A glorious mansion in the Borders with turrets and an artist’s studio
In the village of Walkerburn, roughly half-way between Peebles and Selkirk, a baronial mansion has come to the market which is the sort of fantasy home you’d expect to find in a Victorian novel.
Kirna House was built in 1867 by Frederick Pilkington, a renowned architect who created Edinburgh’s Barclay Viewforth Church and the Marine Hotel in North Berwick, among other places.
Given that pedigree it’s no surprise to see that this home is a grand, gothic building full of lovely period touches – and it's on the market at £875,000, barely enough for a decent flat in nearby Edinburgh.
It’s also lovely to see the decoration and furniture that really fits the period; barring a few modern touches – a television here, a radiator there – you really feel that you could have walked back in time in a place like this.
The hallway is probably the best example. It’s beautifully finished retains a wonderful original feel, and the light streaming down from the elegant cupola only adds to the effect.
From the outside the building is wonderfully grand, looking almost like a miniaturised castle thanks to the towers and turrets.
Many of the rooms are on as grand a scale as the architecture. The main sitting room is almost 26ft long, and opens into a morning room to one side that’s almost as big.
There is also a games room, a study, three separate cellar spaces and two kitchens. One is a large dining kitchen, with annex, utility room and two larders; the other is a ‘back kitchen’ which adjoins the large formal dining room.
On the first floor are six bedrooms (two of which are en-suite), while beyond on the second floor is the turret room, with spectacular views across the Tweed Valley. It’s currently used as an artist’s studio; we can imagine the new owner coming up with an equally special way of using this unique little space.
Kirna House is for sale via Savills for offers over £875,000 – you can see more pictures and details here.
