11 bed detached house for sale

Kinlochard, Stirling, Stirlingshire FK8

Altskeith is a traditional Scottish country house, built of white harled stone with sandstone surrounds to the windows under a pitched Aberfoyle slate roof. The painted wooden external shutters to the first floor windows create an almost French appearance.

The original part of the house is over 200 years old. The house was broadly speaking extended into its present layout in 1898, although there have been some additional developments with the creation of the magnificent reception suite with far-reaching views, as well as the inclusion of additional bathrooms and the fabulous one bedroom annexe/bothy.

The property has been used both as a primary residence and as a small hotel, though more recently it has evolved into arguably one of Scotland's best-loved wedding venues, owing to its fabulous views, waterside location and abundance of Scottish country charm throughout the house.

The sellers bought the property in 2012 and have worked hard to return both the house and grounds to their original style and quality.

Internally, the house includes three principal reception rooms for entertaining, including a dining room with an open fireplace, a large drawing room with a log burner and a bay window overlooking the gardens and loch. The drawing and dining room lead into a conservatory. There is also a large function room that can cater for up to 96 people, with Bi-fold doors onto the patio area. The ground floor includes two bedroom suites with a further six bedroom suites on the first floor and two bedrooms on the second floor.

There is an adjoining two-storey annexe, including a dining kitchen and a double bedroom with an en suite bathroom. The full accommodation is shown on the adjacent floorplan.

It should be noted that three doors down from the property is a lovely five bedroom house, Ardview, which is occupied by the current owners and also available for sale online through Knight Frank. This could serve as a useful Managers' House for Altskeith if it were to continue as a commercial property.

The grounds principally comprise sweeping lawns interspersed with a number of magnificent mature broadleaf trees which include a large copper beech planted to celebrate the end of the Boer War.

The burn running through the property and out into the loch is a delightful feature with waterfalls and a rockery beside it. Additionally, the property benefits from a cedar wood hot tub offering relaxing views over the loch.

The gardens have rhododendrons and azaleas throughout the grounds and behind the house there is also a dog kennel with a dog run set back in the trees.

On the lochside of the road, there is an attractive yellow-painted boathouse.

Altskeith was built in 1898 in a magnificent position on the edge of Loch Ard with spectacular views south over the loch and west to Ben Lomond. The property is located between the villages of Kinlochard (1 mile) and Aberfoyle (3.5 miles), and between Stirling and Loch Lomond, lying within the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Loch Ard is a soughafter location due to its stunning scenery as well as its easy access to both Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Kinlochard, which sits on the edge of the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, has excellent leisure facilities, including a sailing club, the Go Ape Outdoor Activity Centre, and the Macdonald Forest Hills Hotel and Spa.

Aberfoyle provides a full range of facilities, including a primary school, shops, a post office, a supermarket, a variety of restaurants, and an 18-hole golf course.

The Lake Hotel and Nick Nairn's Cookery School are nearby at Lake of Menteith. The nearest secondary school is in Callander, with a further selection of independent schools in Bridge of Allan, Dollar and Glasgow.

The Trossachs is in the heart of Rob Roy MacGregor's Scotland and it was in this area, with its delightful mix of lochs, burns, hills and glens, that he lived his life and where some of his more famous exploits took place.

The Trossachs has an abundance of wildlife, including golden eagles, red deer, ospreys, peregrines, otters and red squirrels. Writers, artists and poets have all been drawn to the shores of its lochs, fascinated by the tales of Rob Roy and the mystery of the “Children of the Mist”. William Wordsworth, John Ruskin and James Hogg all savoured its incomparable atmosphere. The surrounding area offers plenty of outdoor activities, including mountain biking, hill walking, shooting, fishing, stalking, paddle boarding, wild swimming and canoeing. Loch Lomond is only 10 miles away.

Glasgow Airport is 34 miles away and offers a range of both domestic and international flights. Edinburgh Airport is also conveniently located, around 1 hour's drive away.