Mackeanston House, Doune, Stirlingshire, FK16

Attractive family home with guest lodge and tennis court set amongst beautiful countryside.

Description

Mackeanston House is an attractive, south-facing, country house with a superb rural outlook. The house, built about 1790 as part of the Gartincaber estate, is set within an acre of mature walled garden with views across rolling farmland towards the Gargunnock Hills. The grounds include a studio apartment, fully equipped for short-term stays, an orchard and an all-weather tennis court.

The house itself is well-proportioned and full of character. The front porch opens into a panelled entrance hall from where an elegant staircase leads up to the first floor. To the right is the heart of the house, a spacious, open plan kitchen / dining / living room. The dining / living area has an open fireplace with an attractive, painted mantelpiece and green slate hearth and lovely, south-facing views. Beyond a large archway, the kitchen features units with solid beech worktops and an oil-fired Aga, reconditioned in 2025, which provides domestic hot water. There is also an electric oven and hob. Double doors open onto a spacious and comfortable conservatory, an area offering additional dining and seating space with access to the beautiful gardens. A door leads from the kitchen to the rear porch and back door. Off the porch there is a utility room and a boot / cloakroom with Miele washing machine, dryer and fridge. This area connects through to the main central hall, passing the downstairs WC, and a useful under-stair cupboard. Two lovely reception rooms sit to the left of the main central hall. The first is the home office, with windows to the front and rear of the house; this room could also serve well as a playroom. Beyond is the elegantly-proportioned drawing room which features a handsome fireplace with decorative, carved surround and windows to the south and west.

Upstairs, the bedrooms occupy two floors. The principal bedroom is notably spacious, enjoying dual aspect windows with fabulous rural views to the south and east. Its large ensuite bathroom includes a bath perfectly positioned to take advantage of the scenery and generous, built-in cupboards. A charming guest bedroom with ensuite bathroom sits across the landing; it features a carved mantelpiece and views to the south and west. On the top floor, two further south-facing double bedrooms and a well-proportioned single room enjoy beautiful views. They are serviced by a family bathroom.

The Studio sits within the walled garden in the orchard beyond the tennis court, overlooking a tranquil stream. It is well-equipped for the running of a short-term lettings business (subject to the necessary licensing), as an office or as overflow accommodation for the main house. The open-plan layout comprises one spacious room incorporating a kitchen / dining room area with bedroom. There is a separate shower room. French doors open onto a timber-decked terrace, an ideal spot for barbecues with lovely, southerly views to the Gargunnock Hills.

Gardens and Grounds

Mackeanston House is approached by a farm road and a tarmac drive which runs between established beech hedges, leading to wrought-iron gates which open to the front of the house and to a generous, gravelled parking area overlooking the front gardens. There is an integral double garage while a second garage and parking area sit further along the driveway. This second garage is also suitable for storage or workshop use.

The garden is a very special feature of Mackeanston House, offering a succession of colour and bloom through the seasons. Deep herbaceous borders, planted with roses, peonies and a wide variety of perennials, frame a central lawn flanked by two attractive pergolas. A beech hedge, said to be 100 years old, separates the all-weather tennis court from the garden. The stunning, south-facing, walled gardens are backed by the principal elevation of the house.

To the east, soft fruits flourish in a productive and well-maintained cage; espaliered pears growing against warm stone walls are complemented by two mature apple trees. A former kitchen garden, currently laid to lawn, offers clear potential for reinstatement.

Location

Mackeanston House is situated about 3 miles to the west of Doune, and a mile to the east of Thornhill, just to the south of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Doune is a pretty and popular village with a primary school, post office, shops, medical practice, veterinary practise and library; it is also home to the thriving Woodside Hotel and restaurant. The River Teith flows past the village and historic Doune Castle.

Stirling, its famous castle visible from some of the Mackeanston bedroom windows, is only 10 miles away; the city has professional, retail and leisure facilities, and a Waitrose supermarket. Private schooling is within reach at Ardvreck and Morrison’s Academy in Crieff as well as at Dollar Academy and Strathallan School. Fairview International School in Bridge of Allan offers co-educational independent IB schooling for 5 to 18-year-olds. Doune and Thornhill have primary schools while McLaren High School is in Callander (6.5 miles). Dunblane and Bridge of Allan (both 8 miles) have local amenities, with the latter being home to the University of Stirling, famous for its sports facilities; the University’s MacRobert Arts Centre theatres and cinema are open to the public.

The Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, Stirling Castle, The Wallace Monument and Blair Drummond Safari Park are popular local attractions, while the hills and lochs of the Trossachs are justly cherished by those who enjoy outdoor activities. The world-famous Gleneagles Hotel with its exceptional leisure facilities and golf courses is only 20 miles away.

The M9 motorway is 6.5 miles to the east, enabling good commuting links to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth. There are train stations in Stirling, Bridge of Allan and Dunblane. Glasgow and Edinburgh airports are both within 40 miles.

All distances are approximate.




Acreage: 1.08 Acres

Additional Info

Viewings - Strictly by appointment with Savills - .

Services - Mains water and electricity. Private drainage to septic tank. Oil fired central heating.

Local Authority & tax band - Stirling Council, tax band G

What3Words - The property can be found using the What3Words app: ///mixers.rods.inclines

Access - The road connecting Mackeanston and the neighbouring farm to the public road is shared in ownership and maintenance. Owners have a right of access through the farm to the rear of the house.

The house underwent major refurbishment in 1990 including a new roof and the replacement of all but three of the windows. A schedule of the work can be made available upon request.

Fixtures & Fittings - All carpets and light fittings are included. Curtains are by negotiation with the vendor. The dresser in the kitchen and other items of furniture, including all the conservatory furniture are available by negotiation. Integrated white goods are included but the dishwasher and fridge in the kitchen and one Meile washing machine and dryer are excluded. The recently installed robomower is available by separate negotiation.

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.

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.

Deposit - A deposit of 10% of the purchase price may be required. It will be paid within 7 days of the conclusion of Missives. The deposit will be non-returnable in the event of the Purchaser(s) failing to complete the sale for reasons not attributable to the Seller or his agents.

Asbestos - The garage roofs contain asbestos.