Rowanbank, Drumoak, Banchory, Aberdeenshire, AB31

Attractive, detached country home with an acre of lovely gardens plus 24 acre woodland with a south facing aspect

Description

Rowanbank is a lovely country house that has been the much-cherished home of the sellers (who commissioned the house) for the last 36 years. Sitting within its own beautiful gardens of around an acre, the setting is stunning, with woodland and open fields surrounding the house; an area of woodland of approximately 24 acres is included in the sale, making this an especially attractive proposition for families and dog owners alike.

Inside, the accommodation is light and spacious, with three reception rooms, a dining kitchen, five/six bedrooms (one conveniently on the ground floor) and three bath/shower rooms, and there is plenty of garaging provision. While modern in construction, Rowanbank has plenty of character, including fine American red oak and pine finishings. Despite its peaceful and private position the house is not at all remote, and easily commutable to Aberdeen.

Rowanbank begins with an entrance hall which has all the main reception rooms off, along with a cloakroom/WC, and leads into the charming sitting room which has a working stone fireplace and is spacious enough for a baby grand piano. There is a formal dining room and a cosy smaller sitting room with wood burning stove. The kitchen has plenty of room for casual dining and is fitted with the original limed oak wall and base units offering plenty of prep and storage space along with integrated appliances, and there are laundry appliances in the utility room. The conservatory is a generous size and a lovely spot to enjoy the garden year-round. Completing the ground floor is a double bedroom and shower room.

The open tread timber staircase leads upstairs where there are a further four bedrooms including the principal bedroom with vaulted pine ceiling and luxurious en suite bathroom. The main bathroom services the other bedrooms, and all enjoy wonderful views. There is also a smaller bedroom currently used as a home office and a versatile games/family room on this level.

Outside: Occupying a generous plot of approximately one acre, the property is set within beautifully maintained formal gardens that provide a wonderful sense of privacy and space. The grounds are bounded by a combination of concrete block walls and post-and-wire fencing, with extensive areas of manicured lawn complemented by mature shrub borders and attractive landscaping. A charming shallow lily pond adds character, while an extensive front terrace and decorative water feature create an ideal setting for outdoor entertaining and relaxation. The property is approached via a tarmacadam driveway and further benefits from a timber summer house and garden shed.

Garage: Integral to the property is a double garage with vehicular access by means of two shutter doors. Since initial construction a further garage has been built on the north gable of a similar construction beneath a shallow pitched roof.

Old fields forest: Adjacent to Rowanbank garden is a mature 24 acre forest of mixed species. The northern part consists of a carefully maintained crop of spruce trees which are growing well and provide a valuable source of income.

The remainder of the forest has a wonderful collection of native broadleaves – mainly beech , oak , holly, rowan and birch . In addition there is a very special collection of Noble Fir trees some of which have grown to almost 100 feet tall. It is very satisfying to see prolific natural regeneration of these trees where space has permitted.

Location

Drumoak is situated between Peterculter and Banchory near the River Dee. There are a myriad of outdoor leisure activities available locally, including hill walking, horse riding, fishing, gliding and golf, with great access to historic landmarks such as Drum and Crathes Castle on Royal Deeside. Within the village of Drumoak there is an artisan deli/coffee/wine shop, primary school and ease of access to the Deeside Way, the old Royal Deeside Railway Line which is popular with walkers and cyclists. Located just outside of Drumoak, is Mains of Drum garden centre, which has a café/restaurant and shopping facilities.

About four miles away is Peterculter, the most westerly suburb of Aberdeen. Providing a good range of amenities, there are independent shops, a primary school, medical practice, small supermarkets and BP filling station with M&S Food section. Additionally there is a sports centre, 18 hole golf course and Kippie Lodge Sports & Country Club which includes an 18m swimming pool. Peterculter is conveniently situated for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, which has greatly improved travel both north and south of the city, with easier access to the airport and industrial hubs at Dyce and Westhill.

About six miles away Banchory, considered to be the gateway to Royal Deeside, is a popular and expanding town located along the picturesque River Dee and overlooked by the renowned Scolty Hill. Within Banchory there is a good range of amenities, including specialist shopping, two large supermarkets, banking, restaurants, a garden centre, hotels, swimming pool, library, health centre and several dentists. There are pre-school facilities available in addition to two primary schools and Banchory Academy which caters for secondary education. Banchory Sports Village provides a range of sporting facilities, including a six lane swimming pool. There are numerous outdoor leisure activities available, including hill walking, horse riding, fishing, gliding and golf. Banchory is also well located for access to the ski resorts at Glenshee and the Lecht during the winter months.

About nine miles away, Westhill provides an excellent range of amenities and leisure facilities, including an 18 hole golf course, health centre and a bustling shopping complex with M&S Simply Food and Costa, while there are also COSTCO and Tesco superstores. With a range of subsea companies based within Westhill, there is also ease of access to the AWPR, providing a quicker commute to areas north and south of the city centre, including Aberdeen International Airport. Within Aberdeen there are regular train services, including a sleeper to King’s Cross London. Aberdeen provides all the services of a major city, including business, leisure and health facilities, theatres and cinemas, restaurants and a wide range of shopping. There is private schooling including Robert Gordon’s College, St Margaret’s, and Albyn as well as the International School at Pitfodels. There are two universities and two colleges of further education.

Square Footage: 4,252 sq ft


Acreage: 24 Acres

Additional Info

Viewings: Strictly by appointment with Savills –

Services: Mains electricity and water. Private drainage. Oil central heating. Windows are of a double glazed timber casement and Velux roof light type. There is an intruder alarm system along with CCTV.

General: Rowanbank and garden and Old Fields Forest are registered under separate title. Therefore any offers can be apportioned.

Fixtures & Fittings: Standard fixtures and fittings are included in the sale.

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.

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.