Location

Cairnton is located in a peaceful countryside setting within the Howe of the Mearns in the county formerly known as Kincardineshire, now part of Aberdeenshire.

The region is diverse in its landscape: to the west the Grampian Hills provide a stunning backdrop and opportunities for walking and cycling, along with a range of country sports including pheasant and partridge shooting and red and roe deer stalking. Below, agriculture plays a significant role, characterised by open rolling fields with rich fertile soils renowned for growing arable crops, potatoes, vegetables and bulbs. The rivers North Esk and South Esk provide anglers with excellent salmon and trout fishing. In contrast, a short distance to the south and over Garvock Hill, is the coast and North Sea, where fishing villages, stunning beaches, cliffs and rugged landscapes can be found.

The area is well served for agriculture with numerous grain merchants, agricultural suppliers and Aberdeen & Northern livestock market at Thainstone, Inverurie, 40 miles distant.

Nestled at the bottom of the Cairn O' Mount, is the quaint historic village of Fettercairn (5 miles). It provides services such as a village shop, hotel, restaurant and a distillery. Closer yet, is the charming village of Auchenblae (1 mile) where primary schooling is available.

The principal town is Laurencekirk (4 miles) which offers further amenities such as leisure and professional facilities, a supermarket, bars, restaurants and secondary schooling at the highly respected Mearns Academy.

Further afield there is an excellent choice of private schools. Lathallan School is located 9 miles to the south east and provides nursery, junior and secondary education. In Aberdeen, 28 miles to the north, Robert Gordon's College, St Margaret's School for Girls, Albyn School and the International School of Aberdeen offer further options.

The area is well-connected by road and rail, with the A90 providing direct links north to Aberdeen and the south. Laurencekirk railway station provides services both north to Aberdeen and south to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Aberdeen International Airport (32 miles) offers a range of domestic, European and International flights.

Aberdeen has everything you would expect of a major city including cultural, professional and shopping facilities. Formerly known as the oil capital of the north - now focusing on renewable energy.

Description

Cairnton is an attractive, highly productive and well equipped arable farm, in a renowned agricultural area. The farm is easily reached, sitting adjacent to the B966, and only a short distance from the A90 trunk road, a crucial transport artery to the northeast of Scotland.

The farm extends to 455 acres and comprises a Victorian farmhouse, four cottages and a range of farm buildings. The land is made up of one block, dissected by the B966.

The farmhouse occupies a private and peaceful position sheltered to the rear by a stand of mature broadleaves. Contrastingly to the south it opens up to stunning gardens and enjoys expansive views across the countryside to Garvock Hill in the distance. Internally it is in excellent condition and offers comfortable and spacious living accommodation.

Adjacent to the farmhouse, the extensive steading comprises both modern and traditional buildings. The buildings have been well maintained and are used for a range of purposes including potato, grain, machinery and general storage, workshops and livestock housing.

The farmland is in good heart and has been well maintained during the vendor's and vendor's family ownership, which has covered three generations and over a century at Cairnton.

For the last 20 years the farm has primarily been managed as an arable unit. Prior to this, the farm ran a herd of approximately 1,000 cattle. Today, grassland is let on an annual basis for grazing cattle and sheep.

According to the Met Office the recent average rainfall for the area in comparison to the rest of the Scotland is low, with an average of 704mm of rain in a typical year. Similarly the average temperatures remain above freezing in the winter and typically reach up to 17 degrees Celsius in July.

Cairnton is offered for sale as a whole or in the following two lots:

Lot 1 Cairnton Farmhouse extending to 2.65 acres.
Lot 2 Cairnton Farm including the farm steading and 452 acres.

The vendor's intend to retain the Lower Steading as a site for a new house.

There are four semi-detached cottages, available in addition, to the purchaser of Cairnton. They are located to the north of the B966, comprise 3 bedrooms each and are all in good condition. They have either provided housing for staff or more recently have been let to produce a regular supplementary income.

LOT 1 - CAIRNTON FARMHOUSE
2.65 ACRES

Cairnton Farmhouse sits in an elevated position facing south with views across the gently undulating countryside to the Hill of Garvock. It is approached from the public road, via a private tree-lined driveway which leads to a parking area and brick built garage currently used for storage. The drive continues around the front of the house and leads towards the steading located to the west. There is a small garden shed located behind the garage and additional parking located to the rear.

The substantial and elegant farmhouse is surrounded by woodlands and beautifully designed gardens enclosed by a stone wall and well-established hedging. To the front of the house, the manicured lawn is interspersed with borders full of colourful flowers, shrubs and bushes. A path of sizeable stepping stones ends at a tranquil pond, complete with an idyllic arched timber bridge. The garden has been thoughtfully planted to ensure year-round colour.

A sun house of timber and slate construction provides a small haven to retreat to and enjoy the sunshine, with a paved patio for outdoor dining and entertaining. To the rear a smaller less formal garden, accessed from the dining room, includes a patio and is an ideal space for children to play. Adjacent to the gardens to the west is a large drying lawn.

The oldest part of the house dates back to 1890. It is of traditional construction; built of stone, painted white with a pitched slate roof. The symmetrical front façade features two sandstone castellated, feature bay windows flanking the central main entrance porch, and sandstone framed windows.

Internally the accommodation is well proportioned and finished to a high standard. On the ground floor the entrance porch leads through glazed double doors to the main hall and corridor. On the left hand side is the sitting room, complete with large bay window, cornicing, picture rail and wood burning stove.

An archway and double doors open up to the formal dining room, which provides access to the rear garden through double French doors. From the corridor a small office, large shower room and utility are found. A substantial farmhouse kitchen incorporates a large bay window, central island, Rangemaster cooker with gas hob, and generous dining and seating areas.

An attractive staircase leads upwards to the first floor. Double glazed doors to the flat roof above the entrance porch allow light to fill the landing. To the right is the main lounge, with double aspect views, marble fireplace and wood burning stove. Also on this level are four spacious double bedrooms and a family bathroom, including the principal bedroom and its adjoining dressing room. The layout is shown on the accompanying floorplan.

The attic is fully floored and there are two dormer windows, providing a space which could be converted to provide further accommodation. At present it is used for storage.

The house benefits from double glazing, oil fired central heating, mains electricity, mains water and private drainage.

LOT 2 - CAIRNTON FARM
452 ACRES

Located to the west of the farmhouse and south of the B966 are the farm buildings which are a mixture of modern and traditional construction surrounded by concrete aprons. They provide storage for up to approximately 750 tonnes of potatoes and 500 tonnes of grain and additionally livestock housing, machinery storage and workshop space.

The buildings are serviced by three phase electricity and mains water.

The land extends to 452 acres in total and includes 390 acres of arable, 35 acres of permanent pasture and 11 acres of woodland. It sits between 65 metres and 220 metres above sea level and is generally south facing and free draining.

The farm is divided in two by the B966. The land located to the south of the road is relatively flat, whilst the land to the north is more undulating in nature. The fields are expansive and suitable for modern farm machinery and cultivation equipment. A central track provides access to fields to the south, with the fields to the north easily accessed via the public road. Advantageously and important to the growing of vegetables, all arable compartments to the south of the B966 have underground irrigation pipes which lead from the Luther Burn. With prior notification, fields 3, 6 and 7 can also be irrigated using a flexible irrigation pipe around the property known as The Bothy, situated to the west of the steading (and out with the subjects of sale) and linking to pipework under the public road and beyond.

The land is classified by the James Hutton Institute as predominantly Grade 2 and is capable of growing a wide range of high yielding crops, with the land to the north of the B966 classed as a mixture of grades 3.1, 3.2 and 4. A seven-year rotation is currently implemented and has recently incorporated spring and winter arable crops (including spring barley grown for malting), vining peas, root vegetables (including both seed and ware potatoes), broccoli and a variety of bulbs. Land for growing peas is let on a seasonal basis. Although broccoli and carrots are no longer in the rotation, fields have previously been let to local producers for the purpose of growing such.

The grass fields are let to local farmers between the months of April to October. Fences are stockproof and water is provided either via water troughs or via natural means. In total there are 11 acres of woodland in Lot 2, including a block of mature standing conifers within compartment 14. Adjacent there is an area of hardstanding currently used for storing muck.

Directions

Directions
From the south, travel north on the A90. Approximately 2 miles after passing Laurencekirk take the exit on the left for Auchenblae. Continue on the road for a further 2 miles, turning left onto the B966 towards Laurencekirk. After 0.5 miles the entrance to Cairnton Farmhouse will be on your left hand side.

From the north, travel south on the A90. Approximately 0.5 miles after passing Fordoun, take the exit on the right for Auchenblae. Then follow directions as above.

For sat nav purposes the postcode is AB30 1SN.

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