The Old School, Duisky, Fort William, Highland, PH33 7AW

The Old School, Duisky Fort William, PH33 7AW

A traditional West Highland property with picturesque views over Loch Eil and the surrounding area, the Old School at Duisky has potential to be both a family home or holiday let business opportunity.

• Five-bedroom detached property dating back to the late1800s.

• An excellent opportunity for a flexible renovation project, subject to obtaining necessary consents.

• Set within approximately 1.14 acres which includes garden ground and amenity woodland.

• An existing luxury wooden chalet which is currently used for short term lets.

Corpach 13 miles, Fort William 18 miles, Inverness Airport 90 miles

Offers over £300,000

THE OLD SCHOOL

A one-and-a-half-storey former schoolhouse of traditional stone and lime construction with a timber framed natural Ballachulish slate covered roof and dormer windows on the first floor. The property benefits from a mix of original single glazed and double-glazed windows as well as gas central heating with the added advantage of solar panels fitted to the roof.

Built in the late 1800s, and as the name suggests, this was the local primary school up until 1966.

Sitting in an elevated position with direct access off the A861 and enjoying fine views across Loch Eil, the Old School is now in need of significant remedial work to bring it up to the modern standard. The unique configuration with the Schoolroom and Teacher's Cottage being accessed from two separate external doors. The layout lends itself to reconfiguration to form a substantial, spacious and flexible family home (possibly with a “granny flat”) or perhaps two separate properties, subject to obtaining any necessary consents. The building essentially offers a blank canvass to allow the new owner to renovate to their taste.

TEACHERS COTTAGE

Teacher's Cottage is located on the ground floor and in its current configuration, comprises of three bedrooms, a kitchen and bathroom. Access is taken via a porch at the western end of the property and all rooms are accessed off a central hallway. Both the kitchen and first bedroom enjoy views onto the garden and across Loch Eil.

SCHOOLROOM

The Schoolroom, is the focal point of the property with a generous open plan space across the ground floor benefitting from large windows and a high ceiling, making it a light and airy room. There is a stove installed to provide additional space heating. Located off the schoolroom is a kitchen, utility room and WC. Stairs provide access to a mezzanine level, where two further bedrooms and a bathroom can be found. The elevated position of these bedrooms affords them a clear view over Loch Eil and the surrounding landscape.

OUTSIDE

The property extends to approximately 1.14 acres of generally south facing mature garden with approximately 0.4 acres of amenity woodland primarily made up of birch with other native species such as oak providing the property with a degree of privacy in addition to a natural habitat for the local wildlife which include red squirrel, red deer and a range of bird species from birds of prey to songbirds.

A programme of selective thinning may create additional space for further natural regeneration which can help create a more complex and biodiverse habitat providing shelter for a wider range of native wildlife. Even small-scale regeneration can make valuable contributions to the overall diversity of tree cover which helps to support a healthy ecosystem.

In addition, there is a dilapidated wooden garage and garden shed located toward the eastern boundary of the garden with a small, insulated shed to the rear of the house. These could be replaced, subject to securing the requisite planning permission.

A large area at the front provides parking for a number of vehicles.

Chalet

The Chalet is currently let out as a holiday let on Airbnb and is an ideal retreat for a relaxing break. Recently refurbished to a high standard, it provides one double bedroom, large open plan kitchen/living area and shower room. Heating is electric and a woodburning stove. Currently let at a competitive rate, it has high occupancy rates.

The Chalet offers an excellent opportunity to generate income in one of the most popular holiday destinations in the UK. There is plenty of space to add a further chalet(s) and to grow the business, subject to securing the requisite planning permission and change of use.

In the short term, the Chalet could be used as accommodation while work on the Old School takes place. Alternatively, it could work as an excellent home office or outdoor entertaining space.

Viewing

Strictly by prior agreement with the selling agents who should be contacted in advance to advise on access arrangements.

Financial Guarantee/Anti-Money Laundering Regulations

Any offer by prospective purchaser(s), regardless of where they are ordinarily resident and regardless of whether cash or subject to loan finance basis, must be accompanied by a financial reference from a bank/funding source that is acceptable to the sellers. Prospective purchasers will also be required to produce identification sufficient to satisfy anti-money laundering regulations and checks against the intended purchaser or nominee together with other documentation that may be required, from time to time, in order to support any conditional offers submitted to the seller. Bidwells LLP accepts no liability of any type arising from your delay or other lack of co-operation in this regard. Failure to provide the requisite AML documentation with offers may result in them not being considered at the closing date or being superseded by an offer which is. Settlement may also be delayed or aborted due to non-compliance with requests for information or failure to deliver adequate information within the requisite timeframes. We may hold your name on our database unless you instruct us otherwise.