Escape to the Country S24E08 - Caithness
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00:00 Lochs, vast wilderness and scattered settlements.
00:04 Where first class scenery is a part of everyday life
00:07 for the lucky few who get to call it home.
00:10 I have never been this far north in the UK.
00:14 This is a part of Scotland I've never seen before
00:17 and I cannot wait to see what it has to offer.
00:21 And let's be honest, when you look around,
00:23 it's perfectly obvious why it is so tantalizing.
00:25 There really is no one here.
00:28 If you are thinking about splendid isolation,
00:31 goodness me, this place has got it.
00:36 The historic county of Caithness
00:38 is located at the northern tip of what is today known
00:41 as the Highland Council area.
00:44 There are just two towns in Caithness,
00:46 with Thurso on the north coast and Wick over on the east.
00:50 But clearly, big city life is not what brings people here.
00:54 Caithness is a wonderful county, a great place
00:57 to be brought up.
00:59 I'd recommend it to any family thinking about moving here
01:02 to bring up their children.
01:03 Really safe.
01:04 It's so idyllic and actually excellent schools as well.
01:08 If you're a golfer, there's some amazing golf courses.
01:10 If you're a keen cyclist, there's
01:12 really, really hard climbs.
01:13 I can testify to that.
01:15 Hill walkers, there's summits to get up.
01:18 There's great wildlife and nature, puffins and orcas.
01:21 There's castles galore, old ruins,
01:24 all within a beautiful surrounding.
01:27 It's so close to nature here, which is so healthy, I think,
01:30 for people to grow up with that on your doorstep.
01:34 So there you have it.
01:35 Head to the edge of your map and you'll
01:37 find that Caithness is one of Scotland's best kept secrets.
01:42 So let's now meet today's buyers who
01:44 are hoping to make their very own Scottish escape.
01:48 And when I say escape, think of that in bold,
01:52 underlined twice, because quite frankly,
01:54 short of buying their own island,
01:57 they are undertaking one of the most extreme escapes
02:00 I think I've ever seen.
02:01 I absolutely love Scotland.
02:06 I love the vastness of it, the ruggedness of it.
02:12 We want to be more self-sufficient, more
02:14 friendly to the environment, so the kids
02:16 have got more space to play and enjoy life.
02:20 Civil engineer James and his wife Sam,
02:23 who works as a hairdresser and barmaid,
02:25 live in a rented property close to the Herefordshire
02:27 town of Bromyard.
02:29 But juggling work alongside raising their two sons, Henry
02:32 and George, means it can sometimes feel
02:35 like life is passing them by.
02:37 So I'm working in Bristol at the minute, doing six days a week.
02:41 I also work the weekends at the rugby club.
02:44 So we don't really get much time to spend as an actual family.
02:49 My children are growing up fast.
02:51 So I want to make that step so I can see them grow up,
02:54 because you're never going to get it back.
02:57 Holidays to Scotland have fostered
02:59 a deep love of the country.
03:00 And having rented farmland in the past,
03:02 a move there would allow them to get back to that way of life.
03:07 We used to always have sheep.
03:09 And when we did lambing, it was an amazing time for us,
03:13 because we used to just all muck in and do it together.
03:17 I'm hoping that we can get back there again.
03:20 And the boys would love some chickens and a pig.
03:27 Livestock might be on their wish list.
03:29 But ultimately, this is a move all about Sam, James,
03:33 and their two young children.
03:35 We want to watch the boys grow up.
03:38 And we want to spend more time with them as a family.
03:42 Life is so short.
03:44 And I just feel that we just need to make that move now.
03:49 It's our time.
03:52 Armed with a budget of £270,000,
03:55 Sam and James are seeking a detached property
03:58 with three bedrooms and a kitchen
04:00 with space for a dining table.
04:02 They want their new home to be off the beaten track,
04:05 with plenty of outdoor space for them to grow vegetables
04:08 and rear livestock, but within a 30-minute drive
04:11 of a school for the boys.
04:18 Well, what a day for a drive through this very
04:22 remote part of Scotland.
04:23 I'm really excited to be helping a couple who've
04:26 got a very clear vision for what their genuinely
04:30 rural life is going to be.
04:32 So fingers crossed, we can find them
04:35 just what they're looking for.
04:38 Apparently, our couple are undaunted
04:40 by the prospect of remote rural living.
04:42 But still, I thought I'd test that
04:45 before the business of house hunting gets underway.
04:48 Wow, look at this, eh?
04:51 We're over 400 miles away from Herefordshire,
04:54 where we all come from.
04:56 What's wrong with Herefordshire?
04:58 I knew you were going to say that.
05:01 The reason for wanting to move here, I mean, is this.
05:05 Look at it.
05:06 It's beautiful.
05:06 I mean, splendid isolation, James,
05:08 doesn't really begin to cover it.
05:10 What an adventure you're embarking upon.
05:13 Yeah, definitely Scotland as a whole, financially for us,
05:16 is more viable for us to move here.
05:19 There's a lot of pressure nowadays, financially,
05:21 on families with the price of living going up.
05:24 So we feel we need to come away from that,
05:27 be a bit more self-sufficient, and to spend more time
05:30 as a family because you've only got one life
05:33 and you need to live it.
05:35 Well, I'm really excited because country life is
05:37 a sort of sliding scale, really.
05:38 At one end of it, there are those
05:40 who just want a beautiful house with a beautiful view,
05:43 perfectly legitimate.
05:44 And at the other end of the scale, there's you.
05:48 Come on, let's go.
05:49 We're beginning our Caithness property search
05:55 in the coastal hamlet of Smeral.
05:57 The nearby village of Leibster was once
06:02 home to a prominent herring trade,
06:04 with more than 100 boats operating out
06:06 of its port in the 19th century.
06:08 Today, it's a little quieter, but has
06:10 a good range of amenities, including
06:12 a cafe, post office, and local store,
06:15 as well as a primary school.
06:18 And heading south out of the village,
06:21 a 10-minute drive takes us to the hamlet of Smeral,
06:24 where we find our first property.
06:26 It's beautiful.
06:27 Wow.
06:28 I absolutely love it.
06:29 Yeah, it's lovely.
06:30 It's very deceptive, this, too.
06:31 It's absolutely enormous.
06:33 And of course, the views and the sea right now.
06:36 And the sea right next door.
06:38 It's amazing.
06:39 It's exactly what we want.
06:40 Yeah.
06:42 The houses we've been looking at have been like this.
06:45 So this is probably definitely one of the nicest ones
06:48 we've seen.
06:48 Yeah, it's lovely.
06:49 Come and have a look.
06:52 This modern detached home enjoys an elevated position
06:56 overlooking the sea and the countryside.
07:01 James and Sam might be happy to hear
07:02 that it's built from environmentally-friendly
07:04 insulated concrete and has solar tubing outside to heat
07:08 the property's water supply.
07:09 Come in.
07:13 There's lots to tempt you here, but we'll
07:15 start with this space.
07:17 Wow, this is lovely.
07:19 Yeah, it's lovely and big.
07:20 Yeah?
07:21 Yeah, nice.
07:22 I like this.
07:23 Yeah.
07:23 There's a lot of space in here.
07:24 I can even see the boys at the table doing their homework.
07:27 Yeah, it's lovely.
07:28 And it all flows through here, which is nice.
07:31 This I love.
07:32 Very clever little wood store there.
07:33 Oh, that's lovely.
07:35 The burner, of course.
07:36 And then as much family area as you need.
07:40 This is amazing.
07:41 Brilliant, huh?
07:42 Yeah, I think it's great.
07:43 As a place for you to land as a family.
07:46 Yeah, it'd be good cooking in the same area as relaxing.
07:49 Very social.
07:50 Yeah, very social.
07:51 I mean, what do you think the kids would make of this
07:54 if they walked through the door now?
07:56 I think they'd absolutely love it.
07:57 Yeah, they would.
07:58 Yeah, they'd love the space.
08:00 I think it's more room for us than what we've got now.
08:03 So definitely just to wake up to that every day.
08:06 Just amazing.
08:07 Yeah.
08:09 Across the hall, there's a utility room and a family
08:12 bathroom next door.
08:14 There's also a double bedroom, the first of three
08:16 in this property, with doors leading out into the garden
08:20 and a rather fabulous outlook.
08:22 Two further bedrooms are located upstairs,
08:25 where there's also a spacious shower room, which
08:27 has been newly fitted.
08:29 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:31 This, I think, would probably be the one you might choose.
08:34 The views of the sea from here, I think,
08:37 define this as the best one.
08:40 Absolutely lovely.
08:41 I get a lovely feeling about this house.
08:43 It's lovely.
08:44 Yeah?
08:45 It's stunning, to be fair.
08:46 They've done an amazing job.
08:47 It feels so homely, don't it?
08:48 Yeah, we love it.
08:49 We've looked at some properties like this,
08:51 but I think the roof, the height of the ceiling is high.
08:56 And the rooms are really big.
08:58 So, madam, you want to buy it?
09:00 Yeah, you're going to give me the money?
09:04 I would if I could, Sam, I promise.
09:08 Whilst the couple take in the rest of the upstairs
09:10 on their own, there's one little nook of this house
09:12 I must share with you.
09:14 Three bedroom property?
09:16 More like three and a half.
09:18 Well, while the guys are exploring upstairs,
09:20 I want you to have a look at this.
09:22 Many of us do have a cupboard under the stairs,
09:24 but how many of us have a dog kennel under the stairs?
09:28 I think that is genius.
09:31 The dog hut.
09:33 Wow, what pampered pooches they are here.
09:38 Oh, this is a lovely room.
09:40 It's nice to be in it for the boys.
09:42 This house is giving me a really good feeling.
09:44 Feels like a home.
09:46 Yeah.
09:47 It's just a house that you're looking at.
09:49 I could see ourselves here, to be fair.
09:52 Especially with the outdoors like.
09:54 It's beautiful.
09:56 It's just, I don't know, it just makes me smile.
09:59 The generous garden is located at the rear,
10:04 with a decked area ideally placed
10:06 to take in the property's peaceful surroundings.
10:09 What's more, the vendors tell me there's loads of wildlife
10:12 to see here, including deer, a sight I think Sam and James's
10:16 two boys would love.
10:18 It's pretty, isn't it?
10:19 And I love what they've done with the rocks here
10:21 and this garden.
10:22 But below us, you've got that enormous six acre
10:25 strip, which is owned by the current owner.
10:29 But we have spoken to them about the possibility
10:31 of you renting some of it.
10:33 And they are more than happy to have that conversation.
10:36 Right, OK.
10:37 It's an option.
10:38 It's an option.
10:39 Definitely.
10:41 So what do we think about the house then, in terms of its value?
10:44 Oh.
10:45 What's it on the market for?
10:46 230.
10:52 Cheeky.
10:54 I'll go a bit more.
10:55 So I'll go 240, 250 mark.
10:58 This is on the market for offers over 270,000 pounds.
11:02 Oh, OK.
11:03 However, we have spoken to the owner.
11:06 He's very realistic about this.
11:08 Yeah.
11:09 If you offered him 270,000 and an extra pound, you'd get it.
11:16 Right, OK.
11:17 So back to your earlier question, was I going to buy it for you?
11:19 No, there's the pound that might get you over the line
11:24 if you decide to do it.
11:25 Recently reduced in price, this modern detached home
11:31 could be secured for their maximum budget,
11:34 offering the family an open plan kitchen diner, three bedrooms,
11:38 and two bathrooms.
11:40 It is beautifully positioned, boasting views
11:42 over both the mountains and the sea,
11:45 with the option to rent up to six acres of land
11:47 located at the end of the garden.
11:51 I feel absolutely amazed by this house.
11:55 I think the boys would basically want to move in straight away.
11:58 They'd love the views and seeing the sheep.
12:01 I think we'd be really happy here, to be honest.
12:04 So yeah, let's watch this space.
12:08 I love the property.
12:10 It's amazing to a high standard.
12:12 My only reservation is the land.
12:14 I'd rather own it than renting it off someone,
12:17 because if anything happens further down the line,
12:19 if they move out and we have to come off that land,
12:22 it's just defeating the object of us moving up here
12:25 to farm and produce our own crops.
12:27 We can compromise on the house,
12:29 but our land is a big part of why we're moving up here.
12:46 Our couple are hoping a move to Caithness
12:48 will allow them to embrace a truly rural lifestyle.
12:52 But in whatever isolated corner of this region
12:54 Sam and James choose to settle,
12:56 they'd like to be able to access a town within a 30-minute drive.
13:00 So I'm sending them off to test drive one of those towns.
13:04 Wyke lies on the estuary of the Wyke River,
13:07 and a century ago, it was the busiest herring port
13:10 in all of Europe, with the harbour chock full of boats
13:13 exporting their catch all over the world.
13:16 Those days might be long gone, but the hospitality
13:19 of having once been a global centre still remains.
13:22 Life around Wyke is a lot easier pace.
13:30 People just stop and talk to you when you're walking in the streets,
13:33 whereas back home in Edinburgh, they just walk by you.
13:37 It really is good here, I love it.
13:38 But it does get cold.
13:41 We really are at the tip of the British mainland here,
13:44 just 16 miles south of John o'Groats,
13:46 with the closest city of Inverness a two-hour drive away.
13:51 Thankfully, Wyke's locals find there's enough happening
13:53 in the town and surrounding area to keep them from having to leave.
13:58 The harbour really is the hub of the town.
14:01 There's still some fishing, although nothing like what it used to be.
14:05 But it's been overtaken with the increase in leisure.
14:08 You get round about 400 yachts a year visiting us.
14:12 Now, Wyke might be a relatively small town,
14:16 but did you know it's in the Guinness Book of World Records?
14:20 Ebenezer Place in the town centre is officially
14:22 the world's shortest street at just 2.06 metres.
14:27 There's just enough space for a doorway,
14:31 which leads to number one bistro.
14:33 Sam and James are being met by manager Murray Lamont,
14:36 whose family have been running the adjoining hotel for over 60 years.
14:40 What kind of town would you say Wyke is?
14:44 It's a small town these days, but it's had a rich history.
14:48 In the 1880s, it had a population of about 4,000
14:53 and it went up to about 9,000 or 10,000 when the Herring was here.
14:57 It was quite a wild town in those days,
14:59 consuming 500 gallons of whisky a day, which is no mean feat.
15:05 So, we're a family of four.
15:07 Is there much around here to keep us occupied?
15:09 There's plenty to do around here if you like outdoors.
15:12 Caithness is the land beyond the highlands,
15:15 and yet there's hill walking, there's coastal walks,
15:19 there's beaches with very few people on them.
15:22 It's just stunning scenery.
15:24 What's the area like for dogs?
15:27 Because we have two dogs ourselves.
15:29 There's a lot of very friendly places for dogs,
15:31 and as long as the owners are well behaved, they'll be welcome.
15:34 (LAUGHS)
15:36 No dogs today, but Murray has invited Sam and James
15:41 to have lunch in the bistro to sample some of the local cuisine.
15:45 - What's it like? - It's lovely.
15:47 To be honest, I thought I weren't really a fish fan,
15:49 but this is actually really nice.
15:51 It's great to know that when Sam and James aren't busy
15:55 working the land of their new home,
15:57 there'll be lovely lunch spots like this to decamp to.
16:01 It's just a small matter of finding them that new home first.
16:04 Our next property can be found in the countryside just outside Thurzo.
16:14 The northernmost town in mainland Britain,
16:18 Thurzo's pedestrianised high street has a good selection of shops,
16:23 including no fewer than four bakeries.
16:28 The River Thurzo runs alongside the town's eastern edge
16:31 and is renowned for its salmon fishing.
16:34 In the centre of town, Sir John's Square is dominated by a Gothic church
16:38 built in 1832.
16:40 We're driving inland for just over ten minutes,
16:43 where our next property offering awaits us.
16:46 - Wow. What do you think? - I like it.
16:52 - Yeah. - Yeah?
16:53 - Yeah, I like it. - I like it. It feels very...green.
16:57 (laughter)
16:59 Guess what?
17:01 I like the fact that it's...
17:04 - We're a bit further away from other people. - Yeah.
17:07 - Looks great. - Splendid isolation.
17:09 - Yeah, definitely. - Come on, let's see what you think.
17:12 This bungalow might not have the dramatic outlook of our first property,
17:18 but its remote position seems to have tempted Sam and James.
17:22 The building was once a schoolhouse, but around 15 years ago,
17:25 it was converted into a beautifully finished and extensive family home.
17:29 Oh, come on in. Nice and cosy in here.
17:34 - There we are. What do you think? - Wow.
17:37 - Yeah? - This is lovely.
17:39 - That's lovely. Not too big. - Oh, this is really nice.
17:43 - Yeah. More than big enough for us. - I think this is super.
17:46 And a really generous utility come boot room out there
17:49 with another door in from the garden.
17:52 Yeah, I could definitely imagine, isn't it? Yeah, it's lovely.
17:55 Is this of a higher spec than you thought you might find?
17:58 Yes. A lot of them that we've looked at in the past
18:01 have needed quite a bit of work done to them,
18:03 and this definitely doesn't need that.
18:05 And then you can put all your efforts into whatever you do out there.
18:09 - Yeah. - Yeah. - No, definitely.
18:11 Living the green dream.
18:13 Excellent. Right. Lean onto me there, mate. Let's continue.
18:18 So how about this, then, as your family living space?
18:22 - Oh, this is beautiful. - Yeah?
18:24 - Absolutely stunning. - Yeah.
18:26 Bigger than what we've had previously, so, yeah, it's nice.
18:29 Loads of light as well.
18:31 I feel like we could probably just move straight in and feel straight at home, really.
18:34 - And it's so quiet. - Yeah. - Yeah, that's what we want.
18:37 It's beautiful. The boys would absolutely love it here.
18:40 Good to know my most important customers would approve.
18:43 I'm going to let James and Sam explore the rest of the house solo now.
18:47 They're hoping to spend lots of time outside when they move,
18:50 so I think they'll appreciate the fact that all three of the bedrooms here
18:54 shouldn't need any work.
18:56 - Ooh, wow. - It's nice, really, mate.
18:59 - This is lovely. This would be our room, I think. - Probably, yeah.
19:02 I'm really surprised about how nice it's all furnished and finished.
19:08 - No. - Just a bit taken back, really.
19:10 - I can't believe it. - Really nice. Really nice.
19:13 - Oh, this is a nice landing, isn't it? - Yeah.
19:15 - The bathroom. - It's very long.
19:17 - It's a good layout. - That's lovely.
19:19 - Good layout for us, really. Big, nice family bathroom. - It's very modern, isn't it?
19:22 Yeah. All good-sized rooms, that's a good thing.
19:25 - Just look how hot the ceiling is. - Oh, lovely.
19:28 - Loads of space for the boys. - Yeah.
19:30 Oh, wow. Oh, Henry would love this.
19:33 Got your built-in wardrobes as well.
19:35 Compared to the one this morning, it feels more spacious.
19:39 Yeah, it does, actually. Yeah. I mean, I like the one this morning,
19:42 but I've got a lovely feeling about this one as well.
19:45 Yeah, I don't know.
19:47 I mean, what's Jules doing to us? Talk about confusing.
19:51 I can only apologise, Sam.
19:56 The garden might help clarify how you really feel about this property, though.
20:00 A generous plot, it's fully enclosed by a stone wall
20:03 with a raised deck in one corner for sunnier days.
20:06 Unfortunately, today is not one of those days.
20:11 - It had to happen, didn't it? - Yeah.
20:13 Let's be honest, we can't come all the way up here and not get wet at some point.
20:16 But hopefully not dampening your spirits.
20:18 And out here, bags of room for veg growing.
20:21 What we don't have are acres for livestock,
20:24 but look around, you can see there's plenty of it.
20:26 And again, it's one that might involve approaching the local landowner
20:31 to talk about perhaps renting or acquiring in the future
20:35 some extra land to go with it.
20:37 But the price may have a bearing on it.
20:39 All right, so what do we think, then, James,
20:42 our second property is on the market for?
20:45 I'm going to go a bit higher than what I did last time.
20:48 - £265,000? - I would probably say £255,000.
20:54 This is currently on the market for offers over £218,000.
21:02 - Wow. - Oh, OK. - Brilliant.
21:04 What do you mean, "Right, OK"? That is an amazing figure.
21:07 Brilliant, yeah. Yeah, it's a shock.
21:11 - This is better. - Yeah.
21:13 A shock is good, yeah.
21:14 To be honest, I didn't think you'd be able to top this morning's property,
21:17 so I'm really taken back, if I'm honest.
21:20 To be honest, I think we've topped it,
21:22 and we've done it for a fraction of the price.
21:24 Yeah, definitely.
21:26 This detached bungalow is comfortably under budget
21:29 and delivers a spacious kitchen-diner,
21:31 a cosy living room and three good-sized bedrooms.
21:35 It's been tastefully decorated throughout,
21:37 meaning that Sam and James could expend all their energy
21:41 getting out into the garden and living the good life.
21:45 I absolutely love this property.
21:47 The price is amazing.
21:49 I didn't think that Jools would be able to top this morning's property.
21:54 I've just got a lovely feeling about this place,
21:56 and the space is unbelievable. I'm very happy.
22:00 So, with the land, to start us off, it's good.
22:02 It's a nice little patch, so we can at least start
22:05 and then think of buying something later on down the line.
22:08 House-wise, I'm not too fussed about.
22:11 It's the land that's more for me.
22:14 What do you think?
22:15 I mean, I could quite happily live here.
22:18 I could move in tomorrow. I've just got to work on this one here.
22:22 Our property search might be done for the day,
22:31 but you can't come to Caithness without paying a visit
22:34 to its most famous village.
22:37 Jonagroats is one of the UK's best-known landmarks,
22:40 lying at the north-eastern tip of the mainland,
22:43 with the Orkney Isles just six miles beyond.
22:47 And whilst, of course, I'm here in a professional capacity,
22:50 sometimes it's nice to just be a tourist.
22:54 Look at this - an Aladdin's cave of gifts.
22:59 You can't come to Jonagroats and not pay a visit to the gift shop.
23:03 This one is called the First and Last,
23:05 simply because, depending on which way you are travelling,
23:08 it's either the first gift shop you're going to find on mainland UK
23:11 or, indeed, the last you will see before you head north to the Orkneys.
23:15 But as you can see, it is packed full of stuff.
23:19 And one thing I've been asked to get whilst I'm here
23:22 is a postcard for my son, Jack.
23:25 There we are. That says it all.
23:28 From Jonagroats to Land's End.
23:31 Oh, surely.
23:33 How about that?
23:36 Hello! There we are, sir. Good afternoon.
23:41 One of those. One of those.
23:44 This really suits you. Do you think it's my size?
23:47 Well, it obviously fits you. I was thinking it was made for the wife.
23:51 Don't tell her that, or she will be watching.
23:54 No wonder people come to visit, just to say they've been.
23:57 Well, I always say this is the beginning of the world.
24:00 Everything is downhill from here.
24:02 You're absolutely right. Thank you very much.
24:05 That's very kind, sir.
24:07 And the final thing on my tourist itinerary
24:10 is a visit to the Jonagroats iconic signpost,
24:13 where we can all take in the awe-inspiring scenery.
24:17 Well, you've probably been here before, but this is my first time
24:21 at Jonagroats. Look at this, the end of the world!
24:24 Right, come on. We can't come here and not have...
24:28 ..a selfie.
24:30 Right, with a post. There we are.
24:32 Everybody smiling. Great.
24:35 Fantastic. What a lovely end to the day.
24:37 Thank you.
24:39 Many of us have had a chance to reflect on our living arrangements
24:52 in the last few years, so if you're thinking a move
24:55 to the Scottish Highlands might be right for you,
24:58 here's what you need to know about its property market.
25:01 The average price of a detached property would set you back
25:04 just over £305,000, which, to put it into context,
25:08 is a massive £152,000 less than the national figure.
25:14 Traditionally, though, all of Scotland has offered value for money
25:18 when compared to the rest of the UK,
25:20 with the highest prices found around the country's urban centres,
25:23 such as Glasgow and Edinburgh.
25:26 As you might expect, then, the further north you go,
25:29 the further your money goes.
25:32 We had a lot of English buyers coming up.
25:34 Last year, it just went a bit mad.
25:36 A lot of English buyers want to come up here,
25:38 knowing they can work from home in the country, you know,
25:41 so prices did go up.
25:42 We are starting to quiet down again this year.
25:44 We've not had so many English buyers coming up.
25:46 But, yeah, you still have a lot of them.
25:48 They want to escape to the country, basically.
25:51 Sam and James might be fitting the mould of English buyers
25:54 heading north in search of a deal,
25:56 but a quick look at the property stock shows there's more to Caithness
26:00 than just good value.
26:02 This unique lighthouse engine house has two bedrooms
26:06 and is on the market for offers over £149,000.
26:10 It might be in need of renovation,
26:13 but it boasts some of the most spectacular views you could ever dream of.
26:18 Or how about taking over an established guest house
26:21 in the coastal town of Wick?
26:23 This detached, double-fronted property has six bedrooms
26:26 and is on the market for offers over £410,000.
26:32 Or, if you're seeking a bit of luxury,
26:34 you could head to this stunning wooden lodge located on a working farm.
26:39 With room for up to six guests and access to a separate indoor barbecue,
26:43 prices start at £680 for a seven-night stay.
26:47 Well, at the end of our second property yesterday,
26:54 I had a sneaking feeling that perhaps there was some division in the camp.
26:58 Sam absolutely loved that property,
27:01 but recognised that for James there just wasn't quite enough land.
27:05 So that is where our final roll of the dice comes into play.
27:09 Our mystery house, which I hope will join everything up
27:13 and give them a property that they can both fully agree on.
27:17 It's our last one. It's got to work.
27:20 To conclude our property search,
27:24 we're travelling to the remote coastal settlement of Uchamster.
27:28 But before we head there, Sam and James are making a detour
27:32 to a 4,000-year-old archaeological site nearby.
27:36 The Hill of Many Stains is home to 200 standing stones
27:42 arranged in a fan-shaped pattern.
27:44 Their exact purpose is unclear,
27:49 but archaeologists believe the site might have been used
27:52 for religious or ceremonial purposes during the early Bronze Age.
27:56 Now, stone circles are not uncommon in this part of Scotland,
28:01 but they do offer a tantalising insight into the region's ancient past.
28:06 And whilst we might not know the exact secrets of this one,
28:10 the secrets of our final property offering are ready to be revealed.
28:14 Well, our mystery house clearly has some work to do today,
28:19 because although I think, to be fair, Sam would happily have moved
28:22 into either of the properties that I showed them both,
28:25 for James this is all about land and space.
28:28 And I don't think we'll speak for itself,
28:31 but just come and have a look at the views.
28:33 Why is this the mystery house?
28:37 Well, in truth, it's probably not quite as polished,
28:40 both inside and out, as some of our earlier offerings.
28:43 But what it does provide is that -
28:46 what is known in the trade as a borrowed view.
28:49 Plus, this has more land than any of the properties
28:53 we've shown them thus far,
28:55 so it's all about them, on them loving our final property.
28:59 And to ensure the mystery house makes the very best first impression
29:04 on Sam and James, I'm starting by turning their attention
29:07 towards one of its best features.
29:09 Does that sell it to you?
29:11 Wow. Yeah, with the mountains, yeah, it's amazing.
29:14 It's lovely. Overlooked by this, our mystery house.
29:17 Wow, it's lovely. Yeah, really nice. I love the area.
29:20 Yeah, it's lovely. That looks beautiful.
29:22 And it comes with two acres. OK. Yeah, good.
29:26 Shall we have a look? Yes, please.
29:28 There's no gate here, we're going to have to walk round.
29:31 This attractive detached bungalow sits in an elevated position
29:36 and is clad in Douglas fir.
29:38 So now we're a bit closer. Does it appeal?
29:43 Yeah, it looks nice from the outside.
29:45 Yeah? Let's see what you make of the inside, then.
29:49 We're beginning the tour in the L-shaped kitchen diner
29:52 with its architecturally impressive apex windows
29:55 directing the eye towards those wonderful views.
29:58 Well, as you may have figured out by now...
30:01 Hello, cat. He doesn't come with it.
30:04 ..this is all on one level. Yeah.
30:06 What do you think? Yeah, it's very spacious.
30:09 I'd be really happy to wake up to that every morning.
30:12 Yeah, I bet you would. We'll be out there, mate.
30:14 Crack of dawn, in the dark, chasing around some sheep.
30:17 I could see us all here. It's lovely. The space is brilliant.
30:21 You can tweak it as you go. Yeah. Yeah. Nice. Really nice.
30:24 Yeah? Yeah, I like it. Is that a good smile? Yeah, yeah.
30:27 He's still thinking about the two acres, isn't he?
30:29 Yeah. OK, don't worry, mate, we'll get out there in due course.
30:33 Come and have a look at the living room.
30:35 There we are. Suitably cosy, with the burner, of course.
30:39 This is a nice room. Yeah, it's big.
30:41 Look at the size of the love burner.
30:43 I think you'll need it up here. It's a nice size, yeah.
30:46 Does it feel like home?
30:48 It could be. Yeah, after...
30:50 Putting our own touch on it. ..putting our own stamp on it, yeah.
30:53 Cos I think we need to join you both up a bit.
30:55 Cos I think yesterday you absolutely loved all the properties.
30:58 Are we... Yeah? ..moving together on this one?
31:01 Yeah, definitely. Yeah.
31:03 Good. Right, then, let's go and see some more.
31:05 Much like the other properties we've seen,
31:09 this one has three double bedrooms,
31:11 all located in the entrance and served by a family bathroom.
31:15 One thing this house has, but the others don't, though,
31:18 is a main bedroom with add-ons.
31:20 So, this one, you get your own sort of en suite suite.
31:25 Shower room's through there. Very nice.
31:27 And then, er, main bedroom.
31:29 Nice, good. Good size.
31:31 Come on, look at the views you're going to get from out there!
31:34 It's lovely. I mean, to be fair, probably a bit dated now,
31:37 this sort of built-in thing, you know,
31:39 but, again, it's something you can do in time.
31:41 Yeah, definitely. Yeah.
31:42 Yeah, just painting and just making it ours, really.
31:44 How excited, then, are we about this one?
31:47 Yeah, I'm very excited, actually.
31:49 I can see that we could do quite a lot to this.
31:52 Yeah, change lots of things outside and inside, so...
31:55 Well, you've really only glimpsed what's out there. Yeah.
31:58 Let's have a proper look, shall we? Yeah.
32:00 As I teased right at the start of this Mystery House tour,
32:05 the property sits in a two-acre plot,
32:07 allowing plenty of room to grow vegetables and rear livestock,
32:11 albeit with a bit of hard graft.
32:14 Amazing, that, isn't it? Beautiful.
32:18 That is your two acres? Yeah.
32:20 Could you cope with the wind up here? Yeah.
32:22 Yeah, just stick on our woolly hats.
32:24 I love that, you see? Absolutely undaunted.
32:27 You're not... You're not... You're not worrying about it?
32:30 No. No, it doesn't worry us.
32:32 Kids would love sledging round here, wouldn't they?
32:35 What do you think this might be on the market for?
32:37 I think probably top of budget. Yep.
32:40 £270,000.
32:42 OK. £270,000. James?
32:45 Yeah, I'd go the same, probably a little bit over.
32:48 So, £270,000, £275,000.
32:51 This is on the market for offers over £215,000.
32:58 Wow. Thank you, Joe.
33:00 That's a surprise.
33:02 Has that done it? Yeah, yeah.
33:04 Wow. OK. Happy.
33:06 Happy? I should hope so.
33:08 That's an easy win in my book. Yeah.
33:11 This detached bungalow is priced well under budget
33:15 and boasts a spacious interior
33:17 that Sam and James could personalise in good time.
33:20 As well as a large kitchen-diner and three bedrooms,
33:23 the property has some pretty impressive rural views
33:26 and comes with that all-important two acres of land.
33:30 I really like the mystery house.
33:34 I think we need to have a good talk about this one, don't we?
33:37 Yeah. It's been a long time searching for a property,
33:40 so coming here today and finding something like this
33:44 is getting us there. Yeah, we hope.
33:48 We hope. So, fingers crossed.
33:50 After a chat, we can try and sort something out,
33:53 but, yeah, I like the property.
33:55 I know on the first property, I did say, "Watch this space."
33:59 I think I may have slightly changed my mind.
34:02 And I do think, "Watch this space on this property now."
34:06 (BOTH LAUGH)
34:08 In the unspoilt wilderness of this magnificent region,
34:16 it's easy to feel like you're the only one around for miles.
34:20 But look more closely and you'll see that the farm buildings
34:23 and fields are presided over by a busy and hard-working community
34:27 of crofters - a farming practice entirely unique
34:31 to the Scottish Highlands and Islands.
34:34 A croft is a small farm often passed down through generations
34:39 whose right to the land is protected by Scottish law.
34:43 Graham Bethune's family have been crofting in Dunbeath
34:46 for almost 200 years, and he's the right man to tell me more
34:50 about the vital contribution of this farming practice.
34:54 Graham, it's lovely to see you here today
34:56 on what I suppose is a typical day of weather.
34:59 We can hear the rain above us. Banging on the roof.
35:01 This is a crofter's life, isn't it, really?
35:04 This is it completely - sun, wind, rain, snow.
35:08 That's the crofter's life.
35:10 But let's just talk about crofting,
35:12 for anybody who's unfamiliar with it.
35:14 It's an interesting movement, isn't it? How did it begin?
35:17 The central impetus to crofting
35:21 was to retain a working population in the Highlands and Islands,
35:27 and in areas which were steadily depopulating
35:30 as people emigrated either to the cities or overseas.
35:34 What it did was it gave them much more secure tenancy,
35:38 protection against the landlords.
35:40 But, Graham, when you look at modern crofting,
35:42 the facts and figures demonstrate just how important it is.
35:46 Some 45% of Scotland's breeding ewes are held by crofters.
35:51 20% of Scotland's beef, Highland beef, comes from crofters.
35:56 33,000 families across 19,000 crofts.
36:00 It's not a niche market, is it?
36:02 It's absolutely central to this rural economy.
36:06 The figures are absolutely a true reflection
36:09 of the importance of crofting in the modern world.
36:12 I would also add you cannot overestimate
36:15 the importance of crofting to environmental management, for example.
36:20 I run a super high environmental standard farm.
36:24 I manage stockwoods.
36:27 I've got an aspen woodland that goes back 12,000 years.
36:31 I have incredible biodiversity, and I actively farm for that,
36:37 because crofting is the antithesis of industrial farming.
36:41 Industrial farming focuses on production at all costs.
36:45 Crofting, you live on your farm, and it's a small farm.
36:50 It's a very important personal but also generational
36:55 and emotional and financial investment in that piece of ground.
37:00 But for the principle to work, it has to be genuinely sustainable,
37:05 and that's the joy of it.
37:07 I believe so.
37:09 Originally committed to a career in academia and living in Nottingham,
37:13 a crofter's life hadn't always been for Graham.
37:16 But a siren call from home brought him back to his family farm,
37:19 where he's lived for the past 15 years.
37:22 Wow!
37:24 Oh, it's lovely.
37:26 Now, is it possible, then, for anybody who's perhaps drawn
37:30 to the crofting life to get a croft?
37:34 Are there enough to go around? Absolutely not.
37:37 There is a huge demand for crofts, especially the last few years,
37:41 as so many people have discovered that the rural life
37:45 is a nicer way to live than stuck in your flat.
37:48 Yeah. Buyers this week, Sam and James, I think,
37:51 are absolutely at one with you.
37:53 They want to come here and farm on a relatively small scale.
37:57 Excellent.
37:59 What advice would you give to anybody like them? What does it take?
38:02 Move to the district and move into the community
38:06 and wait for the perfect thing to come along,
38:10 and then you'd be in a much better position to get a hold of it,
38:13 because a lot of small holdings and crofts up here
38:17 are not necessarily advertised nationally.
38:20 Move here and experience the life and see if it really does suit you,
38:25 because if you've only come once and it was a nice sunny day in May...
38:29 You might be fooled.
38:31 ..you really are going to be shocked when it's December
38:34 and it's dark at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
38:36 Yeah. So there we are, then.
38:38 Flexibility, resilience, determination,
38:40 and be ready to take an opportunity if it comes.
38:42 Absolutely. Get in there with both hands, grab it when it's there.
38:46 Talking of getting in... Yeah. ..shall we?
38:49 Yeah. Come on.
38:51 You have to respect and admire the commitment of people like Graham,
38:57 who ensure the practice continues to thrive in this region
39:01 so the land is retained for a generation of future crofters.
39:05 (MUSIC)
39:08 Having had a chance to mull over the properties we've seen this week,
39:20 it's now decision time for Sam and James.
39:23 Oh, goodness me.
39:26 I'm really happy with the properties we've been able to give you.
39:30 I think the home system represents a really viable family home
39:34 for you to grow into.
39:36 Yes, definitely. All the properties were absolutely amazing.
39:39 They were beautiful, weren't they? Yeah.
39:41 Especially the last one was lovely.
39:44 Yeah, Mystery House is my favourite.
39:46 We're going to have a good talk about that, aren't we, the Mystery House?
39:50 Yeah, so we've got ten hours to travel home, so...
39:52 A lot of talking time. ..we've got enough time to talk.
39:55 As you've rightly said, you are over ten hours away,
39:57 so you can't just pop back in for a quick look with the kids.
40:00 Yeah. Would you offer on it, having seen it once?
40:04 Yeah, I mean, cos it's different in Scotland, you get a home report.
40:08 As long as we're happy with that, then you've just got to go for it.
40:12 So, is it possible, then, that you could end up moving into our Mystery House?
40:17 It's definitely possible, yes.
40:19 Interesting. What do you think the boys would make of it?
40:22 Oh, they'd definitely love it, wouldn't they?
40:24 As soon as we'd just mentioned pigs, they'd be happy as Larry, so...
40:28 Well, guys, I wish you all the very best.
40:30 I hope this one works out, because there's nowhere else to go.
40:33 Any further north and you get wet.
40:35 Enjoy the chat and let us know what the conclusion is
40:43 when you finally climb out at the other end.
40:46 Best of luck. Thank you. Thank you.
40:52 Well, I have absolutely loved this house hunt for two main reasons.
40:56 The first, well, it's allowed me to explore a corner of the British Isles
41:00 that I'd never really seen before, but, my goodness me,
41:03 look at what you get here.
41:05 And the second, having the chance to accompany Sam and James
41:09 at the beginning of a journey that I hope will lead them
41:12 to a genuinely sustainable rural life for them and their two boys.
41:17 They've still got a little way to go and a few more decisions to make,
41:21 but they are absolutely on the cusp of a brand-new rural future.
41:25 I'll see you next time.
41:27 Well, James and Sam did make an offer on the Mystery House
41:32 and are finalising the details of the Home Buyers' Report
41:35 before they progress with the purchase.
41:38 We're crossing our fingers it all works out.
41:41 If you would also like to escape to the country in Scotland,
41:44 Northern Ireland, Wales or England and need our help,
41:47 why not apply online at bbc.co.uk/takepart?
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