SITUATED in one of the most picturesque settings on the southern edge of the Borders market town of Peebles, Loaningdale House is set over three floors with seven bedrooms which includes a self-contained, two-bedroom flat on the top floor.
The flexible layout has accommodated the family’s requirements as both a home and a place to work with two adjacent properties, The Bothy with one bedroom and Morning Hill Cottage with three bedrooms, providing an excellent business opportunity as holiday and longer term lets.
Ruth McKean and her partner Roger bought the 19th century steading in 2006 and spent the next four years renovating the property. She explains how the location of Loaningdale House was one of the things they fell in love with.
She says: “The house looks on to Morning Hill and is on the side of Cademuir Hill which is popular with local dog walkers, horse riders and our children.
“It is a brilliant place for them to explore and the John Buchan Way is much less than ’39 Steps’ from the house as it is just through the garden gate.
“Loaningdale is possibly the highest house in Peebles which gives us outstanding views across the valley with the distinctive roof tops of the Hydro in the distance.”
Ruth highlights how the self-contained flat at the top of the house is ideal for guests, extended family or an au pair and how it has had various incarnations for her own family.
She continued: “There is an open plan kitchen, dining and livingroom with two bedrooms and a bathroom and with the arrival of our three daughters and our son, it’s been a lovely quiet office space for me to work.
“The main living area of the flat was also their fantastic playroom for a while and now it’s great to have Roger’s dad living there.”
Renovating the house has been a labour of love for the couple with the changes being sympathetic to the character of the building.
The hard work paid off and Loaningdale is now a generously proportioned family home with the main living accommodation on the first floor which maximises the stunning views.
Ruth loves the entrance to the house and says: “It is a large, welcoming room with a wood burning stove and the bedrooms lead off this area.
“On a practical level, the large boot room and utility room can be accessed from the garden and they make it very easy to keep the house mud-free.”
Ruth commented on how the house is packed full of very special memories.
She says: “Before the floor of our upstairs living room was finished, the children learned to ride their bikes there and they developed a figure of eight track to show off their proficiency with the kitchen table and an armchair as the two central points.
“Our Hogmanay parties have brought friends and family together and seeing the start of a new year with a dark sky sparkling with stars is something I will always remember.”
The annual Peebles Beltane takes place in June and is a week-long festival celebrating the return of summer. On the Wednesday of the week the horse riders gather for the traditional races on Morning Hill, which is opposite the house.
Ruth says: “We have our own Beltane custom as the garden, which is third of an acre, provides a wonderful venue for over a hundred and fifty friends who join us to cheer on the riders.
“It is a great gathering for all ages and I do not know who enjoys it the most; the adults or the children.”
Ruth says Loaningdale House will always have a special place in her heart.
“It is a wonderful family home and we have met some lovely people who rented the two properties either as holiday or longer term lets.
“The house has been a great place to work from and I am still surprised that after a meeting in Edinburgh, I am frequently home before an associate crossing from one side of the city to the other.”
Ruth and her family are looking forward to the new phase of their lives in Somerset, but their love of the area means they are building a smaller house nearby.
She says: “Loaningdale House is just a walk away from Peebles which is a pleasant, safe town with good schools and sports facilities, the Eastgate Theatre, quality independent shops, two supermarkets and the famous biking trails at Glentress are just two miles away.
“Living and working here has been wonderful.”
Loaningdale House is for sale with a guide price of £735,000 or as a whole to include the two adjacent properties with a guide price of £1,065,000.
To view Loaningdale House, contact RE/MAX Clydesdale & Tweeddale, Peebles Office on 01721 723072 or peebles@remax-tweeddale.net
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