from a spring. There is a bore hole for water drilled in the field adjoining the water garden (marked with a flag), which, potentially, could be used to provide a private water supply.

Drachlaw Estate is situated in the heart of Aberdeenshire, about 5 miles west of the former market town of Turriff and just 17 miles from the North Sea coastline at Banff. Turriff offers a wide range of services including a shopping centre and restaurants, together with a swimming pool, tennis club and sports centre, cottage hospital, primary and secondary schooling. There is also a regular bus service from Turriff to Dyce and Aberdeen city centre and there are also connections to Inverurie, Elgin and Banff. The historic town of Huntly is only 14 miles away and includes two supermarkets, a secondary school, and a train station with direct services to Aberdeen and Inverness. There are regular trains from Aberdeen to London and also sleeper train services daily to London Euston from Aberdeen. The city of Aberdeen is a vibrant city with its corporate headquarters, universities and colleges and provides all the services expected of a major city. There is private schooling in Aberdeen including Robert Gordon's College, St Margaret's and Albyn, as well as the International School at Pitfodels. Gordonstoun School at Elgin is 47 miles away. The nearby A96 provides swift access between the cities of Aberdeen and Inverness (80 miles) and the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route provides quick access to the south. The Moray Coast is only 16 miles away and is renowned for its relatively mild climate. The surrounding coastline has a string of attractive fishing villages as well as many sandy beaches. The Moray Firth offers sailing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, sea angling and dolphin watching. Duff House at Banff, is part of the National Galleries of Scotland and houses a range of art treasures. Aberdeenshire has many castles, stately homes and ruins and beautiful settings. The surrounding area has plenty of sporting opportunities, as well as salmon and sea trout fishing on the estate itself on the River Deveron and the Rivers Dee, Don and Spey are all nearby. There is an old pheasant pen in the woods, used in the set-up of organised shoots on the Estate. Driven grouse and pheasant shooting are available to rent on the surrounding estates.