As approaches to a house go, they don’t get more impressive or wonderful than this one. To get to Crowhill Steading you drive through Blackcraig Bridgehouse.
The stunning gothic home – now used as a holiday let – is built on top of an old stone bridge over the River Ardle.
After driving through the archway under the house it’s another three quarters of a mile uphill along a gravel track to reach Crowhill Steading.
It’s in the Glen of Strathardle, a few miles from Bridge of Cally in the Perthshire countryside.
Crowhill Steading is a beautiful rural home that was converted from a ruined agricultural building.
Justin Adams and his wife Claudia bought the site in 2003 when it was a crumbling ruin in dire need of attention.
Falling for the area
There is an interesting back story to their purchase of the property. Justin explains: “I’m originally from Sussex. A family friend who is a foreign national loves shooting and fishing. He wanted to buy somewhere in Scotland and asked if I would like an all-expenses paid three week holiday to find him a property.
“So I came up here and ended up buying Dalnagar Castle for him. It was my first time up here and I fell in love with the area.
“In fact I didn’t go back down south at all. I phoned Claudia and she looked after the sale of our house there then came up here to join me.
“We lived in Dalnagar Castle while we oversaw its renovation for our friend then we bought this steading in 2003.”
The six bedroom house includes an attached two bedroom annex. “We completed the annex first then lived in that while we did the rest of the house,” Justin continues.
The original steading is thought to date from 1853. Pictures from the time Justin and Claudia bought it show a rickety looking building on the verge of collapse.
Walls are misaligned, the roof is undulating and it looks ready to fall down in the first strong breeze.
Major project
Justin carried out most of the conversion work himself. “I was the victim of my own naiveté. If I’d known what I was getting myself in for I probably wouldn’t have been brave enough to start the project in the first place.
“I was working three days a week at the time and I used the other four days to work on the house. I bought a JCB and did all the groundworks myself.”
It took Justin four years to complete Crowhill Steading. He, Claudia and their two children moved into their new home in 2007.
Visiting Crowhill Steading in the summer of 2022 it’s clear that all the hard work must have been worth it. “Oh yes,” Justin smiles. “It’s true that your mind forgets the difficult stuff and remembers the good parts. We built this as our dream home and it’s been fantastic.”
Crowhill Steading shares its setting above the River Ardle with three other nearby homes, all oriented so as not to overlook each other.
The main doors open into a wonderful open plan living space. A vaulted ceiling rears up to full roof height, while a grand staircase splits halfway and leads to two separate landings.
Several sets of floor to ceiling windows and patio doors let plenty of light in and showcase the stunning views.
Outstanding views
You can look across the Glen of Strathardle to the hillside beyond. The real showstopper is the view along the glen, where you can see Glas Maol and the other peaks that surround Glenshee.
That vaulted ceiling lowers above the living area of the room, creating a snug space to curl on the sofa and read or watch television.
A dining area is located at the other end of the room, with windows facing across the valley.
The country kitchen also enjoys fine views and has a door to a utility room. Also on the ground floor is a WC and two spacious double bedrooms, both with en suite bathrooms and plenty of storage.
To one side of the grand staircase is the upstairs bedroom wing. One of the bedrooms is currently used as Justin’s home office. Another double bedroom has an en suite bathroom. The principal bedroom, meanwhile, has a dressing area, an en suite bathroom and – despite being on the upper level – doors to its own private patio.
“One of the benefits to being built into the hillside is that you have garden access from upstairs as well as downstairs,” Justin says.
Drawing room and bar
Go to the other side of the staircase and a door opens into the drawing room. This fantastic room has windows to both sides, a wood burning stove and built in log storage. It also has its own barroom that’s ideal for hosting parties.
“I always say there are three wow factors to the house,” Justin explains. “The main living space downstairs, this room, and the views.”
The annex at Crowhill Steading is currently lived in by Justin’s mother-in-law. It’s entirely self-contained but can be accessed from the utility room in the main house.
A beautiful living room has glazed doors out to a small garden and fabulous views along the Glen to the mountains on the horizon. There’s a kitchen, two double bedrooms and a bathroom.
The annex also has an enormous floored loft that could easily be converted into two or three more bedrooms. This would give the potential to turn the annex into a three or four bedroom family home.
“You could live in the annex and run the main house as a luxury holiday let, or vice versa,” Justin says.
Fantastic gardens
The gardens at Crowhill Steading are as beautiful as the house itself. The paved courtyard is wonderfully sheltered and is perfect for sunny but windy days.
The lawn falls away from a terrace that enjoys stunning view across and along the valley. A burn burbles and tumbles down the eastern side of the garden. Justin created a small pond which his ducks love to paddle in.
The couple’s collection of chickens and ducks produce plenty of eggs, as well as being a handy disposal system for any food scraps.
Meanwhile a kitchen garden has raised beds, a greenhouse and a polytunnel. Crowhill Steading is on the long distance Cateran Trail – indeed the house was a water station for the popular Cateran Yomp – and is surrounded by hillside and forest. It’s the perfect place for the couple’s two dogs, Patterdale terrier Bruar and collie puppy Cally.
With their children now grown up, it’s time for Justin, 54, and Claudia, 53, to downsize. “We really rattle around in here,” he says. “We still love the area though so we’re planning to move to Blairgowrie.”
Crowhill Steading is on sale with Savills for offers over £725,000.
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