$1.2 Million Homes in Scotland

New York Times

2 days ago

Innerleithen | $1.2 million (895,000 British pounds)
This former farmhouse and its series of low-slung outbuildings were built in the 18th century and first converted to a residence by an Edinburgh candlemaker, Thomas Bell, in 1805. Listed as a property of special interest by Scotland's national heritage agency, the home was renovated over the centuries, and the current owners bought it in 2011.
The four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom house is near Innerleithen, a village of 3,500 residents that once boasted a thriving knitwear industry. Part of the southeastern Scottish Borders region, Innerleithen is in the lush Tweed Valley, about 30 miles south of Edinburgh and about 60 miles east of Glasgow.
The 3,800-acre Glentress Forest, just north of the property, is home to cycling trails that draw enthusiasts from around the world. Innerleithen Co-Op, the village supermarket, is a short drive from the home. Neidpath Castle, the 14th-century fortress immortalized in Sir Walter Scott's poem 'The Maid of Neidpath,' is about eight miles west. The nearby Galashiels train station offers National Rail links to cities in Scotland and England.
There are no restrictions on most foreign buyers of residential property in Scotland. All buyers pay a Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, which rises to a maximum of 12 percent based on a home's value. Buyers must engage a solicitor (a lawyer) to complete a home purchase. Legal fees average about 1,000 British pounds ($1,345).
Size: 4,157 square feet
Price per square foot: $289
Indoors: The sprawling main floor includes a formal entrance hall, a living room with a fireplace, a dining room and a library with built-in bookshelves. An eat-in kitchen features plank floors, hardwood cabinets and an Aga stove. Off the living room, a heated sunroom has wraparound views of the landscaped grounds. A mud room (called a boot room in Britain), opens to the garden and includes a century-old wooden door. This level also includes a pantry room and a half-bathroom.
Upstairs, the principal bedroom features its own sitting room with a working fireplace. There are three more bedrooms and two bathrooms on this level. A staircase climbs from the second floor to an attic bedroom with a vaulted ceiling. The sale does not include furniture.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.