A cat glares at me from the farm track as I park outside Graymar House, perhaps annoyed I’ve disturbed its hunting.
The moggy is the only sign of life until John Methven steps out to meet me, despite there being a couple of nearby houses.
“The nice thing about living here is you have neighbours but you can’t see them,” he smiles. “All the houses are well screened from one another.”
John (68) retired in 2009 after a career in the oil industry that saw him become global director of health and safety for energy giant Petrofac.
He and his wife Nova (67) moved from Aberdeenshire to Graymar House a couple of years after retiring.
“We’re serial movers,” Nova says. “This is probably longest we’ve stayed anywhere.
It’s easy to see why. With enormous rooms, low running costs, seclusion and views in nearly all directions, the four bedroom house is a pleasant place to spend time.
It lies a short way down a lane off the B9127 near Carmyllie and a short distance from Crombie Country Park.
“The location was what drew us here,” Nova explains. “We’re only 10 minutes from Carnoustie, Forfar and Arbroath. And we’re not much further from Broughty Ferry, where we like to go for a meal out.”
The Methvens had the lane outside their house tarmacked. Past their house it becomes a track across fields so the only passing traffic is an occasional tractor or the aforementioned cat.
The couple are the second owners Graymar House has had its short history, which stretches back to 2006.
“It was constructed by a self-builder,” Nova continues. “He sold it because he wanted to go on and self-build again.”
All on one level, the house has four large bedrooms, all of which are en suite. The front door opens into a hallway with a pair of Velux windows throwing in light. Straight ahead is a sunroom, with flagstone floor, three walls of windows and a Velux skylight.
The lounge has two bay windows and is used for more formal occasions.
The room in which the couple spend by far the most of their time is the open plan living/dining/kitchen.
Measuring 10.5 by 9.8 metres, it’s a big space and its sunroom-style windows gaze over the Angus countryside.
John and Nova added an array of 16 solar panels to the garage roof. They’re on the highest solar tariff so bring in a tidy little income each year on top of bringing down the house’s energy bill.
“The house is very well insulated,” John adds. “Our combined heat and electric bill is only around £70-80 a month. It’s a cheap home to run.”
Having four en suite bedrooms – two of which have dressing rooms – has made it a fantastic house for having guests to stay.
The couple are unsure where they’ll go next – one possibility is back to Aberdeen to enjoy city life.
“I’ll miss having all the big rooms,” Nova says. “I’ll miss the sunsets – we get some fabulous ones here. And I’ll miss the peace and quiet”.
jmckeown@thecourier.co.uk
Graymar House, Carmyllie, Angus is on sale with Blackadders for o/o £495,000.