This magnificent Edwardian house, built in 1906, was originally the family home of John King Ballantyne, mill owner and son of Henry Ballantyne, who was substantially responsible for founding the village of Walkerburn, set in the heart of the Scottish Borders, having initially purchased land there to build a tweed mill in 1846.
Accommodation and amenities:
• Period home with 3 reception rooms
• Sunroom
• Games room
• 10 ensuite bedrooms
• 2 Guests W.C.
• Office
• Outbuildings
• Mature garden and policies (approx. 3 acres)
• Productive grazing land (approx. 7 acres)
• In all approx. 10.00 acres
In recent times the house has been home to a an independently-owned small luxury 5-star hotel and has consequently been subject to a continuous programme of maintenance and repair. It forms part of a charming small country estate and is set in approximately 10.00 acres. It is stone built under a slate roof, with bay windows and has a south easterly aspect, making it dramatically bright and welcoming.
It offers versatile and comfortable family accommodation, with well-proportioned reception rooms and a plethora of exceptionally comfortable, flexible ensuite bedrooms (one of which currently doubles as a substantially sized dressing room). It retains many of its original Edwardian features, not least its panelled stair case and dining room.
Behind the house with a southerly aspect there is an original green house with brick built back wall and low walls on the other three sides, with complete fenestration and surmounted by a pitched glass panelled roof; a garden store / potting shed is attached to it. At right angles to the green house’ there is a further brick-built store. The drive leads from the public road up to the front door of the house. The gardens and policies of the house extend to three acres in total and have been maintained to a very high standard. They comprise the formal terraces to the front with their flag stone steps descending towards the Tweed, borders and shrubberies, lawned areas and a kitchen garden.
The house is embraced by a seven-acre field. It is a perfect adjunct to a family home, offering additional privacy as well as grazing for ponies and horses.
For sale as a whole or in 2 lots.
Area:
Situation The village of Walkerburn is active and friendly and has a great community spirit. It is situated between Peebles and Galashiels sitting on the north bank of the River Tweed and surrounded by the stunning countryside of the Tweed Valley and the wider Scottish Borders. It is a village community that has a village shop / Post Office, its own village hall, an excellent coffee shop, a primary school and a number of local businesses residing in the former mill buildings; it also houses a small number of science-based industries and many successful small enterprises.
There is a well-supported rugby football club that, amongst many other things, organises the annual Walkerburn Sevens. It lies 2 miles east of the small town of Innerleithen that offers a mixture of shops and services, including highly regarded hotels and restaurants, primarily along its High Street. Some 9 miles east, Peebles offers a greater choice of amenities including banks, a Post Office, supermarkets – a Tesco Superstore, a Sainsbury’s and an M&S Simply Food, hotels, a health centre, several highly regarded restaurants, the Eastgate Theatre and a leisure centre and swimming pool. Walkerburn is within the catchment area for the prestigious and highly regarded Peebles High School.
Windlestraw is ideally situated to take advantage of the multitude of recreational opportunities offered in the Scottish Borders, an area widely known for its unspoilt beauty, strong equestrian tradition and tantalising choice of sport. There are endless opportunities for walking and riding.
Locally, Glentress and Innerleithen are two of the ‘7 stanes’ world-class mountain biking centres that span the south of Scotland. Their award-winning trails offer some of the best mountain biking in the country and attract riders from across the UK and far beyond. For the golf enthusiast, there are a number of courses in the area; there are 18-hole golf courses in Peebles and at Cardrona, approximately five miles to the west, with a 9 hole course in Innerleithen.
