Not everyone would have seen its potential.
Fewer still would have been prepared to make the investment of time and money.
But for a high flying London executive looking to escape the rat race, the large Victorian house in Perth was her ticket to a better life.
Claire Dingwall Slater has never looked back from her decision to quit her job in HR to pursue a dream of opening a guesthouse in Perth.
She immediately fell in love with Woodcroft House, located near Kinnoull Hill and packed with arts and crafts features such as rose cornices and wood panelling.
When Claire received the keys in April 2017, it took almost a full year and £200,000 to renovate.
But her vision was not just to create another city guesthouse, she wanted to make something special.
Keeping ‘soul and integrity’ of Woodcroft House
Claire, 43, said: “I was a HR director in London for 15 years and had a fantastic career.
“But I just wanted to do something different.
“I’d renovated houses before and always enjoyed cooking, so looked to open a guesthouse.
“Perth is not far from my mum and dad in Stonehaven and a nice central location.
“The house needed new wiring, plumbing, a lot of work on the roof, the servant’s quarters were gutted.
“Downstairs what’s really lovely is that all the arts and craft detail is still there.
“My mum made all the curtains in the house and my dad comes down to do the gardening.
“It’s still got its soul and integrity. It’s a beautiful, beautiful building.”
Luxury behind £260 a night price
The Perth house, dating from 1905 and boasting a monkey puzzle tree even older, could have been a B&B with many rooms for the public.
But a business model of several rooms selling for £60 a night was never Claire’s vision.
After the extensive refurbishment, Woodcroft House opened with just two suites available and Claire living in the old servant’s quarters.
What’s the secret to luxury? It’s the little differences.
“We don’t just put two teabags and a packet of biscuits in the rooms,” Claire said.
“We stuff the rooms with complimentary snacks and treats.
“I make homemade scones, my mum makes preserves for the house. It’s those extra touches that make the difference.
“Antique furniture, super soft carpets, the Egyptian bed linen is top quality… everything is as good as I can make it.
“I just want people to have a good high quality night away and there is a no children policy.”
As much care and attention is given to the meals, which are all hand cooked by Claire using local ingredients.
Woodcroft House now also has a smaller garden room available with the price of the rooms per night ranging from £190 to £260.
Perth guesthouse named best in Scotland
The pursuit of quality has not gone unnoticed.
A few months after opening it was awarded five stars by VisitScotland and it is the Scottish guest house of the year in the new Good Hotel Guide.
Claire said it her life has changed dramatically in the past five years.
She met her husband Alick Slater, a shepherd, just before the guesthouse opened and they married two years ago.
Now they are planning a new venture to bring their lives together, purchasing the Muir Estate in Thornhill, Stirlingshire.
It offers self catering accommodation and the couple has started a deer farm to offer field to fork venison.
Claire said: “We are really proud of what we’ve achieved and chuffed to bits that we’ve been recognised.
“But what is most important is the rave reviews from our customers.”
