There are few places in the British Isles that are more beautiful than the West Coast of Scotland. I say that, because I have been to most places in the British Isles. It is one of those areas I keep an eye on, with a view towards retirement, should I ever A) be able to and B) have enough money to buy a nice house in the area.
Assuming I could retire today and had about £1.5 million lying around, I would be severely tempted by Raera Farm near Oban. It’s with Galbraith for £1.495 million and it has anything and everything a (theoretically) retired man of leisure could need.
At the centre of it all is the farmhouse, which features five bedrooms and has been tastefully modernised in recent years, by the family that have owned it since 1934. A particular highlight is the recently added sunroom and kitchen area, with modern fittings and glorious amounts of glass letting the light in.
The rest of the house is made of traditional stone and dates back to the early 1700s, and is situated a short distance from Euchar Glen and surrounded by open pasture and woodland.
Indeed, the property sits in some 355 acres of pasture, upland grazing and woodland. Despite the wilderness that surrounds it, the property is well connected, with Oban, the ‘Gateway to the Isles’, 9 miles to the north. Always important to know where your nearest pint of milk is in this part of the world.
But that wilderness has not just caught the eye of the family that owns it, but also various films and tv programmes. The waterfall scene from 1969’s Ring of Bright Water was filmed on Raera Farm, as were parts of the 1971 film Kidnapped. The ancient woodland also featured on BBC Autumnwatch, while filmmaker and photographer Simon King has visited to catch salmon jumping the waterfall that’s a short distance from the house.
Did I mention that there’s salmon fishing? How could I forget. The property comes with 1.74 miles of single-bank fishing on the River Euchar, and has the potential for other sporting opportunities, if that kind of thing is your cup of tea.
There are a range of farm buildings that could be converted for different purposes, with the necessary consents, while a two-storey cottage already exists on site that has been split into two holiday let apartments.
Basically, there is lots to do here and lots to see. A perfect spot to get away from it all.
Credit: Lillicrap Chilcott/Jefferys
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