What it is: Three miles down an unmade track, this cottage, once used as a mountain rescue centre, is in one of the Highlands’ remotest locations, at the foot of Ben Lui in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs national park. Parts of the property date back to the 1770s, when it was a three-bedroom farmhouse with two reception rooms — a dining room and a sitting room — with a byre attached. There is only about a third of an acre of land with the house, but there is a patio area and rough grass garden with a gate leading onto open moorland and the hills.
It is five miles to the nearest village, Tyndrum, 42 miles to Oban and 57 to Glasgow, which is also the nearest airport.
The problems: The selling agent cannot stress enough that this is in “serious” countryside — it is “in the sticks” and “really remote”. You are likely to get cut off in the winter, there are no services other than a generator and the only people you’ll see will be the one neighbouring farmer or the odd group of hikers passing through. The property, which is used as a holiday home, is a “bit basic” and could do with “tidying up a wee bit”. The new owner could spend £10,000 to £20,000 and invest in a new kitchen, bathroom and some fresh paint colours.
It would be advisable to stick with the oil-powered generator and log fires, as the estimated cost of installing services runs into tens of thousands.
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The advantages: It is the epitome of the “get away from it all” retreat, set in a spectacular location in an area of outstanding natural beauty. The agent believes that Cononish House could be let — to hardy tourists looking for a healthy outdoor escape — for £300 to £400 per week in the peak holiday months, if it passes the rigorous standards of the local tourist board. If it is left in its “basic” state, then it will be more difficult to find tenants and the rental figure will be halved. Three-bed properties in the national park, closer to civilisation, start at £300,000. The future market is naturally limited by its remote location, but the agent believes that the house should sell on from £140,000.
Bell Ingram, 01738 621 121, www.bellingram.co.uk