Whitemoss Lodge is easier to find than many properties I’ve visited in this job.
A large brown tourist sign points the correct exit off the A9 a couple of miles before Auchterarder, directing me straight to the lodge and its cluster of eco-cabins.
Owner Lesley Morby explains: “This was once Whitemoss Golf Course’s Clubhouse, and that’s why it’s signposted from the A9. We inherited the sign when we bought the place, which is perfect for guests finding their way here.”
Lesley and her husband David bought Whitemoss Lodge around three years ago and set about converting it.
The huge former clubhouse was split in two, with Lesley making one side their family home, and the other housing three en suite bedrooms and a dining/reception room.
The ground floor of the residential part of the house is dominated by a huge open plan kitchen/living/dining space. A red Aga and an island provide the focal points to the kitchen, while a wood burning stove bathes the living area in its warming glow on winter evenings. Huge windows throw light into the room and also give fine views over the rolling Perthshire countryside.
Also on the ground floor is an en suite bedroom, large storeroom, WC and an office.
Lesley installed a set of stairs and converted part of the attic level of the house into two bedrooms and a spacious landing.
The three letting bedrooms all have a king size bed and have sizeable en suite shower rooms.
Outside are five eco-pods which Lesley and David had constructed. Each one consists of an open plan living/sleeping room, bathroom and French doors onto a timber deck.
The pods are clad in silver birch and each one is angled to have privacy from its neighbour.
Unlike many self-catering and B&B businesses, Whitemoss is usually open all year round.
“In the summer time and at weekends we have tourists and families here,” Lesley says. “During the week and all year round it’s business people. I close when I need to take a break but we’re open most of the year.”
Whitemoss Lodge most obviously lends itself to a ready made business but it could also be converted into a gigantic family home.
“You could re-connect the B&B side with the rest of the house and you could convert the rest of the attic,” Lesley continues.
The Morby’s daughter Daisy is a talented gymnast and Lesley’s time is occupied by ferrying her daughter to competitions. “I would love to keep this place but I need to focus on helping her achieve her goals,” she explains.
Whitemoss Lodge, Dunning, is on sale with Savills for offers in the region of £695,000.