Do locations get any more idyllic than that of Boat of Murthly?
A private track branches off the Old Military Road near Dunkeld and runs through woodland for almost half a mile before arriving on the banks of the River Tay.
Prior to the construction of Thomas Telford’s Dunkeld Bridge in the early 1800s, this was the site of the public ferry crossing that connected the two sides of the river.
Boat of Murthly was built in 1864 and replaced the original ferryman’s house. It was constructed as two adjoining cottages and later converted into the single home that it is today.
The B listed house sits right by the water’s edge and enjoys trout fishing rights on the river.
For the last 11 years it’s been home to Duncan and Lois Leggat. They moved to Perthshire after Duncan sold his construction and civil engineering business on the West Coast and retired.
“We never intended to buy a house like this,” Duncan laughs. “We wanted something modern and easy to look after. But when we saw this place we fell in love with it.”
When I visit, the sun is shining for the first time in a fortnight and it’s a pleasant and mild April day. Loise is sat on a chair in the front garden, reading a book in the sunshine while the river flows serenely past.
Exploring inside Boat of Murthly
There’s plenty of parking to the rear of the house and the back door opens into a vestibule with doors leading into the kitchen and a large reception hallway.
The L-shaped kitchen has a breakfast room with large windows that let in plenty of light and give views over the river.
A spacious reception hall is big enough to be used as a living room or home office. Meanwhile, the magnificent drawing room is clad in larch and has a huge fireplace with a wood burning stove.
The kitchen can be accessed from the drawing room, or from the main entrance hallway, giving the ground floor a nice flow.
There is also a WC, boiler room, utility room and a laundry room at ground level. Upstairs, a double bedroom is accessed off the half landing. The main bedroom has an en suite shower room and superb views across the river from a south facing window.
Another double bedroom sits to the rear of the house, and there is a family bathroom.
Back at ground level, a porch runs across the front of the house and connects the two sections of the property.
Magnificent spaces
A large, timber clad home office could be an additional bedroom. Then there’s the dining room, which ties with the drawing room as the most show-stopping space in the house.
Timber flooring, larch walls, a large bay window and a gigantic fireplace with a wood burning stove make it a magnificent room.
“We had my 70th birthday party in here,” Duncan says. “Christmases, birthdays, and other special occasions always happen here.”
On the upper level of this side of the house are two more double bedrooms and a large bathroom with shower and separate bath.
“Whoever buys the house could easily turn this side of it into a holiday rental,” Duncan continues. “If you put a kitchen where the study is you could make it a self-contained property.”
Boat of Murthly is beautifully built and has many delightful details that anchor it to the local area.
The larch cladding that adorns many of the downstairs rooms was all sourced from the Murthly Estate. Meanwhile, the enormous fireplaces in the drawing and dining rooms are replicas of the fireplaces in nearby Murthly Castle.
Beautiful garden
The garden at Boat of Murthly is just as special as the house. Stretching to 1.3 acres, with high fencing to keep deer out, it is a delight to explore. I visit just a few weeks before it’s due to be carpeted in spring bluebells.
There are areas of lawn, a vegetable garden, fruit trees, and a patch of woodland with some very old Douglas fir trees.
The range of outbuildings includes a workshop, double garage, log store, summerhouse, and a large open-fronted shed.
“The previous owners were Colonel Peter Castle-Smith and his wife Jean. He was a giant of a man – a good 6ft 6in – and she was a very keen gardener,” Duncan explains. “She introduced all kinds of rare plants to the garden.
“A couple of the Douglas fir are among the oldest in the area and may even have been planted by David Douglas himself.
“We also get some wonderful wildlife here. There are red squirrels and oystercatchers, and the ospreys have just returned to the area – earlier than usual.”
Duncan and Lois’s grandchildren love playing in the garden. Deep in the trees is a tiny fairy house where Duncan often hides sweets for the children to find.
Close to Dunkeld
To the front of the house a riverside path runs for miles in both directions. “The core paths are on the other side of the river. You almost never see walkers on this side,” Lois says.
“Dunkeld is only three miles away. It’s such a lovely little town – as long as you don’t go in high summer when it’s swarming with tourists.”
Now in their 70s, Duncan and Lois have decided it’s time to sell Boat of Murthly. They aren’t going far, however. “We’ve bought a cottage on the Snaigow Estate, just three miles from here,” Duncan says. “It’s next to our son’s house so we’ll be close to some of our grandchildren.
“Really it’s a little too early for us. Ideally we would like a bit more time here. But this cottage was a great opportunity so we decided to go for it.
“The good thing is we’ll be moving while we’re still fit.” He laughs and adds: “By the time our minds start to come untethered we should be nicely grounded in the new house.”
Boat of Murthly, Dunkeld, was on sale with Savills for offers over £775,000 but is now under offer.
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