Look inside this palatial East Lothian dream home with a secret - yours for £1,300,000

Scotsman

08-07-2025

As we approach Fringe by the Sea (August 1-10) and ice-cream weather hits, the urge to move to North Berwick is getting stronger.
Our current favourite East Lothian property to hit the market is this gorgeous five-bedroom Arts & Crafts style house, which is situated on Dirleton Avenue and on the market via Coulters Property at a cool price of offers over £1,300,000.
It's approached by a gated driveway, and is situated just a few minutes' walk from the sea, with a total floor area of a rather palatial 257 square metres. That's spread across three levels, with three living areas and the same number of bathrooms.
Whoever bags the main bedroom also gets an adjacent dressing room and an en suite shower room. Other notable features include a vast lawn that's perfect for playing rounders, a sunken sun terrace for summertime Aperol spritzes, a contemporary kitchen and other open plan spaces, a home gym, a shower room that's lined with Portuguese tiles that are reminiscent of a mermaid's tail, and a family room with a fireplace.
This lovely home is currently owned by a couple, Scott and Eithne Wedell, who told us more about their property, including its surprising real age, see below.
Tell us about the building - when does it date from and are there any interesting features?
The house has period property looks but was actually built in 2017 and to Passive House Standards, so it's actually very energy efficient and that results in low bills for a big house. It doesn't ever have any heating on the bedroom floor as it's not needed (which was a brave decision for Scotland).
Any upgrades you've made while living there?
We built it from scratch in 2017 so not really. Since moving in, most of our effort probably switched to a focus on the outside landscaping and the planting out there. We worked hard to try and 'settle' the house into the garden (and vice versa).
Tell us about the decor and how would you describe your style?
The house was largely designed in a style to match Glenconnor House, the grounds of which we sit in. It was built by Charles Tennant, who became Lord Glenconner, owner of Mustique, and he has an interesting story. With a nod to the Arts & Crafts movement of that period, the colours and design of our house's exterior are prominent, so we were both keen on injecting colour into the interior to make it both a little more interesting and also 'homely'. We also took elements of the period that had inspired the building and used it in the wood panelling, doors and other features.
The painted staircase is very cool, where did you get that idea?
The staircase is actually dark green and we wanted some colour to help bring out the runner carpet on the stairs. We're not sure which came first…the stair colour or the carpet.
And where did you find your lovely slipper bath?
The main bathroom's stone bath was sourced online from a company called Lusso. We wanted something a little different and they make some beautiful designs.
What have been your happiest times at the house?
This has been our house for the past eight years and in that time we've seen our kids grow up and we've also welcomed a new addition in our Irish setter, Seamus, so the house has always had a busy energy. The house has also hosted some great parties over the years, with guests roaming the house and the garden. At one party, a person thought it was really cool that we had a dedicated disco downstairs, though they were actually talking about the sitting room!
Favourite rooms at the property?
The kitchen and diner is the hub of the house. We eat and relax there and its openness to the garden means the picture is always changing.
What's growing in the garden and what does well?
As you can see from the pictures, the garden is very open and south-facing so it's easy to try lots of different plants. As well as classic Arts & Crafts country style to bring a lot of colour, we planted a plenty of roses and they have really thrived. The other major planting was the pleached trees, which we added to provide screening from the road. They were a slight gamble for the coast in Scotland but we also chose magnolia grandifloras that are now established and even starting to produce huge white flowers that look great.
What are your favourite things to do in the area?
North Berwick has a great vibe with lots going on. We probably spend most of our time either walking the dog on the beach, which generally ends with a coffee in town, or standing at a touchline for our kids' sports sessions. The food and drink options are great for a small village so we are spoiled for choice. Things like the Fringe by the Sea are amazing for a small place like this. Getting to see big acts in your home place along with a great festival vibe is brilliant in the summer. We may be moving but we're glad that it won't be far, as North Berwick will continue to be our home.
For more information on the property at 28a Dirleton Avenue, North Berwick, which is on the market for offers over £1,300, 000, see www.coultersproperty.co.uk
3 . Another view of the kitchen dining space
SquareFoot Photo: SquareFoot Photo Sales