Fishfir, Maud, Aberdeenshire Offers in excess of £600,000

Situation

Fishfir is situated some 30 miles north of Aberdeen in an attractive part of Aberdeenshire. The area is well served with good communications. The A948 links New Deer to Aberdeen, via Ellon. Peterhead and Fraserburgh are easily reached. Aberdeen Airport is only some 28 miles away and provides an expanding range of domestic and European flights. Aberdeen is the major city in the north east of Scotland and is home to many businesses related to the North Sea oil industry. As a major city it has an excellent range of shopping, business and leisure facilities, together with private schooling.
There are primary schools in nearby Maud and New Deer which also provide a range of local shopping. Secondary schooling is available in Mintlaw. Further private schooling is found at Gordonstoun. More extensive shopping is available at Ellon and Peterhead.
The area is famed for its sporting activities. Salmon fishing is available on the nearby Rivers Deveron and Don. The Spey and Dee are also easily reached. Shooting can be taken on local estates. There are a number of good golf courses including those at Cruden Bay and Longside.

Description

Fishfir is a superb period country house in a south west facing setting with fine views of the surrounding countryside. The house is approached through a formal entrance, and a tarmacadam drive leads along a beech tree avenue and extensive grounds to a gravel circle around the house.
Stone built and harled under a slate roof, the accommodation is over two principal storeys. The property has comfortable yet well proportioned and elegant principal rooms, with many traditional features including picture rails, decorative cornicings, raised skirtings and attractive open fireplaces. The dining room and drawing room both enjoy good views out of the large bay windows which flood the rooms with natural light. The kitchen has fitted wooden wall and floor units and a four oven Aga. French doors lead from the kitchen into the garden. The adjacent breakfast room is linked to the kitchen and together they provide a superb family area.
An elegant staircase with oak banisters and balustrades leads from the reception hall to a large galleried landing off which there are three bedrooms, two of which are en suite. The master bedroom suite enjoys wonderful views out of the large bay window. There are two further bedrooms and a bathroom located off a corridor towards the rear of the house. Stairs lead up to the attic floor which offer flexible storage space or children’s dormitory accommodation.
The house was built in 1901 as a dower house on the Brucklay Estate. It was refurbished in the 1980s, and rewired in 1988. The kitchen was redone five years ago. There had been proposals to add a conservatory off the kitchen. It is mostly secondary glazed, with double glazing in the kitchen.

Accommodation

The accommodation comprises entrance vestibule, hall, drawing room, dining room, sitting room, cloakroom, butler’s pantry, breakfast room, kitchen, office, master bedroom with en suite shower room, dressing room, bedroom with en suite bathroom, 3 further bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, attic rooms.
Outside
The grounds and gardens surrounding the house have been well maintained and provide a lovely setting for the house. The main gardens lie to the north of the house and comprise extensive lawns, an enclosed vegetable garden including a wooden greenhouse and potting shed, log shed, and all weather tennis court and a summer house (3.72 m x 4.73 m) used for shoot lunches and summer parties. There is also a range of timber built outbuildings located to the rear of the house and comprising a game larder (3.55 m x 2.95 m), a gun room and a large garage (6.89 m x 5.65 m).
Beyond the garden lie mature broadleaved trees and rhododendrons, which merge into coniferous woodland providing amenity and privacy to the house. There are paddocks. In the corner of one of the paddocks is a stable block built of concrete blocks with harled walls under a corrugated roof with two loose boxes (4.33 m x 3.45 m) and a tack/feed room (4.30 m x 7.10 m).
Further land extending to about 24.4 acres, including a field of 19.15 acres, is available in addition, shown hatched yellow on the attached plan.
Alternatively the whole property, which extends to about 68.15 acres, and includes a further 29.85 acres, shown hatched pink on the plan, with a pond, woodland and field of 17.9 acres, is available at offers over £800,000.
Cottage
Brucklay Cottage lies a short distance to the north west of the main house, beside the drive. Constructed of stone with harled and painted walls under a pitched slate roof with a flat roof extension to the rear, the accommodation over one and a half storeys and comprises hall, living room, bathroom and three bedrooms. Outside there is an enclosed garden to the rear with a small stone built outbuilding, a garden shed and a kennel block with four runs.
SEE FLOOR PLANS AND WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILED LAYOUT

Directions

From Aberdeen take the A90 north, bypassing Ellon. After Ellon turn left at the roundabout onto the A948 signposted to New Deer. Proceed through Auchnagatt and after 4 miles turn right onto the B9028 signposted to Fraserburgh. At the crossroads continue straight over onto the A981 and after 1 mile turn right, signposted Maud. The turning into Fishfir will be seen on the right after a further 1 mile, with a sign for Brucklay House.