A highlands estate with over 900 acres of pristine Scottish landscape — and two houses powered by wind turbines
Your heart is sure to be in the highlands after viewing all that Challenger Estate has to offer, says Penny Churchill.


If ‘the good life’ appeals, you can find it in Sutherland, where Rod Christie of Galbraith in Inverness proposes the pristine, 937-acre Challenger estate, two miles from the Highland village of Lairg and 49 miles from Inverness.
It's a place full of potential, as Rod explains: ‘Although the main focus in recent years has been on conservation, there is significant potential to further develop the forestry, upland livestock farming, natural capital and, indeed, the residential properties on the estate’. The estate is for sale as a whole for £1.7 million.
The estate comes with superb trout fishing on Lochs Craggie and Dola, together with permanent pasture and more than 700 acres of hill grazing. The land rises to about 1,000ft above sea level at the summit of Meall Dola, with dramatic views towards the peaks of Ben Klibreck, Ben Hope and Ben More Assynt.
Some 42 acres of native woodland, primarily birch, have been managed to encourage regeneration over the past 20 years and the rest of the land offers significant woodland planting potential, the agents suggest.
The residential element of the estate is equally uncomplicated, comprising the 2,549sq ft, three-bedroom main lodge, a neat, timber-frame, 1990s building with harled block walls under a pitched slate roof.
Close by is The Bothy, a single-storey, tin-clad structure with two reception rooms, two bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom.
Both houses are powered by a wind turbine located behind Challenger Lodge. At the westernmost point of the estate stands a modern, two-bedroom farmhouse built in 2004, which could be bought with a farm building and 9½ acres of land for £300,000, with the estate as a whole on offer at £1.7m.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Challenger Estate is currently on the market via Galbraith for £1.7 million for the whole — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details.
Lairg: What you need to know
Location: Lairg is a village in Sutherland, Scotland, also known as the 'crossroads to the north.' It is 49 miles from Inverness and lies on the southern shores of Loch Shin. There is a railway station within the village.
Atmosphere: The village is home to a post office, hotel, primary school and village shop, with nearby Golspie and Dornoch home to further amenities and facilities.
Things to do: As with many of these large Scottish estates, the fishing, country sports, walking and general 'outdoors' lifestyle on offer is unparalleled. On the outskirts of Loch Shin, salmon leap upstream from June- September, and is said to be one of the best places to witness their migration.
Schools: Lairg Primary School is the local primary School, with Rosehall Primary School and Achfary Primary School also nearby. Golspie High is a local secondary option, as is Kinlochbervie High School.
See more property for sale in the area.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
The King's favourite tea, conclave and spring flowers: Country Life Quiz of the Day, April 22, 2025
Tuesday's Quiz of the Day blows smoke, tells the time and more.
By Toby Keel Published
-
London is the place for me* (*the discerning property buyer)
With more buyers looking at London than anywhere else, is the 'race for space' finally over?
By Annabel Dixon Last updated
-
London is the place for me* (*the discerning property buyer)
With more buyers looking at London than anywhere else, is the 'race for space' finally over?
By Annabel Dixon Last updated
-
What's a 'wellness village' and will it tempt you back into the office?
The team behind London's first mixed-use ‘wellness village’ says it has the magic formula for tempting workers back into offices.
By Annunciata Elwes Published
-
A mini estate in Kent that's so lovely it once featured in Simon Schama's 'History of Britain'
The Paper Mill estate is a picture-postcard in the Garden of England.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Hidden excellence in a £7.5 million north London home
Behind the traditional façades of Provost Road, you will find something very special.
By James Fisher Published
-
Sip tea and laugh at your neighbours in this seaside Norfolk home with a watchtower
On Cliff Hill in Gorleston, one home is taller than all the others. It could be yours.
By James Fisher Published
-
A Grecian masterpiece that might be one of the nation's finest homes comes up for sale in Kent
Grade I-listed Holwood House sits in 40 acres of private parkland just 15 miles from central London. It is spectacular.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Some of the finest landscapes in the North of England with a 12-bedroom home attached
Upper House in Derbyshire shows why the Kinder landscape was worth fighting for.
By James Fisher Published
-
Could Gruber's Antiques from Paddington 2 be your new Notting Hill home?
It was the home of Mr Gruber and his antiques in the film, but in the real world, Alice's Antiques could be yours.
By James Fisher Published