It’s hard to think of any other home in Fife that can match North Cassingray House’s combination of privacy and views.
It’s at the end of a farm lane that cuts off the A915 just before it enters Largoward. A couple of turn offs lead to scattered farms and houses before a long run takes you to the top of the hill and the house itself.
The vista is well worth the drive up there. The south-facing house gazes down fields to the Firth of Forth and the Lothian coastline beyond.
“At New Year I can see the fireworks bursting over Edinburgh a few seconds before I see them on TV,” says owner Heather Visocchi.
The views don’t end with the Forth Coast either. Look east and you can see along the Angus coastline towards Carnoustie and Arbroath. And gazing north from the upper levels of the house, the Sidlaw Hills behind Dundee form the skyline.
Heather, 47, and her husband Larry, 60, built North Cassingray House around 13 years ago.
They bought the site from friends and decided to demolish the single-storey 1960s home that stood there, allowing them to start from scratch.
The location was one of the things that most attracted the couple, says Heather, who works at Madras College.
“It’s only 10 or 15 minutes to St Andrews and a short distance to the East Neuk,” she continues. “It’s also not far from Dundee and Edinburgh. What we liked was getting such a huge amount of privacy without having to be a long drive away from anywhere.”
Fife-based builder Headon Homes carried out the construction, which took around a year.
“We wanted to make the most of the views,” Heather explains. “One of the best things we did was put in the banks of skylight windows all the way up to the apex of the roof. They let so much light in and also give fantastic views in both directions.”
The front door opens into a vaulted central atrium, with an oak staircase, banks of roof windows and glazed doors to a garden terrace.
To one side is the dining kitchen, which also has glass doors to the garden and sliding internal doors to a family room.
The living room has its own set of glazed doors and a double-sided wood burning stove which warms the room and Larry’s adjacent art studio.
Upstairs, the main bedroom has an en suite and a west-facing balcony. The main guest bedroom is also en suite and there are three further double bedrooms which share a family bathroom.
The 1.4 acre garden has parking at the front and large areas of lawn to the side and rear. Stone walls and high hedges provide shelter against the winds that can sweep across the exposed hilltop location.
With their three children grown up, Heather and Larry are planning to down-size.
“One thing we’re not doing is self-build again,” Heather laughs. “We enjoyed doing this house but I think you only have one of these projects in you.”
jmckeown@thecourier.co.uk
North Cassingray House, Largoward, Fife is on sale with Galbraith for o/o £875,000.