Location

Lumphanan is documented to be the site of the Battle of Lumphanan of 1057 AD, where Malcolm III of Scotland defeated Macbeth of Scotland. The nearby 13th century Peel of Lumphanan is an earthwork castle used in the filming of the 1984 children's TV series The Box of Delights, which was based on John Masefield's fantasy novel of the same name.
The village has its own pre-school and a primary school, Lumphanan Primary, which has recently been extended, along with a village corner shop, and a small tearoom.
The ruins of Corse Castle, the ancient seat of the Forbes family, stand approximately three miles to the north.
Along with a short, but challenging, nine-hole golf course, Lumphanan has a recently refurbished multi sports court maintained by the Lumphanan Community Recreation Association (LCRA) along with a flood lit sports training area situated in the large play park. The LCRA members also organise Scotland's first 10 km run of the year, known as the 'Detox', that has been running since 2004 on 2nd January. The race starts and finishes in Lumphanan, is mostly on road, passing through countryside. Local and long-distance footpaths can be accessed from Lumphanan including a direct link to the Deeside Way.

Aboyne is an attractive small 19th century town in Royal Deeside and the main centre for this rural district. There is a supermarket, academy and primary schools and an excellent community centre providing theatre/cinema, full size swimming pool, badminton courts, library and gym. The town also has a health centre with five resident doctors, weekly optometrist and audiometric clinics and a cottage hospital.

The local council snow base is close by ensuring that Aboyne's roads and pathways are always clear even in heavy snowfalls as well as the main routes to all important centres.

Further afield on Deeside numerous skiing and other mountain-based activities are close at hand.

Aboyne is just (30 miles) from the oil industry centre of Aberdeen giving an easy, traffic free journey of around 45 minutes to the city centre or airport. Aberdeen International Airport has at least eight flights daily to London and operates routes to many other destinations including Amsterdam and Paris. The mainline railway runs frequent daily express services to London as well as regular services to other parts of the country and an excellent overnight sleeper service to London.*

*All distances are approximate.

Description

The current owners purchased Brankholm Croft in 1985 and embarked on its development in 1986. The extended annexe and garden room were added in 2009. Brankholm Croft is now a delightful two storey home thoughtfully configured to take full advantage of the countryside views. The living and reception areas are designed for both relaxation and entertaining guests. The accommodation begins with a spacious vestibule off which is a modern shower room. The hallway then leads into the dining kitchen. Fitted in 2012 by Drumoak Kitchens, the kitchen boasts a comprehensive range of honey-toned maple cabinetry complemented by sleek polished granite worksurfaces. Built in appliances include a dishwasher, induction hob with extractor hood above, double oven/grill and a tall fridge. The attractive sitting room features a striking stone fireplace with a wood burning stove and French doors open to the terrace. A further set of French doors opens into the stunning garden room which offers incredible views and again terrace access. The third reception room is the lounge, which could also be a fourth bedroom, if required. Currently it is used a dedicated study with extensive bookshelves, perfect for a home office or library. A timber staircase with decorative spindles connects the two floors, whilst built in storage solutions maximise space efficiency. Two front facing bedrooms capture countryside views and a further bedroom is adjacent to the modern bathroom with contemporary tiling.

Outside: The grounds of the house are divided into gardens of about 0.4 acres and agricultural arable land of 3.6 acres. The additional converted steading is incredibly versatile. A detached single storey annexe incorporates both a double garage and living accommodation. It was erected in 2009 and has a pitched slated roof. The living accommodation extends to 85 square metres and includes a living room, lobby/kitchen/dining area and shower room. The main living space is truly a room with a view and features a wood burning stove. The kitchen is fitted with a comprehensive range of white floor and wall units complemented by wood-block worksurfaces with white brick style splash tiling above. The shower room is a wet room with WC and wash basin. There has been significant landscaping to the garden grounds which includes stone paths and patio areas with a sloping formal garden. This space is well stocked with established and mature shrubs and perennials. A gravelled driveway provides parking and the rear garden incorporates a kitchen and fruit garden.

Garage: The double garage is created from one end of the steading and has up and over electrically operated doors.