Escape to the Country Season 24 Episode 31: Cairngorms (2023) | FULL EPISODE
[Music] when it comes to matching wouldbe country escapes to properties you've got an island I my dream your dream it starts with casting the search in the right direction nice natural you can end up snagging a Whopper it's a tough act to follow W I think You' got a really tough Challenge on now done it again and find a home that catches you Hook Line and Sinker ah you've got a staircase dear oh I've got quite an emotional staircase yeah that's something else isn't it oh [Music] today we're on an escape of extremes and Enchantment Where vast challenging terrain meets lands laced in Legend welcome to Scotland's magnificent cans well on a scale of one to while the ks I think really do take some beating walking up there on those man mountain tops you are in a genuinely unspoiled unchanged landscape that frankly is unlike almost anywhere else here in the UK so for me it absolutely gets 10 out of 10 spanning five of Scotland's 32 Council areas including Highland abedin Shire and Perth and kin Ross the ks is the largest national park in the UK named after a mountain range it contains with just 6 15,000 permanent residents the sense of remoteness is only matched by an incredible choice of yearr round activities if you like skiing during the winter time Glen shei is the largest ski Center in the UK so if you're looking to have a life change and to take on a business within the area then buying into a way of life as well and if you love arts-based activities there are Galleries and museums and pottery lessons just everything you could possibly want the stunning landscape of the kangs is often described as a place where mountains and rivers Collide making ideal for things like hiking and biking which in turn makes it the perfect place for today's lucky couple who want to move here hello there I'm Michael and I'm Maran and we moved here to the sunny Isle of white about 14 years ago just for the outdoor life the water mainly but now we'd like to move to more rural location where we've got mountains to cycle around and to walk up and [Music] down married couple Marian and Michael are Keen Sailors who've loved the lifestyle the is of white has offered them and their 18-year-old son Cameron but having to catch Fair's offit for Michael's work as a green business development director is getting to be a pain you'll see lots of yachts and well that was one of the reasons we moved here my passion of sailing and that of Marin we've crossed a few oceans and been around the world a bit on boats but equally if you look that way you'll see a ferry and that's part of the problem why we want to escape to the country it's just always a challenge they want to move with Cameron to Scotland's KS where Michael hopes to turn their mountain biking hobby into a business too ideally if we can get a retreat or something in the country where we can live and set up this biking Venture I think be absolutely awesome and on top of that maybe bring in a little bit of extra Revenue to help out as well be perfect and Marian has one very specific request for the new home in my dream property we would have a staircase currently live in a bungalow I just want a staircase I'd like to go upstairs to bed Maran and Michael have up to £650,000 to buy a home for themselves and Son Cameron that combines maran's love of period properties with Michael's preference for modern they want at least three bedrooms bike business potential including storage and workshop space and a staircase is high on the wish list they're also Keen to have a large plot of [Music] land you know I never TI coming to Scotland but the ks really are a world within that great nation and as for the property this could be interesting he likes something that's much more modern she likes something that's much more traditional will they find something they can agree on I wonder maybe that's where any compromise might lay we're starting our search in Perth and kin Ross in the area of Glen shei but before we hit the road to our first property we're meeting up to discuss the move in the grounds of our hotel well Michael Maran welcome to Scotland it couldn't be more extreme could it really from the is of white to the highlands yeah going a bit Hillier maybe but so yeah and going from one of our passions which is sailing to some other of our passions which are mountain biking and walking now your passion for mountain biking intrigues me because this you want to turn into a business I have this dream that what I'd really like to do is have a place where people can come with their mountain bikes and just hopefully I can join in and then ultimately end up going on a few rides with them well we're going to feel our way through your business Ambitions and indeed through the property Market here fingers crossed something will work than come on let's go once known as The Glenn of fairies Glen shei within the ks National Park is a valley with an otherworldly air the main settlement is the small village of spittle whilst Walkers and bikers often head to facilities at a sporting estate where there's a golf course and holiday accommodation and with a ski field in the Glenn there's a great deal to draw lovers of Outdoor Pursuits the property I've got lined up is just a 10-minute drive from the slopes look wow Glen she in all its Glory how about that just stunning yeah mindblowing absolutely mindblowing and in the middle of it this I'm already drawn to the big glass windows incredible that it's beautiful really lovely yeah now there is a road here obviously yeah that's business yeah that's people seeing you and coming to use you definitely fantastic that's money should we have a look I'd love to yeah come [Music] on this perfectly positioned property is a former Stone and slate Schoolhouse built in 1875 with separate entrances for what would have been the teachers quarters and the classroom it was fully refurbished and extended by the current owners around a decade ago our tour starts in what was the teacher's house in a very spacious and well-appointed kitchen and dining room come on in wow it's modern yeah youve take my box see I'm happy well I like the stone outside so that's good as well no we can work with that you've got an island I my dream is your dream it's taking my breath away absolutely taking my breath away amazing I'm just trying to take it all in I'm a little bit speechless come look at this so this is just gorgeous as well I mean that picture window Works doesn't it yeah this landscape will be Ever Changing even though it looks static why would you need to leave home staircase just what you wanted I'm a lovely one too right I'm going to treat you madam use yeah come on puy go thank you completing the ground floor footprint of this Wing is a utility room of the kitchen above this on the Upper Floor are two of the home's total of five bedrooms starting with a good siiz double that has a walk-in [Music] wardrobe I mean the light that's just coming in is incredible big deep walls really nice I love these colors as well but you've got other bedrooms to play with this doesn't have to be the master because it's got not one staircase but two my good me you're being spoiled on number one want to see the other one I would love to see the other one I'm going to let you have the run of the rest of it off your thanks a lot go on I'll find you later also in this Wing is a smaller room used as a study and next to this a family bathroom then retracing their steps downstairs what was the former classroom is now an additional three-bedroom Wing here they'll find a ground floor double bedroom with fitted wardrobes that view again another Direction love it next to this is a bathroom with modern fixtures oh amazing and at the Gable end a spacious reception room ah the other front door oh yes and this feels like a real snug as well so that's I can see a big big TV going in here from here that second staircase this is lovely wow leads up to The Loft space and another family bathroom serving two further bedrooms a guest room has a skylight and Dormer windows and the final bedroom is a very spacious double aspect room that could perhaps be the one for Maran and Michael oh wow you can fit a sofa in your bedroom that is your dream but look at that straight outside can almost see the ski result up there yeah that's lovely love [Music] it set in a plot of around 3/4 of an acre the surrounding landscape doesn't just provide an epic backdrop it's also the source of the home's private supply of spring water there are Level areas of grass a substantial amount of parking and the current owners have added a garden studio built to energy efficient [Music] standards oh what a space brilliant I can escape just stay here I love it again and again another picture [Music] window the setting is priceless but the property is not so let's get down to the business end of things right let's think about the price then shall we you've come all this way with £650,000 how much of it do you think you'll have to part with to get this I'm thinking or hoping maybe £625,000 I'm going to go 605 oo well as you know in Scotland the convention is to have things marketed for offers over yep you're right it offers over £625,000 done bad me lucky guess lucky guess but doable for the budget right yeah absolutely and it's done yeah we could live in that now of course you could in fact I quite like to going to say it's a tough act to follow wow I think you've got a really tough Challenge on now done it again this Stone and slate former Victorian Schoolhouse offers them a substantial five-bedroom home with two separate entrances and staircases giving the option for separate guest accommodation there are 3/4 of an acre of grounds and it's inside the kangor's national park with a roadside location ideal for tourism so this house uh it's been mindblowing actually I love the old brick work um but that combined with this contemporary feel and for me of course this one here I love the staircase the location has just really taken my breath away the views from from every window looking at different places is just [Music] [Music] incredible Michael and Marian are Keen for a fresh start among the mountains sharing their love of biking and Hiking with visitors aymore is an outdoor adventurers Paradise ideally located in the national park close to Trails Ancient Forest and locks the town has places to eat and drink and a fantastic choice of shops serving tourists and locals alike perfect a nice cafe I can get a cup of tea and a sandwich whilst you're off mountain biking and even better a soap shop cuz I'm going to need a bit of that after a day on the mountain bike transport options include buses to many other destinations in the National Park as well as routs to Scotland cities and Beyond and the town is also well serviced by rail links so this must be the direct line from London up to in vaness I think vaness Y and it's got a sleeper so if we stay down on the island see friends we get back on top of that there's a train to Edinburgh fantastic I go to work connections all sorted but for a truly enviable commute how about a wild ccle ride to work someone who knows about that as well as other ways to enjoy the local Landscapes is Chief instructor at sports Scotland outdoor Training Center Heather morning so what do you actually do here in the lodge so we run a whole raft of courses from Total beginnner so someone who wants to discover an activity whether it's Hill walking climbing mountain biking skiing in the winter to people who are working towards the highest levels of award wward that you can achieve here in the UK and it's all about upskilling people so they can enjoy the mountain safely and the activities safely but also to bring on the next generation of instructors as well you obviously do some courses and training but where would be your perfect cycle where do you go I live 9 miles away and cross through the woods over there and I literally commute every day on my bike to work and uh that might be up the purpose built Trail at the side of the ski Road or I often go cross country if the weather's nice it's clear that aymore has mountains of reasons to recommend itself to my house hunters this is what it's all about this is why we want to move now to see what Heights we can climb to when it comes to a property here in the [Music] region next we're heading to the Highland town of grantown on spay located at the northern edge of the kores inside the National Park it's a major visitor destination attractions include salmon and trout fishing on the river spay a renowned malt whiskey Trail and an annual fiddle Festival all of this makes a property in the town an attractive proposition for those looking to establish a t business wow it's a castle on a hill isn't it is this more than one property here this is all yours potentially okay it's huge but what it gives you is a whopping at least five bedroomroom property oh my goodness come and have a look this substantial House St to the first decade of the 20th century built from stone with extensions in the 1930s and 1990s the recently renovated property retains many Edwardian features starting with the very impressive period entrance [Music] hall oh my goodness ah you've got a staircase there oh I've got quite an emotional staircase uh yeah that's yeah something else isn't it oh I can this is only the hallway I know come have look at this you're going to love this bit to one side of the hallway is a wing of reception rooms including a traditional drawing room there we go oh it just oh doesn't stop in impressing does it that is Edwardian life in all its Glory working fire as you would expect drinks cabinets either side it's still light though as well so thinking about life at the moment in The Bungalow when you have to put up with is nebia watching the Telly and you and you're not really that bothered about the footy yeah I've got my fireplace and my drinks cing it I'm fine exactly and you can have this one oh gosh there's more yeah taking the hallway to pass a study we reach a second spacious reception again with those grand Edwardian fittings there you go mate what about this then for a Telly room oh wow and more cabinets so I can have some drinks in my room as well absolutely yeah and look I mean even though we're in the center of town it's all green yeah yeah it's just great [Music] also in this Wing is a sun room set for dining and to enjoy the outdoors Outlook whatever the [Music] weather then to the rear of the home the layout of the 1930s extension has been opened up by the current owners to create a big bright kitchen Diner you see all the original features here but with a modern twist come with me this is what they have created well Bravo to them I'm speechless I any automation again now you wanted an island amazing yeah this an island I think I've got a whole continent just there should we try those stairs yes oh gosh the Magnificent staircase oh sweep up sweep down in the morning takes us to an equally impressive Landing [Music] holy holy moly I think is what we're looking for yeah yeah pick a door go and explore let's go with the open one thanks Jor see you in a [Music] bit oh my goodness I don't know where to start it's got more of those period features no drinks cabinet thank goodness but no it is beautiful and the lovely shatters again that echo down [Music] stairs behind this bedroom is a small guest bedroom and behind that bedroom 3 is a dual aspect double on the other side of the hall is a family bathroom oh goodness me this house keeps on giving the dream bathroom two sinks perfect lovely Walkin shower amazing bath yeah clearly showing them this property in a town on escape to the country might be a gamble that might pay off completing this floor is a twin room with a map based feature wall and then bedroom number five is a double room with on Suite facilities and as if that wasn't overwhelming enough oh another staircase [Music] there's an entire floor above in the converted attic space Oh [Laughter] [Music] My the house is set in an elevated position in its own plot of around half an acre there's a link attached garage a gravel drive and a selection of mature shrubs and trees it's a sizable proposition so let's see how it sits with their £650,000 budget I told you it was a Whopper it certainly is yeah with cheese this one yeah absolutely okay let's think about how much this is going to cost you then I'm going to Plum 595 okay I think and I'm just going to sneak under you at 590 £ 590,000 what if I told you it's on the market for offers over £ 560,000 [Laughter] we can buy a yacht as well oh my goodness have a business have the house we're done at offers over £ 560,000 this imposing Edwardian house provides some truly incredible original features including a grand entrance hall with a stately staircase there's a large contemporary kitchen Diner five bedrooms with potential for more and it's located in a popular tourist town with all the facilities and opportunities that has to offer when I walked through the front door well I was yeah taken aback by the Splendor the greatness of the hallway this property immediately gave me that feeling of just being home being hugged and just yeah just being really [Music] welcoming from a purely practical point of view the size of the house and maintenance and running it is daunting almost to me that's maybe something I just need to understand a little bit more about [Music] the latest figure for the average price of a detached house in the UK stands at just over 457,000 but head to Scotland and the area is covered by the kores national park and you'll pay significantly Less in Perth and Kinross detached homes sell for an average of £ 367,000 and in abedin Shire there are even greater savings to be made as the figure drops to about 285 [Music] ,000 let's take a look at what else is currently available in the area this four-bedroom detached Bungalow has generous modern Interiors including an open planned kitchen dining and living space the gardens are extensive and have views across the surroundings of grand toown on spay to the cromdale hills and kenor mountains Beyond there's also a detached double garage for sale it offers over £375,000 [Music] this double fronted home has a bright smart kitchen and Diner and three double bedrooms with lovely features such as period fireplaces the Halfacre grounds include an additional one-bedroom timber frame bothy it's in a small Highland Village and is on the market for offers over £500,000 [Music] or perhaps a taste of what the area has to offer is in order in which case a self-catering log cabin is a great option this one has two double bedrooms and locks side Walks from the door it costs £175 per night in High season with a minimum 3 night stay plus an additional charge of £10 a night if you bring a dog well so far our house search with Maran and with Michael has gone pretty well but it has focused on properties within the kores national park and that of course does come with a premium no doubt they think they are getting good value for money and indeed they are because of where we are but if we step outside the park we might be able to just dial that up a little bit further which brings us to our final offering our mystery house now at this point we haven't really shown them anything with a lot of of outdoor space but they've got a big budget and this is a big country and that is where our Mystery House really does score if it's outdoor space they want this one delivers it in [Music] Spades my mystery option is taking us just outside the small abidin sha Hamlet of mure of FIS a Four Mile driveway is the village of afford this provides a range of independent shops and post office services as well as museums on Heritage and transport there's a bus service to the city of abedine while I send Maran and Michael to check out the local cafe culture I've gone ahead to the very rural setting of my mystery proposition so now then a little taster for you of what our Mystery House is all about there is a property up there ready and waiting Pack full of some really quirky features but the thing that really sells this property to me is this 10 acres of Glorious pasture with views that speak for themselves Marian and Michael have checked the LIE of the land of the local area so now to reveal my 10 acre mystery hello hello indeed wowers like the spot it's absolutely stunning we were just commenting on the Rolling Hills and it's just a lovely Valley just yeah now then that's the property okay smaller than I thought believe me it's not small okay how many acres would you like oh not too many but maybe I don't know four or five would be absolutely stunning this lot comes with 10 10 mountain bike riding in the fields it also comes with an aircraft size hanger and I'm not exaggerating and a whole load of other bits and pieces have you saved the best till last you could be the judge of that come on built around 1870 from solid Granite it's thought this was originally the house for the manager of a nearby Mill come on here it's been extensively added to with recent upgrades including econscious solar [Music] panels a touch of modern for you Michael bit of an island yeah a lot of an island no this is lovely that's great oh wow have you looked up oh my goodness it's so light in here that's lovely and I can just imagine you can be preparing and cooking here or making drinks and you got people down just down those few steps and oh no brilliant and straight out on the garden and this glorious weather really good yeah it's also got one of these come and have a look at this and I'm not talking about the dragon I wasn't expecting that I can just see po party's friends are going to want to come here and not leave yeah incredible oh wow yeah there must be more to see what's the next twist yes go on go and explore thank you very much there's also two staircases hey [Music] to the other side of the pool room is a shower and steam room then retracing back to the front of the home is a dining room a further reception room oh a great space look somewhere for me to escape whilst you guys are doing whatever and a sun room then completing the ground floor is a home office the first of four bedrooms is reached by stairs from the dining room and is a double in the eeve the remaining three bedrooms are accessed via the main stairs from the hall oh wow look it goes here very exciting starting with a double oh yeah perfect guess or even if we needed another sort of workspace yeah free up one of those rooms downstairs put an office up here another larger double room comes with a Dorma style bay window as does the for fourth and final [Music] bedroom challenging the notion of small in small holding outside there is a vast area of pasture that supplies an income from hay and an orchard this is where I can see this is yurs yeah you could possibly do some camping in there people want their own tents yeah I think so a barbecue area offers a pizza Roven and a summerhouse further out buildings include a detached garage green houses Timber sheds and I just can't miss out on their reaction to that industrial sized hanger it is massive wow everything's ready to go for this power light and this all comes with it yep just you're you're making you've saved the best to last I think on this this outdoor stuff's amazing the question is will they still be saying that when I reveal the crucial asking price it's all right isn't it it's not too bad at all Jules yeah I think it's a bit more than all right actually a bit more so how much then do we think this is on the market for I think it's going to be towards the top end yeah I think we're going to be pushing £ 640,000 most probably okay yeah oh I'd love to be really optimistic but I'm just only going to go slightly below at 630,000 this is on the market for 500 90,000 do you know what okay that's a lot of bang for your buck that's incredible and is that offers over it's defined as a fixed price that's the best value of everything we've seen yeah on the market for a budget friendly £ 590,000 this 19th century former Mill manager's house forms a substantial small holding with an abundance of added bonuses including an indoor pool as well as four bedrooms the 10 acres of land and out buildings mean my buyer business plans and Imagination have all the scope they [Music] need I'm almost lost for words on kind of what effect this house has had didn't know what to expect internally and actually that's given more than I thought and externally yeah incredible the house with the quirky features and the workshop hanger it's just given us the perfect option to work out how do we turn this into what we want and the next stage of living really isn't [Music] it well if Maran and Michael's Adventure this week is inspiring you you might be thinking what would it actually be like to follow in their footsteps and really move here well I'm delighted to say we can answer that we're about to meet Leslie and Edward who 5 years ago swapped their life in Newcastle under lime for one up here hi I'm Leslie and I'm Edward and here we are in the kores national park we moved here about 5 years ago and here we've got the Lan SP you can see behind us where we [Music] live you're welcome you to our Scottish home tangle of squirrels don't you just love it when the neighbors pop around we moved because a sons live up here because they'd lived and worked on the river Leslie now helps run the fly fishing business her sons have set up in the area so I work from home and that's a pretty good view and for me I've rekindled my love of fishing my dad taught me how to fish as a child I learned how to fly fish when I was about 11: everything's much more relaxed up here probably like it was when we it really [Music] yeah to discover more about the idilic life Edward and Leslie have created for themselves I'm meeting them close to home by the river D well Edward Leslie it really is lovely to meet you but it's interesting isn't it that your sons your twin Sons we should say Will and aliser they came here for the fishing and inspired you to come here yeah and we get to see them else we would see them so quite often Christmas day you know they all just come and stop at our house and all the dogs are there and it's it's nice it's easy have you managed to find a real sense of community here well yeah and if you stuck um I mean when the snow we we'll help each other out and uh them sort of things yes so we live in uh one of the oldest communities in the kangs it's luk and we have our Own Highland Games it's the oldest Highland Games in Scotland and so we all meet up at the end of August and have a BL and a drum it seems Leslie and Edward are no fish out of water here and today their sons will and aliser are on hand to show me what the family business is all about lad it's lovely to see you let me just get see if I got this right will yeah alist well done beginner's luck but how about then for you two having Mom and Dad up here now oh it's absolutely great and we've created sort of a family business and Mom's like the core of it sort of answering the emails and helping out with a lot of the logistics of it yeah we first fished the river D many years ago we were probably about 16 or 17 um and we fish it with an Nan and um even at that sort of age we're just mesmerized by the river and it's just a wonderful Valley to be in um so yeah it's a very very special place to to live and yeah now it's home but the business you've got now you're taking clients out into the river all year long well you've got a rookie here today I've never flyfish in my life so can you teach me a bit let's do [Music] it for the last 20 years the river D has been 100% Catch and Release to help protect salmon stocks mastering the art of fly fishing for salmon starts with learning to spay cast so I'm just going to show you one so you're going to start with the rot up low yeah you're going to lift slowly you're going to bring that those hands back into that position by pushing the bottom hand out Top Hand lifts up at this point we're going to wait for this sail it's called a dloop this kind of sail of line to settle behind your shoulder and then push pull and stop wow okay you make it look so simple so I'm going to bring that right the way back let that settle y okay and then flick it out nice natural lovely Absol that's one of the nicest first Forward cast I've ever seen yeah so you've absolutely nailed that now what we need to do let's cast across the river and it's the river that swings the fly that creates the life in the fly so the first motion you're going to go up and over and out with the rod and then accelerate underneath the line ah underneath it yeah oh no look it's a a bit wrong salmon season in this world-renowned River starts on February the 1st and runs to the 15th of October but outside these dates you can still enter cast using a hookless line good nice okay now I'm going to coming back and then underneath good [Music] good I honestly could be here all day lad that is f fascinating and it's been so lovely to see you and your mom and your dad enjoying your best lives here I'm hooked great oh honestly this is just such good [Music] fun one type of bait I am more familiar with is property so let's see if I've had better luck attracting a bite from today's buyers well no surprise after everything Michael and Maran have seen this week there is much discussion going on as to what their future is going to look like I am confident we've given them plenty of really good options but only they can make a final decision what's it to be let's find [Music] out I'm really really pleased with not just the properties we've had to show you for your budget but also the way you've responded to them and you've really applied yourselves to each and every one of them but I guess the mystery has with its 10 acres and all the possibilities that come with it might be the one that's still running through your minds yeah but I think what the Mystery House allows us to do is actually build our dream and put our stamp on it and we're ready to do that the next chapter for us is to build that new life whilst we still can and the uniqueness of it you know the house has got so many elements to it from the pool to the little rooms and the PL you know we've done it before with houses and we could do it again with that and make it into something really quite cool fun and have hopefully the business on the back of it as well is there anything that you've learned this week has anything changed I think the geography of where we were looking you know we said K G and I think we've learned let's look outside of maybe the comfort zone a bit more and that's what the Mystery House brought us it was outside the comfort zone but look what it offered good guys thank you very much [Music] indeed well what a week what a landscape what a country and what properties it has thrown our way this week all of them Absolute gems but finally there is of course one decision to be made and it looks like it's going to be our mystery house and I'm absolutely delighted I also know where I'll come next time I need a mountain bike in Scotland I'll see you next time if you would like to escape to the country in Scotland England Northern Ireland or Wales and need our help why not apply online at bbc.co.uk take part [Music]
2025-05-05 01:11
