Cliff Cottage, Ardencraig Road, Rothesay, Isle of Bute, PA20 9LA

Property Description
The house itself is a stone-built Victorian villa of the mid nineteenth century, set within extensive mature gardens in the High Craigmore enclave north of Rothesay.

It has been extended and modernised since it was built, and the balance is a comfortable one, with the traditional detail intact and the practical parts of the house brought properly up to date.

An entrance vestibule opens into the reception hallway. The bay-windowed lounge runs open plan into a large family dining kitchen, with patio doors to the rear garden, which makes the back of the house the natural gathering point on a good day. A utility and laundry room sits off it.

There is a formal sitting room for the evening, a perfect spot to enjoy cosy evening's in front of the log burner.

Four double bedrooms follow, the principal and guest rooms each with an en-suite shower room, alongside a large tiled family bathroom.

Within the gardens, Hedgehog Cottage offers either rental potential or the overspill accommodation it currently provides for family events.

A further cottage is in use as a games room and store, and the original stable building has been pressed into service for gatherings outdoors. Few houses of this size come with that much room to expand into.

The gardens are well stocked and generous, with dual access, extensive parking, and a series of vantage points over open water taking in the Firth of Clyde and the Kyles of Bute. Different corners catch different views, and different hours.

Local Area
Bute rewards people who stay long enough to find its quieter parts. The island has a run of secluded and largely unspoilt beaches, good walking and cycling on quiet roads, and at Mount Stuart one of the more remarkable country houses in Scotland, long the seat of the Marquesses of Bute. Bute Yard, conceived by Johnny Dumfries, the former racing driver and 7th Marquess, has since become a fixture for food, music and craft events on the island.

The surrounding waters are the other draw, with sailing, fishing and watersports on the Firth and the Kyles, and boats as a means of getting about as much as a pastime. The Rothesay waterfront carries a good number of local restaurants and bars, Gather Deli and the Sulking Room among them.

The island is served from Wemyss Bay by a crossing of around thirty-five minutes, running hourly through most of the day and into the evening, with a further drive-on service from Colintraive to Rhubodach that takes under five minutes. Wemyss Bay connects by rail to Glasgow, which puts the city within comfortable reach for a house that feels a good deal further away than it is.