With its timber cladding, balconies, veranda and large windows Tullygunn could easily be located in Maine or Vermont.
In fact it’s in the Perthshire village of Comrie. The New England style is a hallmark of local architect James Denholm.
The Comrie-based architect built Tullygunn as his own residence. Using an existing cottage as its starting point, the house was built in the 1990s and extended – again by James Denholm – in 2009.
Jim MacDonald bought the house in 2012. “It ticked a lot of boxes for me,” he says. “I really like the look and feel of the place. It has plenty of space and lots of light. There’s a big garden and it’s very private. And you can walk to the Deil’s Cauldron or the Royal Hotel for food and a pint.”
With the River Earn flowing through it and Loch Earn a short distance away, Comrie is one of Perthshire’s most sought after villages.
Great location
Tullygunn is located at the end of a long private driveway off Camp Road. The village centre is a five minute stroll away, while beautiful countryside and riverside walks are also on the doorstep.
One of Tullygunn’s most impressive rooms is the kitchen. Glazed doors and windows on both sides make it a light filled room. A full height ceiling has skylight windows. A timber plinth hanging above the central island creates a cosy central feature. There are numerous neat touches including an Aga cooker and a pair of wine fridges.
A door from the kitchen opens into part of the original cottage that is now a guest bedroom or home office. It also has a narrow set of stairs that lead up to an attic level room. One of its delightful features is a tiny window with a set of shutters that opens high up in the kitchen wall – perfect for calling to the chef for breakfast or coffee.
Having an en suite shower room, this little two storey set of rooms could be perfect for guests or elderly relatives – you could set it up with a small living room downstairs and a bedroom above.
Between the kitchen and the living room is a spacious sitting area with glazed doors onto the front veranda. The pretty living room has windows on three sides. An open fire makes it a cosy room during the winter months.
Beautiful extension
To the rear of the house is a second living room, added as an extension in 2009. With a vaulted ceiling and full height windows looking over the back garden this is a very special space. A glazed door to the side opens onto a patio. Meanwhile, a wood burning stove provides plenty of heat.
“This is probably my favourite room in the house,” Jim explains. “We deliberately decided not to have a television in here. We use it for reading, socialising and enjoying the view over the garden.”
A WC and a utility room with drying rack and door to the back garden complete the downstairs accommodation.
Upstairs, the large master bedroom is directly above the downstairs sitting area. Doors open onto an upper balcony that has fantastic views across the rooftops of Comrie to the Perthshire mountains beyond.
Two spacious double bedrooms are on the main upstairs level. These both have built in wardrobes and high level bookshelves.
The three main bedrooms share a large family bathroom. This has a modern shower and a bath that sits directly under a Velux window, making it perfect for looking up at the night sky.
At half landing level a few stairs lead to a guest bedroom which has an en suite shower room.
Large private garden
Stretching to four-fifths of an acre the garden is surrounded by beech hedges which offer shelter and privacy.
The front garden has a tennis net spread across a large expanse of lawn. “I’m not much good at it but I enjoy tennis,” Jim smiles. “When the family are here we just paint the lines on the lawn and we’re ready to go.”
Decking stretches the full length of the front of the house. An overhanging veranda provides shelter so you can sit out on the many warm but wet days Scotland gets in the summertime.
While the garden was in good order, the decking dated from the 1990s and Jim has had it completely replaced during his time at Tullygunn.
At the rear the garden has another big area of lawn. Having been planted nearly 30 years ago the garden has matured nicely, with trees providing plenty of summertime shade. These include several apple trees which were loaded with fruit when I visited.
Oh deer
“A little while ago I was in the living room when a deer and her fawn were in the garden,” Jim remembers. “The mother was lying on the grass with her front legs folded while her fawn ate apples from the tree.”
To the side of Tullygunn is a timber double garage and a gravel parking area with space for numerous cars.
Meanwhile, the front garden enjoys beautiful views across the ragged line of Perthshire mountains on the horizon. These include, as Jim points out, the “sleeping giant” which when you see it does look like an enormous human being lying in repose.
“One of the best things about the garden is it gets the sun all day long,” he continues. “In the morning you can sit on the patio at the back having coffee. By evening time the sun has swung over to the front and the decking is an excellent place to enjoy some wine or a whisky.”
Jim, 72, has marked next summer as his retirement date. He plans to hand full control of the training company he founded over to his eldest son and move on to the next chapter in his life.
“When I bought Tullygunn I was sure this was the house I would spend my retirement in,” he reflects. “I have another house in Spain though and have been spending an increasing amount of time there.
“I can’t decide where I want to retire so I’ve put both houses on the market and we’ll see which one sells first.”
Tullygunn, Comrie is on sale with Irving Geddes for offers over £925,000.
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