A short flight to Inverness airport, or a romantic overnight trip by sleeper train from London, followed by a spectacular 41-mile drive to the village of Achnasheen in Wester Ross is one of several easy routes to the majestic, 11,105-acre, West Highland sporting estate of Ledgowan, now on the market through Strutt & Parker at a guide price of ‘offers over £4.5m’ for the whole or in two lots. Described by the agents as ‘a 21st-century estate’, Ledgowan offers a combination of traditional sport, first-class accommodation in a spectacular setting and significant income from sporting lettings and a new hydro-electricity-generation scheme operated by a specialist renewable-energy company.
During its seven years in the hands of its present owner, the main estate house, Ledgowan Lodge, has been remodelled, structurally improved and thoroughly renovated and redecorated, with the cre-ation of six bedroom suites, a modern kitchen and breakfast room and a large oak-panelled games room on the ground floor. The owner has also built a four-bedroom lodge as overflow accommodation for smaller parties.
Accessibility within the estate has been transformed by the creation of a 10-mile network of new hill roads, which has significantly improved the scope of the stalking, opening it up to sportsmen of all levels of physical fitness, thereby enabling the estate to attract a premium rental income, especially from European clients. The stalking record shows a five-year average of 38 stags. Other sport includes grouse shooting, rough shooting for mixed game and fishing for trout and pike on four lochs or for trout and salmon on a short, single-bank stretch of the River Bran.
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Brockfield Hall, the great Yorkshire house that's gone from Regency mansion to modern family homeBrockfield Hall in North Yorkshire is the family home of Charlie Wood and Hatta Byng, editor of House & Garden, who have transformed it since they came here in 2020, winning multiple awards in the process. John Martin Robinson reports on the restoration project that revived this compact Regency house as a modern family home. Photographs by Paul Highnam for Country Life.
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Barbour’s heritage jackets get a floral makeover courtesy of ErdemUtilitarian outwear has taken the fashion world by storm and now Britain's world-famous wax jackets are getting in on the act, inspired by some of our greatest countryside icons.
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A Georgian vicarage that blends idyllic seclusion, village life and a simple commute to the CityThe Old Rectory in Hawkhurst, Kent, is a delightful home inside and out. Penny Churchill takes a look.
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The green Gable House: A family home in Hampshire that even we can't believe is only 15 years oldIf the house isn't quite right, don't be afraid to build something new. The Gable House in Ashford Hill is a glorious example of a new home that looks like it's always been there.
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Best country houses for sale this weekFrom a vast Shropshire masterpiece to an idyllic West Country farmhouse, here's our pick of the best property for sale this week.
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Ten stunning character properties for sale at under £400,000From thatched cottages near the beaches of Devon and Cornwall to a barn conversion in Kent and a wonderful getaway in Snowdonia, here's our pick of the best character cottages and character homes for sale.
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The Brontës original family home has come up for sale with a £380,000 price tagThe Revd Patrick Brontë's former home has come on to the market, where he and his wife lived in their early years before having their children Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell.
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Six superb homes, from the picturesque to the palatial, as seen in Country LifeOur pick of some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life includes a true gem in Buckinghamshire.
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A £21 million castle that's come up for sale for the first time in 700 yearsRipley Castle in North Yorkshire has been the family home of the Ingilbys since the early 1300s. It's steeped in history, has a list of famous visitors over the centuries that include James I and Oliver Cromwell, and is now on the open market. Annabel Dixon takes a look.
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A wisteria-clad former rectory in Stevenage that used to host Sir Winston ChurchillWrapped within all that greenery are some of the finest Georgian interiors we've seen.
