As with the proverbial London bus, it can be a long wait before a Robert Adam house comes along, then, amazingly, two come along at once.
Just the other day a home called Newliston came to the market, and now another is for sale: the exquisite, Category A-listed Letterfourie at Drybridge in Moray. It's Adam’s most northerly house, the first built by him in Scotland on returning from his Grand Tour, and (like Newliston) the £2.95m sale is being handled by Evelyn Channing of Savills.
Mrs Channing recalls that its American owners, one of whom is an architectural historian, couldn’t believe that they could actually buy an Adam house, which they did in 2014, since when they have lovingly restored and refurbished it.
The attention to detail that they've put in speaks for itself, as you'll see from the pictures here.
She seeks ‘offers over £2.95m’ for Letterfourie, one of Moray’s largest Georgian houses set at the heart of a secluded, 308-acre estate, three miles from the magnificent Moray Firth coastline.
It was built as a home for two bachelor brothers of the Gordon clan on their return to Scotland from Madeira, where John Gordon, the fifth laird, and his brother Alexander, became successful wine merchants, both being staunch Jacobites who were forced to flee after the Battle of Culloden.
In 1772, James Gordon, the 6th laird of the clan, commissioned Adam to design Letterfourie House, the original drawings for which are held at the Adam archive at Sir John Soane’s Museum in London. Built of pinkish granite, it features a central block with two wings forming a U-plan court and was completed the following year.
The brothers being devout Roman Catholics, the house included a private chapel in the west wing with accommodation for a priest.
Today, it offers 15,412sq ft of supremely comfortable accommodation on four floors, including four principal reception rooms, 11 bedrooms and five bathrooms, with the boiler room, wine cellars, workshop and stores on the lower-ground floor.
Wonderful landscaped gardens provide a breathtaking setting for the house, with the restored 19th-century Letterfourie fountains a focal point. More than a million bulbs have been planted in recent years and the grounds come alive in spring with snowdrops, daffodils and bluebells.
The land, comprising 167 acres of arable or pasture land and 139 acres of woodland and rough grazing, is currently farmed under contract by a local farmer.
-
From the Country Life archive: The 19th century answer to SwingballEvery Monday, Melanie Bryan, delves into the hidden depths of Country Life's extraordinary archive to bring you a long-forgotten story, photograph or advert.
-
Hope from the ashes: A new generation of ash trees is evolving to make them more resistant to diebackWhen ash dieback first arrived in Britain, in 2012, an emergency COBRA meeting was formed. The disease has since spread rampantly across the countryside, but there is still hope.
-
18 beautiful homes, from charming cottages to a Highland mansion with unbeatable views, as seen in Country LifeOur look at some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in the past week includes Georgian manor houses, charming commutable homes and the grandest home in Newcastle.
-
The gorgeous Somerset home of the designer behind one of Glastonbury's chicest spotsThe Manor in Hinton Blewitt is a glorious Georgian home that ticks every box.
-
826 years of history, painstaking restoration and 'a garden like no other' at this former National Trust house which has come to the market in KentA blooming property in Kent showcases the original garden of England. Penny Churchill takes a look.
-
A wisteria-clad delight with lawns running down to the Thames at the prettiest riverside home for sale in London todayDeodar Road, near Putney High Street, offers unrivalled views of the Thames and is characterful in excess.
-
Five of the most majestic properties for sale in Britain today, from a 1,700-acre estate to a private island, as seen in Country LifeOur look at the best homes to come to the market via Country Life this week includes some genuinely breathtaking places.
-
Save me: A castle on the Isle of Wight designed by James Wyatt is up for saleNorris Castle Estate also comes with 225 acres of gardens and grounds, and needs a little TLC
-
The 1,800-acre estate of the man who bought Stonehenge has come up for sale at £25 millionThe Bapton Manor Estate, in the beautiful Cranborne Chase National Landscape, seeks a new owner. Penny Churchill takes a look.
-
A meticulously restored Scottish estate for sale, dripping with history, character and wildlifeThe Craigengillan Estate in Ayrshire sits in 2,850 acres above the valley of the River Doon.
