A fine example of symmetrical Georgian architecture is Category B-listed Cairnbank House, which stands in 8.2 acres of gardens and grounds amid idyllic rolling countryside on the outskirts of the bustling Borders market town of Duns, 15.5 miles inland from Berwick-on-Tweed.
Owned by the Pate family since 1913, the house was built by a local estate manager, Robert Ainslie, for his son. The two symmetrical wings were added later, in 1855, using stone from a different quarry that gives the building its pleasant, two-toned exterior. Legend has it that Robbie Burns visited the site as a guest of the Ainslies before the house was finished.
For sale through the Edinburgh office of Savills for ‘offers over £800,000’ for the whole, Cairnbank comprises the main house with 5,645sq ft of accommodation, plus several more spaces.
The house has a slightly unusual four-storey layout, with the basement divided into two self-contained apartments, one in each wing.
On the ground floor there's a fine entrance hall, drawing room, sitting room, kitchen and dining room, with the latter having an en-suite bathroom off to one side, making it a potential guest room for those who may struggle with stairs.
The first floor has three bedrooms and a study, with the master suite having an en-suite with a very large dressing room off to one side.
Above on the second floor are two further bedrooms. For those needing more accommodation — or hoping for holiday lets to produce some income — there are a further two flats in the converted coach house, plus the one-bedroom Blue House located down the road.
Within the eight acres of grounds there is a paddock and stables, while there is also a large lawn area as well as other pretty garden sections lined by trees.
Duns itself is roughly half-way between Edinburgh and Newcastle, and about 20 minutes from the coast, making it potentially commutable — certainly a couple of times a week, at least — from either.
Cairnbank House is for sale via Savills at £800,000 — see more details and pictures.
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 Country Life guide to Somerset: What to do, where to stay and how to eatSomerset is rich in natural beauty and history, but it is its wealth of small-scale food and drink producers, farmers and makers that really set it apart from the competition. Find out how to make the most of it all with our indispensable guide.
-
How to make a gloomy city garden into a haven of colour and natureTiffany Daneff discovers how to transform a typically dark London back garden into a light-filled green haven that is always in use. Photographs by Clive Nichols.
-
Classical style meets fun and flair in a seven-bedroom manor in CornwallAt Polstrong Manor, the current owners have combined period charm and elegant modern interiors to create a flamboyant country home 10-minutes from the beach.
-
Two halves make a sublime four-bedroom home in Kent's North DownsA contemporary extension to a traditional clapboard house brings light and life to Lavington House.
-
The week in property statistics: Service charges reach record highPlus, how first-time buyers prop up the mortgage market, why you need to move north if you want to live by yourself, and house-price growth slows
-
A seven-bedroom oast house for sale in East Sussex, where your dreams can run riotUnlisted, yet full of character, this property in the High Weald National Landscape is an eccentrically furnished family home that screams fun.
-
Character, history and comfort combine in a four-bedroom farmhouse in NorfolkWillow Farm near Southburgh is that rarest of things — a perfect combination of period charm and modern elegance in some of England's best countryside.
-
A Grade I-listed Georgian townhouse that's part of the fabric of Bath's historyWith 5,500sq ft set over six floors in the centre of Britain's most architecturally rich city, there is much to love here.
-
17 delightful homes for sale, as seen in Country LifeOur round-up of some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life this week includes a wonderful Cotswolds home and a happily affordable cottage in the West Country.
-
'This is the most money you'll spend on anything ever': The things that really matter when buying your first home in LondonIt’s easy to dream of what the ideal first-home in London might be, but when the cost of living in the capital is this expensive, being near a Gail's isn't as important as you think it is.
