Charming Pitlochry guest house for sale as owners plan retirement
A popular guest house in Pitlochry has been put up for sale as its owners plan their retirement.
James and Lisa Roy, both in their 50s, have owned Cuil-An-Daraich Guest House in Logierait for two seasons.
The couple moved to Pitlochry from Edinburgh after frequently holidaying in the area.
They have decided to put the five-bedroom guest house on the market and retire early.
Lisa told The Courier about their decision to sell the business.
She said: 'My husband has been ill so we decided to plan our retirement early.
'We have loved meeting people from all around the world and love the area too.
'We bought the guest house because we fancied a change after holidaying here for years.
'It's a great business and always busy with lots of bookings.'
The couple say they are going to 'wait and see' what they will do next.
Cuil-An-Daraich Guest House is five miles outside of Pitlochry and benefits from busy tourist seasons.
It has been refurbished and includes a south-facing terrace that overlooks River Tay.
The guest house is a turnkey business and comes with a two-bedroom owners' accommodation in the sale.
Cuil-An-Daraich Guest House is being marketed by Graham and Sibbald for offers in the region of £450,000.
Elsewhere in Pitlochry, a Perthshire whisky and chocolate taster is opening a second store in the town.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Courier
10 hours ago
- The Courier
Housing minister meets Raac campaigners in Dundee as key theme emerges
The housing minister has met with campaigners and the local authority in Dundee to discuss the Raac crisis affecting in the city. Paul McLennan sat down with Yvette and Wayne Hoskins on Monday afternoon to discuss a range of concerns, including communication issues between residents and Dundee City Council. Speaking to The Courier afterwards, Mr McLennan said: 'I met with the council earlier on today as well and asked them some questions about their approach. 'And I've spoken to Wayne and Yvette in more detail. 'There's some things that we've taken away, one of them is about communication both for council tenants and for private residents.' The housing minister believes local authorities should be taking the lead on informing residents about Raac-related issues and said learnings could be made. 'I think the key thing is communication between council and the Raac community – whether it's either residents or council tenants,' said Mr McLennan. 'The situation in Aberdeen is different to Dundee and is different to other parts, so the lead on this should be local authorities. 'One of the other things we talked about today was learning from other local authorities. 'In terms of Aberdeen, its communication has been different from Dundee, it's been different from North Lanarkshire and other parts of Scotland. 'So we look at best practice as well in terms of communication.' When asked outright if Dundee City Council had to improve on their communication, Mr McLennan said: 'I think they're just different approaches. 'It's an unsettling time for residents and council tenants and I think one of the key things is knowing what they need to know.' Earlier this week, Raac residents in Menzieshill were furious after being told to expect a repair bill by council for work on their flats which began without consultation. Mortgages and insurance concerns were the other key messages raised by the campaigners. The housing minister said the Scottish Government were continuing to ask Westminster to set up a UK Raac fund. However, he admitted that currently the UK Government was saying no. Mr McLennan pointed to Raac now being found in Wales and other previous instances where it was found in England. 'We believe it's a UK Raac issue and we've asked the UK Government to set up a Raac fund. 'They've said no at this stage, but we've went back to them.' The Courier is asking people to sign a petition to help homeowners gain a voice at Westminster. Dundee Raac campaign chairman, Wayne Hoskins, said it had been a good meeting with the minister. He told The Courier: 'We want answers for homeowners and tenants. 'We want answers on mortgages, we can't get mortgages on our property. 'How do we restore these to market value? We're losing £30k-40k on these properties.' The housing minister said he would return to Dundee for a public meeting on the issue.
The Courier
16 hours ago
- The Courier
Bellaty Lodge: I explore abandoned shooting lodge in Glenisla built for dowager Lady Kinloch
Hidden deep in woodland in Glenisla, you would never know Bellaty Lodge existed. Built in the early 1900s for the Dowager Lady Kinloch, today the huge mansion lies in ruins. That doesn't mean it's lost all its grandeur: what remains of Bellaty stands proudly, if a little forlornly. I drove deep into the heart of Glenisla on a mission to explore the decaying shooting lodge for the first time last week. I'd driven past it countless times, but had no clue it was there, just a few minutes' walk from the B951 running through the glen. Having seen a post about it on social media, I was determined to track it down. And tracking it down turned out to be my first stumbling block. Without giving too much away – because finding such hidden gems for yourself is a huge part of the appeal – I hit the jackpot after a botched first attempt. Here's a hint – don't type 'Bellaty' into Google Maps and expect to find it. There's a farm called Bellaty and that is certainly not the old shooting lodge. There's a derelict house close to the farm, too, but I wouldn't advise exploring that. It's in a seriously precarious condition, and there are gates, fences and scratchy bushes galore to put off would-be explorers. Suffice to say, I found Bellaty Lodge not too far away, and my goodness, what a feast for the eyes. It's an enormous, roofless shell, but there are loads of fascinating features. I was drawn to the building's many fireplaces, some on upper levels and full of birds' nests, a curious wooden shed, a rusting fire grate, and fallen bricks, marked 'Muir Armadale'. I also located the stone steps at the front of the house, although they're completely overgrown. And outside, I almost tripped over an old, strange-looking metal bucket with holes in it. The lodge has been pretty much reclaimed by nature: huge trees have taken root within, and nettles dominate. I was stung numerous times. It was constructed for the Dowager Lady Kinloch – the widow of Lord Kinloch – in the early 1900s. A story in The Courier on May 23, 1904, reported that she was building a shooting lodge on her 'recently bought estate of Bellaty'. It's thought she left the lodge around 1916, when the entire contents were sold at various public auctions over the following years. A report in The Courier on June 3, 1919, stated that she sold Bellaty Lodge to Mr L. R. Melville, of Melville & Graham, solicitors, Dundee and Errol. The estate came complete with 'splendid shooting' and the fishing of nearby Auchentaple Loch. The following month, a report told how the lodge's furniture and furnishings – belonging to Lady Kinloch – were to be sold on July 7, 1919, in Alyth Town Hall. Among the contents included: a piano in a black ebony case, a rosewood bookcase, mahogany chairs, tables, desks and knife boxes, a Persian carpet, an oak dinner wagon, Duchess chests, a butter churn, a typewriter, various garden tools and machinery, milk 'luggies', plus trunks, handbags, and leather travel luggage. Following the sale, a report said: 'There was keen competition, and good prices were realised. The drawing-room carpet brought £49.' Bellaty was then sold to new owners, the Nicols. One of the family members, Miss Anne Nicol, featured in the local news after attending a society dance in Kirriemuir in January 1922. She was described as a 'charming' member of the party, 'whose red golden hair was prettily set off by her graceful frock of soft cream chiffon over gold tissue'. Also reported in January 1922 was a New Year party, held by the Nicol family at Bellaty, and attended by friends. The staging of the 'humorous' plays of Mechanical Jane and Cinderella were said to have cause 'great merriment'. Meanwhile, guests were also treated to 'splendid dancing exhibitions'. In January 1925, the Nicols held a whist drive and dance during which 'about 40 ladies and gentlemen sat down to a pleasant tea'. Highland fling, sword dances and fortune telling were also included in the entertainment. However, in the 1930s and 40s, Bellaty was rented out to tenants during the shooting and fishing seasons, complete with linen, cutlery, plates and maids 'if desired'. Adverts in newspapers offered those who rented it an 'exceedingly comfortable' house, with access to unlimited trout fishing and 350 acres of shooting. I'll be honest though – I don't think Bellaty Lodge was the most beautiful building. I managed to find an old photo of it in its heyday via Angus Archives (we can't use this here, alas), and my goodness, it was, in my humble opinion, borderline ugly. Essentially, it was a two-storey, flat-roofed, rectangular block coated in white render, with a three-storey 'tower' stuck on to a rear corner. It boasted 18 rooms, including five public rooms, seven bedrooms and two bathrooms – plus a garage. The views would have been stunning – down to the River Isla and across the glen. Those views still exist, although they've become obscured by trees and out-of-control vegetation. Alas, Bellaty was only in use for just over half a century. Dundee-based demolition company Charles Brand dismantled it in 1954, with roof slates, floorboards, fireplaces and woodwork salvaged and sold. It was then used for agricultural storage – and it was being used to store straw when a fire ripped through it in August 1986. Firefighters were there for almost 24 hours carrying out 'damping operations'. It continues to fall further into decay and it might not be long before another chimney pot crashes to the ground, or an entire wall collapses. It may be fading into obscurity but it still bears faint echoes of the past. It's fascinating to imagine the lives of those who lived here – and who enjoyed Bellaty's lavish parties and entertainment.
The Courier
2 days ago
- The Courier
Inside the £150-a-night converted private jet on an Angus farm
A private jet has been converted into a £150-a-night short-term holiday let on an Angus farm. Conservative councillor and farmer Iain Gall bought the Hawker 700 on eBay for £25,000 in 2022. The 37-year-old estimates he has spent an additional £50,000 on the jet as he prepares to welcome his first guests. Iain hoped to have the getaway up and running in 2023, but due to a busy period on the farm and other holiday accommodations to manage, the project was delayed. He told The Courier: 'We have the planning permission and now we are just waiting for the short-term let licence. 'We intended to open in 2023, but I ended up taking on some other houses, and the farm has been really busy; it is one of those things that has dragged on. 'The plane was already converted, but we have had the cockpit walls wrapped in tweed. 'I wanted to keep the original interior with the captain's chairs and the leather. 'The only thing is the cockpit where the tweed boards have been put in to make it feel more cosy.' The jet sits on Iain's family's Glenskinno Farm near Montrose. The twin-engined British Aerospace aircraft was formerly owned by a Russian tycoon and featured on the TV show George Clarke's Amazing Spaces as it was converted into a living space in 2020. Iain says there was initially confusion with securing the short-term let licence due to the farm's land ownership titles being old, however, he expects it to be approved soon. He added: 'There has been a large amount of interest and people trying to book. 'I wanted to make sure it was ready. 'If you are in the plane, it is really nice, but it is quite small and difficult to stand up inside, so I decided to add a garden room. 'Even if it is a horrible day with the rain, guests can sit in there and look out onto the countryside. 'It is all well and good for me to think it is a good idea, but how do you actually live there for a couple of nights? 'There was never a rush, it was always going to be ready when it was ready.'
