Location
Alma House is situated in the popular coastal village of St Cyrus, just to the north of Montrose, in Kincardineshire. The village is set above a dramatic cliff with the coastline and renowned sandy beach, which is a nature reserve, below. As well as St Cyrus, other popular local beaches are found at Lunan Bay and Montrose. Away from the coast the range of outdoor pursuits is impressive. Fishing can be taken on the nearby North and South Esks, while golf courses are found at Montrose, Stonehaven and Edzell, together with the championship course at Carnoustie. Sea fishing is available from Johnshaven.
The house is close to the county boundary of Kincardineshire (or Aberdeenshire) and Angus, so enjoys all that both counties have to offer. While it is located in the former, its postal address is the latter. St Cyrus has a primary school and a village shop / post office, together with a hotel, village hall with a thriving array of clubs and activities, and a play park with tennis court, bowling green and football pitch. A wide range of shopping, business and leisure facilities can be found in Montrose, including a cinema. Mearns Academy in Laurencekirk provides secondary schooling. Lathallan School at Johnshaven (4.5 miles) is a well known local private school. The High School of Dundee and the private schools in Aberdeen are also easily accessible by train from Montrose. Montrose is an historic port, with its tidal basin being a renowned wildlife habitat and nature reserve.
The A92 coast road runs from Stonehaven to Dundee via Montrose and Arbroath, while inland the A90 dual carriageway runs north from Dundee to Aberdeen. Journey times to Aberdeen and its airport are much reduced by the Western Peripheral Route. Aberdeen and Dundee provide all the services expected of major cities, and Dundee has renowned facilities including the V&A museum. Montrose and Laurencekirk are served by the East Coast railway line with regular services to Aberdeen and the south, including a sleeper service and fast trains to London. Aberdeen Airport has a range of domestic and international services. Edinburgh Airport is also easily reached, and there are flights from Dundee to Heathrow.
Description
Alma House is a most attractive house, set within its own extensive gardens and grounds of some 1.3 acres, in the coastal village of St Cyrus. It is a fine property, believed to date from the mid 19th century, and was extended to the rear in the early 1900s. The house looks out over its own gardens, which are sheltered by trees, providing privacy. Stone-built with a slate roof, the house still retains many of its period features and character. Originally called Alma Lodge after the 1854 Battle of Alma, the first battle in the Crimean War, it is understood that the property was gifted by a local laird to his daughter, for her forthcoming marriage, but that her fiancé was tragically killed at Alma. Later the name was changed to Greywalls, but then reverted to Alma House. It is a house that has benefitted from considerable improvements in recent years, which have been done very sympathetically. Since 2021 the house has been substantially redecorated, a new boiler has been installed, and the kitchen, pantry, shower rooms and cloakroom have all been refurbished to a high standard. The kitchen is double glazed. As such it is a lovely house, ideal for modern family living, with well proportioned and elegant reception rooms which are ideal for entertaining, whilst retaining much of its original character with panelled doors, as well as cornicings in the vestibule, hallway, reception rooms, the principal bedroom and in bedrooms 1 and 5 and the family shower room. Stone gate piers, with gates and wrought iron railings, open to a gravelled drive, lit by period style lighting, which leads up to a parking and turning area at the front door. This opens to an entrance vestibule with a tiled floor and an inner partially glazed door with engraved glass, to an elegant hallway with a staircase to the first floor. The lovely double aspect sitting room has a picture rail, open fireplace with a wooden mantel, bay window, window shutters and display shelves with cupboard below. Opposite is a downstairs bedroom, previously used as a study, with a picture rail, window shutters, display shelves and a cast iron fireplace. The cloakroom has an understairs hanging and storage area, and a separate WC with a washbasin with vanity unit and window shutters. The living room is another fine double aspect reception room with a bay window, fireplace and fitted bookcase. Previously used as a dining room, this links through to a wonderful, well appointed dining kitchen which has fitted units with Minerva worktops, with a Rangemaster Infusion electric double oven cooker with grill and five ring induction hob and extractor, a Villeroy & Boch sink, AEG dishwasher, together with an island unit, again with Minerva worktop, and breakfast bar. There is ample space for dining, a corner fireplace, window shutters and ceramic tiled flooring. Off the kitchen is a rear entrance lobby with a stone flag floor, and a pantry again with fitted units with Minerva worktops, sink, Zanussi washing machine and dryer, Samsung fridge/freezer with water and ice dispenser, small period sink, and ceramic tiled flooring. The fine staircase leads up to the first floor landing, lit by a large double glazed skylight, with a hatch with an attic ladder to a partially floored roof space, and a shelved airing cupboard. The principal bedroom is double aspect with window shutters, fireplace with over mantel, display shelves and an en suite with shower cubicle, pedestal washbasin, WC and window shutters. A family shower room has a shower cubicle, pedestal washbasin and WC, while bedroom 3 is presently used as a dressing room with fitted hanging units. Bedroom 4 has a fitted wardrobe and is currently used as an office, while bedroom 5 is also double aspect with window shutters, and a walk in shelved and hanging cupboard.
There is a gravelled path at the back of the house, with a Worcester outside boiler, and a foot gate onto Manse Lane to the rear. To the side of the house is a range of stone built outbuildings including a tool shed/workshop with fitted storage units, power and light, a store with coal bunker and oil tank, two further stores, one previously used as an office, and a log store attached to the house.
The garden has split level stone terraces, perfect for afternoon and evening sun. The garden itself is also on two levels and is enclosed on two sides by trees which, together with shrubs, afford privacy and shelter. It is mainly lawn with steps leading down to the lower level, at the bottom of which is a pond and a small burn, with a wooded bank above. A wooden summer house (2.4m x 3m approx.) overlooks the pond.
Off the drive is a useful wooden chalet style garage/workshop/store with a concrete floor and three phase electricity supply. It is divided into three sections, with two lofts and a lean to at the back.
Directions
If coming from the north and Stonehaven take the A92 south, through Inverbervie, to St Cyrus. If coming from the south take the A92 from Montrose to St Cyrus. Alternatively from the A90 (Dundee to Aberdeen dual carriageway) take the B9120 at Laurencekirk, signposted to St Cyrus, and proceed over the Hill of Garvock and turn right at the coast road (A92) to St Cyrus. In St Cyrus, opposite the church, turn onto Ecclesgreig Road and the turning into Alma House is first on the right. What3words - ///starfish.nation.tune
Distances - Montrose 5.5 miles, Laurencekirk 6.5 miles, Stonehaven 17 miles, Aberdeen 33 miles, Dundee 34 miles.