Blair Atholl, Pitlochry, Perthshire Offers over £1,280,000

Historical Note:
The Old Manse of Blair has evolved over time from the original farmhouse that was part of Atholl Estates. The house was enlarged and remodelled in Georgian times when it was gifted to the Church by the Estate as a home for the minister when two adjoining parishes were combined. In 1862, the west wing was added.
The current owners bought the house in 1984 and have totally refurbished and remodelled the property. The works have included partial re-roofing, the addition of bathrooms, a new kitchen from the Newcastle Furniture Company, woodworm and rot treatment, damp proof course, new central heating and total redecoration. As a result, The Old Manse of Blair is now a beautifully presented, comfortable family home.

Property:
The Old Manse of Blair is approached by a private tarmacadam drive which sweeps through stone gate pillars with electric gates. The drive continues up a partially tree-lined drive which runs through the gardens and grounds before terminating in a gravel sweep to the front of the house. The principal house is of stone construction beneath a slate roof.

The property is a highly attractive C Listed, former Manse with a front door that opens into a spacious hall with an elegant staircase and doors to the principal rooms. In keeping with houses of its age, there are numerous period
features such as the open fireplaces, plain cornicing, panelled doors and astragal sash and case windows.

The large drawing room is perfect for entertaining and is complimented by the equally spacious dining room which has a door leading through to the sitting room, study and wc. From the entrance hall, a passage flanked by the Butler’s pantry and gun room opens to a spacious kitchen/breakfast room with an Amdega sun room off to one side. The kitchen is well serviced by a utility room and larder.

The first floor reflects the fact that the house has developed over the years with the ceiling heights varying depending on the date of construction. From the half landing, there is a beautiful east facing bedroom with a large ensuite bathroom and a family suite with a
bedroom, sitting room/bedroom and an ensuite
bathroom. The principal landing has been developed as a library area and has a large fitted bookcase with a window seat to enjoy the views to the south. The landing opens to the master bedroom which has a large ensuite
bathroom and a guest bedroom suite, a shower room and a bedroom/dressing room.

Banvie House:
Banvie House lies at the western edge of the property and share the access road to the outbuildings. The house was built by the current owners in 2002 and is a comfortable, 3
bedroom home with features such as an oil-fired Aga, wood burning stove and French doors to a private terrace.

There is an integral single garage to the side of the house. The current owners have used Banvie House as staff accommodation, however, it could be let as a holiday cottage to generate a significant income.

The Old Manse of Blair has a lovely position about 2.5 miles west of Blair Atholl with views across the River Garry to the heather clad hills in the south. The property is surrounded by Atholl Estate and the beautiful countryside that has always attracted people to the area.

Blair Atholl is a popular Victorian town at the gates of Blair Castle and has a local shop, post office, hotels, garage, village hall and primary school. In addition Blair Castle, one of Scotland’s most visited attractions has a
restaurant and gift shop. The House of Bruar (1 mile) boasts some of Scotland’s finest produce from food through to clothing.

Pitlochry, to the south, has a range of shops, banks, a supermarket, medical centre, dentist and a well-respected High School. It also has a Festival Theatre, two distilleries and several popular hotels and restaurants.

Perth (36 miles) offers a wide range of leisure, shopping, cultural and professional services.
The surrounding area is renowned as one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland and offers spectacular Highland scenery with fertile grazings down by the river beds, wooded hillsides, heather clad hills and rocky mountains.
For the outdoor enthusiast, there are numerous walks, climbing, fishing, shooting, stalking and skiing all available locally. In addition, there are golf courses in the vicinity along with water sports on various lochs. Stalking, pheasant, partridge and grouse shooting can all be rented locally in addition to salmon fishing on some of Scotland’s best known rivers.

Gardens:
The Old Manse of Blair is surrounded by colourful gardens and grounds which blend into the landscape and provide an appropriate setting for the house. A feature of the gardens is the stone walls and post and rail fencing. To the south of the house, formal lawns lead to the grass paddocks while to the west, a sheltered garden with doors opening from the gym has a feature pond surrounded by lawns interspersed with silver birch and copper beech trees. To the east of the house, lawns are divided by a burn fringed with a range of acers,
geraniums, hostas and herbaceous plants. Beyond the burn, the lawns have a magnificent copper beech focal point. To the east of the drive is a walled garden down to grass interspersed with a variety of fruit trees. To the rear of the house is a sheltered kitchen garden
featuring a lean-to Amdega greenhouse and further lawns.

Outbuildings:
The Old Manse of Blair has a stunning range of
outbuildings that complement and add to the enjoyment of the property. The buildings are accessed from the back drive meaning that delivery lorries do not need to use the principal drive.

They comprise:
Party Room/Gymnasium – A stunning room with 3 French doors opening to the garden, under floor heating and air conditioning;
Double Garage – Electric roller door, dog washing room, boiler room and drying room, Gardener’s wc;
Stabling – Purpose built stable complex with a tack room, feed store, 2 loose boxes, large foaling box and medicine room;
General Purpose Building – A 4-bay, partly open
fronted portal frame building with an enclosed
workshop/machinery store.

In addition to the buildings listed above, there is a stone and slate bothy used as a hen house and a timber built store.

Paddocks:
There are two immaculate paddocks with parkland trees to the south of the house. The paddocks are enclosed by post and rail fencing and stone walling. To the east of the drive are two further smaller paddocks.