It may be called Dull (and be twinned with Boring in Oregon) but the little Highland Perthshire village is neither dull nor boring.
Up a quiet country lane, it has virtually no through traffic. A wooded hillside sits behind the village. Walk up that and you’ll quickly find yourself in glorious wilderness.
The Tay Valley spreads out in front of Dull, with the winding snake of the river glistening at its heart. Loch Tay itself is just a five minute drive away. There the small beach at Kenmore is a popular spot to launch a boat, go paddle boarding, do some open water swimming or just enjoy a picnic.
The lovely mountain town of Aberfeldy is only a couple of miles away. As well as excellent school and sports facilities it has some terrific options for eating and drinking. Habitat and the Watermill are my two favourite cafes. There’s even the Birks Cinema if you want to catch a movie.
It’s little wonder that when people find themselves in Dull they tend to stay in Dull. Lindsey Bacon has been there for nearly two decades. She bought her house, Pinetrees, from a man called Peter who built it in 1980. Peter now lives next door, having bought a field and built a new house on it.
Even though she’s selling Pinetrees, Lindsey isn’t planning to move very far away. She has her eye on a cottage just a few metres down the road.
Finding Pinetrees
It was circumstance that brought Lindsey to Dull in the first place. “I lived in Edinburgh and was then in Derbyshire for a long time,” she explains. “My mother fell ill and needed to be looked after. I took early retirement so I could move up to Scotland.
“At the time my mother was in Edinburgh but I had no intention of living in a city. My sister was in Dalguise so I drew a 15 mile radius around there and got looking.”
It just so happened that Pinetrees came on the market around that time and Lindsey has spent a happy 18 years there.
The single storey house was built around 1980. It is located in the heart of the village beside Dull Parish Churchyard.
Pinetrees’ front door leads into a welcoming hallway. The living room is a warm space with a large wood burning stove that keeps it toasty throughout the colder months.
Off the living room is a large sunroom that was added by the previous owner. With an insulated roof and windows that make the most of solar gain it’s a room that can be used all year round.
A vaulted ceiling gives a great sense of space and allows for high level triangular windows that throw in even more light. The sunroom also enjoys wonderful views across the garden to the Perthshire mountains on the horizon.
“This is probably my favourite room in the house,” Lindsey explains. “I’m only ever in the living room to pass through it on my way here. If I’m not in here I’m usually in the kitchen.”
Heart of the home
It isn’t difficult to see why Lindsey spends a lot of time in the kitchen either. With a dining space and a cosy living area the spacious room feels like the heart of the home. Lindsey replaced the kitchen seven years ago and it now has a nice modern feel to it with sleek, glossy units and integrated appliances.
Also new is a rear porch that Lindsey added a few years ago. It has a glazed ceiling and a west facing window. There are spots for hanging coats and storing muddy boots, and a rocking chair to enjoy the evening sunshine from.
Pinetrees has three double bedrooms. The master bedroom has an en suite shower room and views over the rear garden.
A second double bedroom has a window that looks out to the rear of the house. The third double bedroom is accessed from the dining end of the kitchen and is more than seven metres long. It has a bed at one end of the room, a seating area at the other, a large window and a glazed door out to the garden.
“This was originally two smaller bedrooms when I moved here,” Lindsey explains. “When my mum was living with me she was in the master bedroom and I converted these two rooms into one larger bedroom for myself.
“I needed a bit of my own space so having a living area in here gave me a bit of peace and quiet when I wanted it. You get the morning sunshine in here so I usually sit and have my coffee here or open the door out into the garden if it’s warm enough.”
Beautiful gardens
The gardens at Pinetrees wrap around the house. The beautiful back garden has plenty of beds and shrubbery and is a haven for wildlife – even attracting deer sometimes.
To the rear of the house is a large shed with plenty of space to store garden equipment. Meanwhile, to the front of Pinetrees there is a parking area with space for several cars.
There’s also a pretty front garden with lawn and flowerbeds that captures the evening sunshine.
Sadly Lindsey’s mother passed away around 13 years ago and the house now feels too big for her.
“I rattle around in here a bit so it’s time to sell it on,” she says. “I love living here though and I will hopefully be buying a smaller cottage in the village.
“There’s a lovely sense of community here and the neighbours are all fantastic. The garden fence blew down recently and Peter got stuck in straight away to fix it. It would be hard to move away from such a great place.”
Pinetrees, Dull, Aberfeldy is on sale with Galbraith for a guide price of £450,000.
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