6 bedroom detached house

Historic mansion house with around 15 acres.

Description

Eliock House is a beautiful B Listed stone built mansion house arranged over three floors with a cellar level below. The house is approached via a drive marked by stone gate piers that leads up through the grounds, over a C Listed stone bridge spanning the Garpal Burn, which runs through the policies.

Characterised by tall windows, many with shutters, high ceilings with cornicework and an impressive sense of grandeur throughout, Eliock House offers extensive accommodation of around 7,500 square feet (not including the north wing). As is typical of period houses of this kind, the formal rooms are found on the first floor where perhaps the jewel in the crown of the property is situated: the magnificent ballroom with its multiple windows and exquisite polished wood floor. Also on this level is the upper sitting room and dining room, both with fireplaces, and the music room. The ground floor is where the main kitchen is located along with another sitting room and the reception hall. All six charming double bedrooms are located on the top floor; these are serviced by two shower rooms, a bathroom and WC. The property is heated using a wood chip boiler.

Included in the sale is Gardener's Cottage, a one storey dwelling consisting of a sitting room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. The cottage is in a derelict state and needs total renovation.

There are various useful outbuildings, mostly former stables, now used for storage and garaging. A gravel parking area to the front and rear of the house provides space for parking multiple cars.

Formal lawned gardens surround the house to the east, south and western sides. To the north are policies comprising mixed mature woodlands. These extend north where there is a walled garden that is mostly ruined and overgrown and sits adjacent to Gardener’s Cottage.

Location

Eliock House is located in the scenic Nith Valley to the north of Thornhill and enjoys wonderful views of the surrounding countryside. The A74(M) is approximately 17 miles to the northeast and provides a motorway connection both north to Glasgow and south to Carlisle. Dumfries lies 28 miles to the south and offers a range of services and facilities including a hospital, schools, supermarkets and professional services.

Historical Note
The oldest part of Eliock House is the tower house dating from the 16th century with various significant additions since then, including the main 18th century mansion house and further alterations in 1859 and finally 1914. The house and much of the surrounding estate were owned by the Crighton family from an early date. The first Lord Eliock, Robert Crighton of Eliock, was appointed Lord Advocate of Scotland in 1560. His son James (The Admirable) Crighton was born at Eliock House and became famous throughout Europe as a handsome young scholar, linguist, swordsman, horseman, musician and poet: the ultimate Renaissance man.

From the late 16th century the house was owned by the Dalziel family and then the Veitch family from the early 18th to early 20th century. The house was purchased by George Greenshields in 1925 and has remained in the Greenshields family ever since. This is the first time the property has been on the market in almost a century.

During 1939-45 the house was requisitioned for the war effort and the north wing suffered fire damage; this part of the house requires complete restoration.

Square Footage: 7,164 sq ft


Acreage: 15 Acres

Additional Info

Council Tax - Band G