Deuchnyside is one of those nice examples of a property that feels remote yet is only moments from civilisation.
Within two minutes of leaving the A90 between Dundee and Perth I’ve reached the edge of Kinfauns and I’m driving up the private track that leads to the house.
It occupies one end of a 110 year old farm steading that was developed and extended in 2006.
Scott and Gillian Cairns were the home’s first owners, moving in early in 2007. Scott (49) is the managing director of Fife timber firm James Donaldson & Sons while Gillian (45) works part time as a manager in the Scottish Government’s Department of Health.
Mac, the couple’s handsome Hungarian vizsla, rushes to the door to inspect the new visitor but isn’t allowed out due to a neighbour’s hens having temporarily infiltrated the garden.
Although the four-bedroom house was partially finished when they put down their deposit, Scott and Gillian had some say on fittings and fixtures.
They picked the flooring, installed the 7KW “Jotul” Norwegian wood burning stove, did bathrooms and – thanks to Scott’s job – made good use of walnut and oak for doors and floors.
When I visit, on an afternoon when the weak late autumn sun has dipped behind the trees, the stove has been burning for half an hour and the house is already toasty.
Mac has dragged the blanket from his bed to in front of the stove, spread it out with his paws, and drifted blissfully off to sleep.
The main living space is a very large open plan area with a kitchen, living and dining areas and a study. Off this is a cosy living room that’s used for TV watching. We deliberately didn’t put a TV in the other space,” Gillian explains. “If you have one you end up watching it and I’d much rather read.”
The master bedroom has a double height ceiling that continues into the en suite. It’s located at the opposite end of the house from the other three bedrooms. “We love the layout,” Gillian continues. “When we have guests they have their private end of the house and we have ours.”
The second bedroom is also en suite and two upstairs bedrooms share a family bathroom. Deuchnyside (it’s named after Deuchny wood on the side of nearby Binn hill) has been designed so that no windows look out across neighbours and no neighbours look into the house.
That allows big windows that let in lots of light for no loss of privacy. One wall of windows and French doors look out to the tranquillity of the courtyard. Another set of glazed doors in the kitchen give westward views across the garden over Binn Hill and the Perthshire countryside. A patio is the couple’s favourite place to enjoy an evening glass of wine in the summertime.
Scott and Gillian are selling up to pursue a long-held dream of building their own eco home.
“We’re looking for a plot at the moment,” Scott says. “We want a really low-impact, environmentally friendly home.” He gives Mac’s head an affectionate rub. “I’d also like a bit more land for Mac to run around on.”
Deuchnyside, Kinfauns, is on sale through CKD Galbraith for offers over £480,000.