Character property for sale

Balavil Estate, Kingussie, Badenoch & Strathspey, Scotland

Outstanding opportunity to acquire an exceptional mixed sporting estate located in the heart of the Scottish Highlands.

Area: 2,781.26 Hectares / 6,875.52 Acres

Description

Balavil Estate has a wonderfully diverse landscape with well managed parkland, grassland and mixed broadleaved and coniferous woodland extending out onto breath taking heather moorland and hill tops providing a wide variety of sporting and outdoor pursuits. Since the late 18th century Balavil Estate has been considered one of the best mixed sporting estates in the Highlands, providing driven and walked-up grouse, pheasant and partridge shooting and exciting red, roe and sika deer stalking. Being both accessible and stunningly picturesque, it is hard to find an estate of this size that provides so many sporting and management options.

Balavil House dates back to 1790 and occupies a lovely, elevated position amidst policy woodland overlooking parkland in the upper Spey Valley, with the most stunning view across to the Cairngorm Mountain range. The estate also includes nine residential houses and cottages situated around the lowland of the estate, some occupied by the employees and some vacant.

The cattle and sheep farm is located on the lowland around the Home Farm with various purpose built storage buildings adjacent to the A9 Trunk Road for ease of access to livestock markets in the Highland region. The sheep flock graze both the grassland and moorland to assist with grouse management whereas the cattle herd graze the fertile lowland pasture.

Woodland cover now extends across approximately 580.24 hectares/1,433.77 acres (21%) of the estate with stunning ancient semi- natural Scots pine and Birch woodland blending with more recently established productive mixed conifer woodland to produce timber. Over the past 3 years, a net area of 244.21 hectares (603.44 acres) of native woodland has been established on the lower lying moorland which will add greater diversity and habitat. Approximately 81,596 woodland carbon credits (PIU’s) have already been validated for the estate.

The moorland and upper hill ground extends out into the Monadhliath Mountain range where most of the red deer stalking is enjoyed between the River Spey and Dalnain River watersheds. Approximately 35% of the hill ground is blanketed in deep peat where peatland restoration is taking place to prevent further deterioration of this internationally important habitat with the potential to generate over 220,000 peatland carbon credits for the benefit of the estate.

Balavil includes ownership of 2.7 miles of the upper River Spey with brown trout and pike fishing where the river meanders from the upper tributaries of the Spey through the Insh Marshes to the Moray coast.

Balavil has to be visited to fully appreciate the diversity it provides and opportunities it has for further sensitive development and restoration of habitat. Given its location, there is also significant potential to develop more leisure and recreational facilities for the many visitors that enjoy the Cairngorm National Park and its surroundings.

Please refer to the online Sale Particulars, Sale Plan and Video for further information and contact the Selling Agent for more details.