Blackness Road, Dundee, DD2

Fabulous and well located ground floor apartment with views over the Tay to Fife.

Description

Balcairn, 434 Blackness Road in Dundee, is a magnificent ground floor apartment, within a prestigious house built between 1898 and 1900, which was designed in the Italianate Renaissance style, for the city benefactor William Rettie, a well known grocer and merchant. It remained his family home until his death in 1922. The house, which is attractively built of dressed stone with a slate roof, occupies a prime elevated south facing site. In the 1930s the property was cleverly divided into two, and Balcairn comprises the entire ground floor of this three storey property. It retains the original name, and being the ground floor, it includes many of the original fine principal rooms, and with large windows to the front, has fabulous views across the River Tay to Fife. The C Listed building sits within a Conservation Area and is an exceptional example of the fine townhouses that were built in Dundee during the late 19th century.

The apartment is well presented and still retains many fine architectural features, both externally and internally, and has stunning plasterwork in the main rooms, together with period panelled doors and door furniture, along with some cornicings and high level skirtings. With its own house number, Balcairn has a private gated entrance leading directly down to the original front door. Sitting within its own garden, and with all the accommodation arranged on one floor, Balcairn is a most imposing property of great character, occupying one of the finer sites in Dundee. With good sized accommodation it is both a wonderful home and ideal for entertaining. The sellers, who have owned the property since 1994, have continued to improve and enhance the apartment, while being careful to retain its authenticity.

Stone gate piers and gates open to a gravelled drive leading down to parking adjacent to the house. A covered entrance has a front door to a porch with a mosaic tiled floor and inner glazed door to an impressive hall with an ornamental fireplace, six wall lights, shelved cupboard and cloak cupboard. Off this is a cloakroom with wood panelling to dado level, and door to a shower room with shower, wash basin and WC. The south facing rooms on the other side of the hall all have lovely views. The magnificent double aspect dining room has an ornate ceiling, period wallpaper to three walls, two wall lights, and a fireplace with gas fire and wooden overmantel. The principal bedroom (originally another reception room) has a stunning plaster ceiling and walls, with an inbuilt cupboard, fireplace with gas fire, display alcove, window seat and two wall lights. The splendid double aspect sitting room also has magnificent plasterwork to the ceiling and walls, and a fireplace with gas fire. A vestibule, which used to lead out to a former conservatory, is used for intimate dining, but was previously a study. Bedroom 2 has a tiled former fireplace, while a partially tiled bathroom has a period bath, washbasin and WC, along with a shower cubicle and tiled floor. An inner hallway has a display alcove and a walk in shelved cupboard housing an Ideal Standard Concord boiler. Bedroom 3 has a connecting door to the shower room off the cloakroom. A cosy living room has a picture rail, two alcoves and a fireplace with a gas fire. This leads to the fitted kitchen with a tiled floor. Appliances include a Whirlpool microwave , oven/grill and four ring gas hob with extractor, along with a sink and plumbing for a washing machine. Beyond is a utility room with a sink and back door.

At the back of the house is an attached garage with a storage area, along with a drying green and wooden garden shed. In front of the house is a lovely paved terrace, overlooking the garden which is mainly lawn and enclosed by shrubs and hedges. To the side of the house is another paved seating area, being the site of the former conservatory, which is ideal for evening sun.

Location

Balcairn, 434 Blackness Road, is situated within a prestigious residential area in the West End of Dundee, up above Perth Road. As the ground rises so the views out over the Tay and to Fife become ever more impressive. The property is conveniently located for the shops, restaurants, cafés and bars on the Perth Road, along with the Dundee Rep Theatre and Dundee Contemporary Arts. While elevated, Blackness Road has ease of access to the city centre and to the A90 dual carriageway. It is well placed for Ninewells Hospital, the Technology Park and the universities. Also close by are Balgay Park and the Observatory. There are regular bus services to the city centre and Ninewells.

Dundee offers all the facilities expected of a major city. Local primary schooling can be found at Blackness and Victoria Park primary schools, with secondary schooling at Harris Academy and St John’s. Private schooling is available at Dundee High School. There is a mainline railway station with services both north and south, including a sleeper. The A90 dual carriageway provides easy access to Aberdeen and to Perth and on to Edinburgh and Glasgow. Dundee is an established centre of excellence in education and life sciences, and has renowned cultural facilities, including the V&A museum.

Away from the city, the range of outdoor pursuits is impressive, including sailing on the River Tay, together with fishing at local lochs and walking in the Sidlaw Hills. Over the River Tay is St Andrews, the home of golf, whilst the championship course at Carnoustie, along with Barry, is only a few miles up the coast. Local beaches and the Angus glens are also easily reached.

Distances - Dundee City Centre 1.75 miles, A90 dual carriageway 2 miles, St Andrews 15 miles, Carnoustie 15 miles, Perth 20 miles, Edinburgh 60 miles, Aberdeen 69 miles

Postcode for sat nav is DD2 1TQ.
What3words ///nation.season.speech

Square Footage: 3,434 sq ft


Acreage: 0.5 Acres

Directions

From the city centre, at the West Port roundabout on West Marketgait, take the turning signposted for Whitehall Theatre (West Port). Continue straight over the next roundabout and at the traffic lights turn right, passing the Whitehall Theatre. Continue on Blackness Road for 0.8 miles, and the gates into Balcairn, 434 Blackness Road, will be seen on the left.

If coming from Perth on the A90, take the turning for City Centre and Tay Bridge (A85) at the first roundabout. Then bear left on to Perth Road, signposted Ninewells. At the next roundabout take the turning for City Centre and continue for 0.5 miles, and at the right hand turning proceed straight on, signposted for the University, on Perth Road, and then take the second turning on the left onto Glamis Road. At the roundabout turn right into Blackness Road. The gates into Balcairn, 434 Blackness Road, will be seen on the right.

Additional Info

Viewings - Strictly by appointment with Savills - .

Services - Mains water, electricity, gas and drainage. Mains gas central heating.

Local Authority & tax band - Dundee City Council tax band G.

Fixtures & Fittings - Fitted carpets, curtains and light fittings are included. Certain furnishings may be available in addition.

Environmental Stipulations - Balcairn, along with the boundary walls and gate piers, is Listed Category C, and is situated within the West End Conservation Area.

Adjoining Property - Maintenance of the roof and drainage is shared with the property above.

Photos taken June 2026 and brochure produced July 2026.

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.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Savills, their clients and any joint agents give notice that:

1. They are not authorised to make or give any representations or warranties in relation to the property either here or elsewhere, either on their own behalf or on behalf of their client or otherwise. They assume no responsibility for any statement that may be made in these particulars. These particulars do not form part of any offer or contract and must not be relied upon as statements or representations of fact.
2. Any areas, measurements or distances are approximate. The text, photographs and plans are for guidance only and are not necessarily comprehensive. It should not be assumed that the property has all necessary planning, building regulation or other consents and Savills have not tested any services, equipment or facilities. Purchasers must satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise.

Our ref DRO260710