Country house for sale

Lot 1 - Mounteagle Estate, Fearn, Tain, Ross-Shire IV20

Mounteagle Estate is an exceptional mixed agricultural, residential and amenity/sporting property located in a private tranquil rural setting in Easter Ross. In total the estate extends to approximately 784.38 acres (317.42 ha) and is offered for sale as a whole or in three lots. Lot 1 comprises:

Lot 1 - Mounteagle Estate
Extending to approximately 601.39 acres (243.37 ha) this lot comprises Mounteagle House with its extensive gardens and lawns, three traditional terraced farm cottages, two traditional steading houses, a good range of farm buildings, extensive acreage of arable, grazing land and woodland and also riparian ownership and trout fishing on Loch Eye.

Mounteagle House
Mounteagle House is a magnificent period residence commandingly positioned within Mounteagle Estate. The property showcases classic architectural elegance with its grand elevations and bay windows, set against a backdrop of mature woodland and water views. Spanning 5,254 sq ft (488 sq m) the home retains a wealth of original features, including intricate cornicing, traditional fireplaces, and attractive woodwork.

The welcoming reception hall, featuring a sweeping staircase and timber flooring, creates a grand sense of arrival. From here, doors lead to three principal reception rooms, all with handsome fireplaces. The front-facing formal sitting room and dining room both benefit from large bay windows framing views over the garden, while a further drawing room provides an additional generous reception space. The open-plan kitchen and breakfast room features a traditional Aga and bespoke cabinetry, while practical requirements are well catered for by a dedicated study, a separate office, a walk-in pantry and a large laundry room. There is a pitch pine lined bathroom located under the main stairs.

On the first floor there are six wellproportioned bedrooms, two of which enjoy large bay windows, including the principal suite with its original fireplace and en-suite shower room. A further bedroom benefits from en-suite facilities, while the remaining rooms are served by a spacious family bathroom. A particular feature is the original wall mounted pitch pine built in storage units which provide useful storage space.

The accommodation is summarised as follows:

Ground floor
Entrance hall, dining room, sitting room, drawing room, kitchen/breakfast room, bathroom, study, pantry, office, laundry

First floor
6 bedrooms (2 en suite), bathroom

Outbuildings, Gardens and Grounds
The house is approached via a long, tree-lined driveway, opening onto expansive lawns and mature gardens. The picturesque grounds feature a variety of specimen trees, flowering rhododendrons, and woodland walks. To the east of the house lies a walled garden which enjoys a secluded and peaceful location. The garden is well maintained and comprises areas of lawn, manicured hedging, established trees, flower beds together with a useful greenhouse.

Adjacent to the house is a large double garage, potting shed and kennels.

Mounteagle Farm Cottages
Situated on the south side of the main estate driveway are the farm cottages. These comprise an attractive terraced row of single storey traditional cottages of stone construction set under slate roofs and which all have a private area of garden to the rear.

The cottages provide useful letting income to the estate. In summary the accommodation of these cottages is as follows:

Cottage 1
2 bedrooms (one en suite), sitting room, kitchen/dining room, bathroom, utility room

Cottage 2
3 bedrooms, sitting room, bathroom, kitchen/dining room

Cottage 3
2 bedrooms, sitting room, box room, kitchen/dining room

Steading House
This property is located between Mounteagle House and the farm buildings and forms part of the original 18th century farmhouse. The accommodation is as follows:

Ground floor
Sitting room, kitchen, utility room, large store room, WC

First floor
3 bedrooms and bathroom

Shepherd’s House
Shepherd’s House forms the other portion of the former farmhouse. This property is again constructed of stone walls set under a pitched slated roof with the accommodation set out over two floors as follows:

Ground floor
Sitting room, kitchen/dining room, utility room, WC

First floor
3 bedrooms and bathroom

Studio
Located adjacent to Steading House is a two floor studio with kitchenette and WC on the ground floor and a workshop area on the first floor. The first floor leads into a lofted store with storage bins (not currently in use).

Boathouse
Located at the northern end of the estate is a building constructed of brick walls and has been converted into a day space for entertaining sporting guests. The main room has a solid fuel burner. The furniture within the boathouse will be included in the sale.

Farm Buildings
The farm buildings lie to the east of the house and have a separate access and are an amalgam of modern and traditional buildings which are summarised in the downloadable brochure for further details.

Equestrian Arena
Located in the steading area is a 40m x 25m sand riding arena.

Agricultural Land & Woodland
The land within Lot 1 at Mounteagle comprises a mix of arable, permanent pasture, temporary grass, rough grazing and both commercial and broadleaf/native woodlands. The land is graded as a combination of grades 2,3 and 4 by the James Hutton Institute and has a neutral and gentle southerly aspect. The land is all easily accessed by way of good quality internal farm tracks. A land use summary table can be found in the downloadable brochure.

Fishing
Loch Eye is a renowned wild brown trout fishery and is managed by the Loch Eye angling association through annual subscriptions. The members of the association are the six riparian owners with an aim of managing the loch on a self sustaining basis. The Loch is a shallow, roughly 1-2 metres depth, eutrophic loch and supports a diverse aquatic ecosystem sustaining trout up to 5 lbs. The association has a number of fishing rules including a catch and release policy, no fishing from the bank, no outboard motors and fishing by fly only. There is a small timber jetty located on the banks of the loch close to the boathouse.

Shooting
The estate has excellent wildfowling opportunities and has good potential for a pheasant shoot. There are also excellent opportunities for roe deer stalking within the areas of woodland interspersed through the estate.

Woodland
Mounteagle Estate has an attractive mix of woods and shelterbelts which provide shelter and opportunities for sport.

The woodland comprises a mix of broadleaves and conifers with potential for further planting to enhance the amenity. Species within the woodland areas include Scots Pine, Alder, Oak, Birch, Sitka Spruce and Rowan.

Mounteagle Estate is situated in the attractive countryside of Easter Ross in what is known locally as the Fearn Peninsula. Easter Ross is renowned as one of the best farming areas in Scotland. It has a reputation for productive, high-quality farmland at low altitude and has a well-developed agricultural infrastructure including a number of grain, potato and agricultural machinery merchants and contractors. There is a busy livestock market at Dingwall. The nearest town to the farm, and Scotland’s oldest Burgh, is Tain, which provides an extensive range of services including supermarkets, shops, banks, cafés, restaurants, hotels and leisure facilities.

The nearby A9 has excellent links to the city of Inverness which provides a range of administrative, retail, recreational, educational and cultural facilities. The farm is well served by transport communication links. Inverness has an airport which offers regular flights to London, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Belfast and a range of European destinations. There is a nearby railway station at Fearn which has regular services to Inverness. A sleeper service operates from Inverness railway station to London. There are a number of primary schools in the local area, nearest being Hill of Fearn, whilst the new Tain Royal Academy provides secondary education. Private education is available at Gordonstoun near Elgin.

The surrounding area has plenty of sporting opportunities, which include, for the golfer, the famous championship courses at Royal Dornoch and Castle Stuart. For the fly fisherman, as well as fishing on the nearby Balnagown River, the Rivers Beauly, Oykel, Conon, Alness, Carron and Shin provide exciting salmon fishing, whilst Loch Eye has some of the country’s best wild brown trout fishing. Pheasant and driven grouse shooting can be rented on estates in the surrounding area. The beautiful beaches of Shandwick Bay and the seaboard villages are nearby, while the village of Portmahomack offers boat trips for sea angling and dolphin watching. There is a summer ferry service across the Cromarty Firth from Nigg to Cromarty.