Location

The attractive Victorian village of Ballater is located in the heart of picturesque Royal Deeside and within the stunning Cairngorm National Park. Ballater includes a wide range of independent coffee shops, restaurants, specialist and everyday shopping, while the B Listed Ballater Railway Station with historical connections to Queen Victoria and the Royal Family has now been restored to its former glory. The Scottish residence to the Royal Family, Balmoral Castle, lies a mere 8 miles away and attracts local and global visitors alike. Such is Balmoral's association with the village, many of the local shops bear the Royal Warrant of our King. The renowned village of Braemar lies a further 8 miles up the Dee valley from Balmoral and hosts the famous gathering in September.

Ballater is well known for its proximity to a wide range of leisure pursuits, including golf, horseriding and fishing along the River Dee, while the Old Deeside Railway track provides an excellent cycling or walking route towards Aberdeen. With winter sports available within the Cairngorm National Park at both Glenshee and Aviemore, the local area is also renowned for its splendid countryside and breathtaking scenery, most notably Lochnagar Mountain and the Loch Muick Reserve. The community hosts a highland games in August and the village is home to the Craigendarroch country club and spa.

The local bus service provides transportation to Aboyne, Banchory and Aberdeen City, where the nearest railway station is located. Primary education is available within Ballater, while secondary education is provided at Aboyne Academy.   

Approximately (40 miles) to the east, the vibrant city of Aberdeen is home to two universities: Aberdeen University and Robert Gordons University. Cultural facilities include a recently extended and refurbished Art Gallery, Maritime Museum, music hall and theatre. P & J Live is the northeast of Scotland main arts and events venue, boasting world-class conference and exhibition facilities along with a superior 15,000 capacity arena. Aberdeen Beach can be found a short distance from Aberdeen city centre and the area is also where Pittodrie Stadium is located, which is home to Aberdeen Football Club, affectionally known as The Dandy Dons. Aberdeen International Airport has national and international flights and there is a mainline east coast train service with frequent journeys to London King's Cross and rail links further north to Inverness and south to Gleneagles and Edinburgh. Private schools include Robert Gordon's College, Albyn School, St Margaret's (girls) and the International School of Aberdeen. Gordonstoun is a co-educational private school for boarding and day pupils for children between the ages of 8 - 18.

Description

Built around 1898 by James Auldjo Jamieson, the house was originally called Beauvais but was renamed Balgonie in the early 1930s. The architecture of the house is very much in the style of the Arts and Crafts movement and particularly that of one of its most famous architects, Charles Annesley Voysey. Around the turn of this century, Balgonie House was a renowned country house hotel in the heart of Ballater in Royal Deeside.   Since purchasing the property in 2010 the current owners have been meticulous with a significant refurbishment programme to provide a wonderful family home. This is a rare opportunity to secure a home of grandeur in an exceptional location on a large site with further potential.

Balgonie House is a very impressive detached country house full of character, yet perfectly blending some original with more contemporary features. Beautifully presented and incredibly versatile in layout, the current configuration has five reception rooms which includes the original hotel bar. There are four large primary bedrooms on the first floor with further ancillary/guest accommodation available on the upper floor. The house has some original attractive fireplaces, ornate cornicing, and a pitch pine staircase. The large south facing windows give the house a light and airy atmosphere providing views over the golf course and onwards towards Lochnagar.

A stylish and contemporary ambience has been created with a luxury kitchen installed by Kitchens International with extensive drawer, cupboard and shelf space complemented by polished Gneiss stone worksurfaces. Central to the room is an island featuring a circular end cabinet and chopping block. Appliances include a Britannia range cooker and American style fridge-freezer. This area is certainly the heart of the home and allows for very relaxed, informal living space that incorporates a dining space and day room with wood burning stove on open plan. There is also a larder, a utility area and a stable door to outside. More formal and entertaining areas are catered for with three further ground floor reception rooms. The ground floor washroom together with the first floor en suite bathrooms have been renovated in recent years. Flooring throughout is predominantly carpets, tiles and Karndean. On the first floor is a spacious family room, an office and four en suite bedrooms that are named after salmon pools on the River Dee. A guest suite on the 2nd floor offers considerable flexibility.

Located nearby in the grounds is the Coach House, a delightful detached chalet-style annexe completed to a high specification. The well appointed accommodation comprises three en suite bedrooms, a utility room and superb contemporary open plan kitchen/living room with access onto the balcony for outdoor dining.

Mostly laid in lawn, the garden gently slopes down to Ballater Golf course with views of the hills beyond. Enclosed by a number of mature trees and a small mixed wooded copse there is ample privacy and seclusion. The boundaries are enclosed by a combination of masonry walls, timber fencing and post and wire fencing. A substantial summer house is presently used as a games room, with electricity and large veranda. This is a perfect retreat room, studio, office or home business premises. In addition there is a greenhouse, several storage sheds, and a pond.

The driveway is large and well surfaced at the rear for parking and turning for numerous vehicles. There is a modern detached double garage block. There is also a substantial older timber garage with a large storage area at the rear. The latter is ideal for garden equipment and furniture.