Daydreams #1

If you asked me what I hoped to be doing a year from now, past saying living with my husband and my new dog (fingers crossed) - I wouldn't exactly know. Ed loves his job and the US Open is in flux. 

But if I had a daydream, and some money (which I don't work, so I don't have a lot of), I like either of these 2 projects. One big and one VERY big. 

There are two homes / castles / estates in Scotland that would be a ton of fun to work with. Both have the opportunity to build some beautiful gardens around. here is an example of a beautiful Scottish Castle / Home garden.

The first is a true castle remanent. It is $125,000 for the Castle ruins and a small plot. I don't know if the small house at the top of one of the pictures comes with it. it has been stabilized already by a master Scottish restorer, so it won't tumble down. 

It would make a great historical site by creating the gardens around it. Maybe opening up the inside to weddings or parties. you could make a home that might or might not incorporate the castle. Link to property.

Knockhall Castle

The negative - aside from the obvious price, inability to live somewhere while doing this and general crazy idea, is that it is pretty far north - above Aberdeen. So both cold and rainy.

Here is the story of the castle, per the listing:

The following details have been documented by Historic Scotland:

Knockhall Castle, in the parish of Foveran, is situated near the mouth of the river Ythan and was probably built in 1565 as an L plan towerhouse of three stories and an attic with a projecting staircase tower on its northside. The tower does not have a parapet and the gables have skews rather than crowsteps. To the south of the castle there was an enclosed courtyard, but all that now remains of this is a fragmentary round tower at the south east angle of the enclosure which incorporated a dovecot on its upper level. The tower has undergone significant alteration, probably in the second quarter of the 17th century.

The tower is lit by large rectangular windows in the south and east walls. These are arranged more or less symmetrically and their raised margins suggest they are insertions dating to the mid 17th century. The earlier windows which have survived have a typical roll moulding of mid 16th century type, and some appear to have had gunloops in their sills. The basement is pierced by a number of wide-mouthed gunloops but also has some fairly large windows which have the raised margins of the 17th century windows.

The entrance is in the re-entrant angle and the lintel of the door is inscribed with the date 1565. Above this are two empty heraldic panels and at eaves level there is a projecting stone shelf which appears to have been intended to shed water away from the entrance doorway. The doorway gives access to a corridor running the length of the building and leads to the main stair. Entered off the corridor, on the left, is the kitchen, complete with fireplace, sink and drain. The main block contains a large cellar also with a sink and drain. Both spaces are vaulted although that over the kitchen has collapsed.

The circular stair is comfortably wide and provides access both to the principal upper floors in the main block and to those in the wing. It may be an addition, but if so the original access arrangements are unclear. The main block of the tower contained the hall and again there is evidence that this space was significantly re-ordered when the large windows were inserted. The second floor of the main block was divided into two, each chamber supplied with a latrine and fireplace. The attic floor was reached by a small internal staircase, with the space above the main stair being a small room with a fireplace.

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Bonjedward House

That said, at the most southern part of Scotland is a cute big ass stately home. This is much farther south, in reasonable shape (water, sewer and power), much more land and hence a bigger price tag of $720,000 - but we are dreaming right?

From the listing: 

Full description

ELEGANT GEORGIAN MANSION SET IN APPROXIMATELY 10 ACRES.

An exceptional opportunity to acquire an outstanding detached period country home requiring internal completion, dating from the early 19th century and set in around 10 acres of mature grounds with, lodge house.

Outside: Lodge house, mature gardens, woodland, grazing.