Couple’s dream countryside home near Golspie to star in BBC series ‘Escape to the Country’
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
The owners of a 170-year-old property in east Sutherland are ready to say a fond farewell to their “special” countryside home after it was selected to feature on a popular television series.
Kayleigh and Jamie Macleod realised their dream of self sufficiency in the beauty of the countryside when they swapped the bustle of Aberdeen for Hill Cottage near Golspie five years ago.
Now, with their eyes set on a move to Dornoch and their dream cottage on the market, they could be in for a quick sale thanks to a visit from BBC television show “Escape to the Country”.
Built in 1854 near Kirkton Farm, the four-bedroom country house was initially set in to an old quarry on a hill across from the Mound, overlooking Loch Fleet.
The property has been extended and restored extensively over the years and the couple most recently secured planning permission for a fifth bedroom.
Surrounded by plants ideal for foraging, the property’s idyllic and enviable location provide a welcoming destination for pine martins, bats, mice, frogs as well as birds of many kinds.
The history of the cottage and its immediate surroundings also form part of its charm, as Kayleigh attests.
Kayleigh said: “It is believed that the house once housed the local butcher of Golspie, along with ten of her children in one room upstairs.
“There have also been many stories about the road being haunted. In fact, my husband had an experience outside in the dark, hearing a horse coming down the road.
“We didn’t know the road’s history at this point, but we later discovered that just down from the house there was an old watering hole where horses once drank.
“It later became a horse’s graveyard, and that small stretch has since become known by lorry drivers as one of the country’s most haunted roads, with sightings of a headless horseman on the route!”
The couple decided to put their “special” home on the market soon after the birth of their fourth child, after they faced a decision to further extend their home.
Kayleigh added: “We had our fourth child, who I have birth to in the living room of the house. That meant we really needed a five bedroom property, so we applied for planning permission to build a fifth bedroom, and this was approved.
“But, with our older children going to school in Dornoch rather than Golspie, we decided not to go ahead with the build and have now decided to move into Dornoch. We ultimately wanted to give the children a bit more independence and it would also give us a break from driving!
“We then put the house up for sale, and it was only about three days later that we received a call from Hamish Homes to say that the BBC had been in touch with them to feature our house in Escape to the Country.
“Everything then happened very quickly. The production team came up on the Monday, and selected our house as a ‘wild card’ option. A day later, they filmed the rooms and on Thursday, a camera crew and presenter Alistair Appleton came out to the house to film him showing the potential buyers around the house.
“We were fortunate to have a chance to meet everyone, and the children also got a chance to meet Alistair. It was great to see how a programme like this is made, and the clever editing that is involved. We have a good feeling about the couple who were viewing the house too, even though it was their wild card option.
“The team themselves have been fantastic. They were very conscious of our environment and sensitive around our own things. They were very interested in the history of the area and the house.
“It is a special house, with its own aura. Everything is so quirky, with steps here, there and everywhere. Everyone who has lived in the house has contributed something to it. It’s a real mix of modern and old.
“It’s great to give the house the recognition it deserves, as it is a really special house. It is just such a joyful end to our experience living in that house, the fact that Escape to the Country thought it was good enough to be on the programme.
“Seeing the presenter’s love of the house too was very nice. It does also make you wonder why you are selling it!
“I think it’ll show a wider audience what kind of house you can get for your money here in the Highlands and how much more active and productive your life can be living here. The community here is what makes this place.”
Listed at £367,000, estate agents Hamish Homes describe the home as an “outstanding family property in a fantastic location”.
It’s extensive grounds are noted for their “gravelled utility areas, lawns, and patios” in a natural habitat blessed with “mature trees, shrubbery, and stone walls, creating an idyllic backdrop that sits beautifully in the Scottish landscape.”
