When Norma Bibby and her husband were looking for a home in Scotland their search was more difficult than most.
“We were living in South Africa and were intending to move back to Scotland,” Norma explains.
“This was in the mid 1980s so long before the internet. My mother would post us The Courier’s property pages every week so we could keep an eye on what was on the market.”
When they returned to Scotland they began the hunt in earnest: “We had a list of houses and this one was literally the very last one on it,” Norma continues.
“Some of the houses were so bad we didn’t even bother going inside. We had a look at Ardenvohr from the outside but we didn’t have an appointment.
“We could see the old man who owned it, Mr McKay, napping in the living room. So we walked up to the High Street, found a payphone, called him and asked if it was okay to come in for a look then and there.”
The couple loved the house, which was originally a manse for a nearby church, and bought it in 1987.
“The location was perfect,” Norma says. “It’s secluded but close to the High Street and you can be on the A9 within a couple of minutes.”
They’ve since extended and remodelled it, as well as landscaping the garden.
“It wasn’t very well laid out when we moved in,” Norma explains. “The kitchen was half the size it is now and there was door after door to get into the house. We extended to one side and opened everything up.”
The extension contains a double garage, large utility room and a cloakroom, as well as a study upstairs.
In the old part of the house is the kitchen, where a wave of warmth it coming off a gas Aga. A central island divides cooking and dining spaces.
The dual aspect sitting/dining room has a wood burning stove while the drawing room next door has an open fire and large bay window.
Both rooms face to the front of the house and enjoy lovely views across to the Perthshire hills.
On the first floor are four large double bedrooms, a shower room and a family bathroom.
The master has another big bay window and enjoys excellent elevated views.
The front garden was fully landscaped a few years ago and contains an easily maintained mixture of lawn, shrubs, flowerbeds and trees.
In the back garden there are a variety of fruit trees, including apple and plum, and wooden planters that were rebuilt last year by a handy and generous neighbour. There’s off street parking for several vehicles.
With her children now grown up, Norma is looking to downsize and has bought a plot of land elsewhere in Auchterarder.
Local builder Stephen Gardiner will be building an eco-home for her.
“Ardenvorhr has been a wonderful home but it’s far too big for me and I’d love to see it filled by a nice family,” she says.
jmckeown@thecourier.co.uk
Ardenvohr, Auchterarder, is on sale with CKD Galbraith for offers over £600,000.
www.ckdgalbraith.co.uk