Cottage above Loch Tummel is ultimate Highland Perthshire retreat

The Courier

23-04-2025

In my 12 years as this newspaper's property writer I've rarely seen a home in as stunning and peaceful a setting as Balintuim.
Sat on a hillside above Loch Tummel it has outstanding views across the water to the mountains beyond. It's reached via a three-quarter mile farm track from near the Inn at Loch Tummel.
There are just a smattering of other dwellings along the way and only one house past the entrance to Balintuim, giving it a tremendous sense of seclusion and tranquillity.
Stewart and Morven Brown have owned Balintuim since 1992. 'We bought it almost by accident,' Morven explains. 'We were given a stay in a lodge at Kenmore as a birthday present.
'It was a scorching summer's day and the property section of the Scotsman had this old ruin listed for sale nearby. We went up to have a look at it and fell in love with it at first sight.'
Slightly strapped for cash at the time, they teamed up with another couple to buy the ruin but a couple of years later amicably bought them out and became sole owners.
When it came to renovating the ruin they were in a good position. Stewart is a founding partner of Simpson and Brown, an Edinburgh-based firm specialising in conservation architecture. 'He also loves using his hands and did most of the work himself,' Morven continues.
'It was an absolute wreck,' Morven says. 'There were four walls and that was it. Sheep were living in the house and what little bits of timber were left were soaked in sheep wee.'
Stewart and Morven carried out the work in several phases, restoring and renovating the main cottage, extending it, and then turning one of the barns into a self-contained studio.
Asked how long the work took, Stewart laughs: 'From 1992 until last month! I've always got something more I want to do to it. The main restoration work probably took from 1992-94, and then we added the extension and created the studio.
'Throughout the repair and improvement of Balintuim we used local contractors, mainly from the Tummel valley and Pitlochry and as a conservation architect of some 50 years in business, I found all of them to be superb craftsmen.'
The cottage is thought to date from 1790 and first appeared in the census in 1850. 'At that point 21 people were listed as living in the cottage and outbuildings,' Morven says. 'When Queen Victoria passed what is now called Queen's View the entire road was lined with well-wishers – that's how many people lived in this area back then.'
Morven knows not only the translation of Balintuim, but that of all the neighbouring homes as well. 'It means 'the house on the mound,'' she explains.
The main cottage has a charming sitting room with a huge wood burning stove that heats water as well as keeping the house cosy.
The kitchen is another special room. It has a vaulted ceiling with a feature exposed stone wall. The table sits in front of two windows that frame the spectacular views over the loch. A door leads out to the garden.
The main bedroom is on the ground floor and has an en suite shower room. To the back of the house is the extension the couple added which has a large utility room/boot room with plenty of storage.
At half landing level is a lovely bathroom with Tain Pottery tiles. The attic contains two twin bedrooms with skylight windows looking towards Loch Tummel.
Adjacent to the main house is a barn that has been converted into studio accommodation. It consists of one large room with two sets of glazed doors that open to the garden. A shower room means it can be used as guest accommodation and there is electric underfloor heating throughout.
Another stone barn sits beside the studio and would be perfect for renovation. Attached to it is a timber-clad workshop that was once used for stabling.
A smattering of ruins are spread across the 1.1 acre grounds of Balintuim. In particular, the ruins of a cottage to the east of the main house could potentially form another property.
A grassy terrace with a timber table is the perfect place to sit and enjoy the view. To the back of the house there's a pond that contains rare species of march plants and is confined by an earth bund.
On the overcast but clear day I visit the view is spectacular. You can see across the glimmer of Loch Tummel to the mountain range beyond, which sweeps across all points of the compass, with the jagged peak of Schiehallion jutting up above its neighbours.
It really is a special location. I bring my two golden retrievers with me and after Stewart and Morvern finish showing me round Balintuim we take the public right of way near the house that leads up the hillside and into Forestry Commission land.
Ninety minutes later we're back at the car, having hiked a five-mile loop to Loch Bhac.
I could quite happily load up with books, music, food, and wine and spend a couple of weeks at Balintuim.
With Stewart closing in on his 80th birthday he and Morven, 74, have decided the time is right to put Balintuim on the market. They have a lot of fond memories of their 33 years with the house.
'One new year our son arrived with an inflatable hot tub and we all sat out in it drinking champagne and looking at the stars,' Morven says.
While the couple rented out the cottage for three summers, it has mainly been a place for themselves, their two children, and their four grandchildren to holiday.
'There's what I call the 'Balintuim moment,'' Morven smiles. 'Which is when you first arrive at the house, sit down and look out of the window, and everything suddenly relaxes.'
'That lasts until the grandchildren get here,' Stewart adds with a smile.
Balintuim, Strathtummel, Pitlochry is on sale with Savills for offers over £450,000.