Lying just to the west of the attractive and flourishing village of Comrie, Dunira encompasses a remarkable diversity of landscape within its 3,261 acres, rising from the fertile farmland on the banks of the River Earn through wooded hillsides to spectacular and rugged mountain tops above Glen Lednock.
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Dunira was purchased in 1784 as a country retreat, by Henry Dundas, later Viscount Melville, along with neighbouring estates. Described as the “uncrowned king of Scotland”, Dundas and his successors carried out radical improvements on their 20,000 acres, including the creation of an exceptional designed landscape, still visible today. The Victorian Dunira House, designed by William Burn, was demolished in 1948 after a fire and The Whitehouse of Dunira became the main estate house. Although the estate is now considerably reduced in size, it nonetheless has the essential ingredients of a classic estate: a fine main house, cottages, development potential, agricultural and forestry enterprises and a variety of sport.
The 10-bedroom Whitehouse of Dunira lies at the centre of the estate, well-protected from view. A former coach house nearby has been converted to create a shoot dining room and games room, with ample space to accommodate either guests or clients. There are also a number of estate cottages and houses, including a substantial farmhouse at Wester Ballindalloch in Glen Lednock, and several identified development opportunities.
The sport includes driven pheasant and partridge shooting, red deer stalking on the hill, roe stalking on the lower ground and salmon fishing on the Earn and the Lednock. Over the past year the foundations have been laid for a first class driven pheasant and partridge shoot, with 16,000 birds released for the coming season. The many established woodland coverts and newly created game crops promise spectacular driven sport with potential for a number of back to back days. There is also duck and pigeon flighting. The stalking at Dunira takes place on the hill above Glen Lednock, where historically there was also walked up grouse shooting. Although Dunira is not a recognised deer forest, there is a surprising range of terrain with corries and burns, heather and rock. The woodland plantation and coverts around the Home Farm provide excellent roe shooting. In addition to the salmon fishing, there is a stocked trout loch of about an acre.
Dunira has about 906 acres of both commercial and amenity woodlands which have been professionally managed to create income as well as providing shelter for stock and wildlife and playing an important part in the development of the sporting element of the estate. The woodlands also contribute to the sheer beauty of the estate.
Anna Thomas of Savills says ‘Dunira is an estate with just about everything you could ask for. It’s in a superb location too, really easy to get to from Edinburgh and Glasgow, yet it has a really Highland feel. Tremendous improvements have been made under the current ownership and everything is in place for a new owner to continue this work and reap the benefits.’
