Loch stock: the best of waterside living

Prompted by the weaker pound, buyers from abroad are looking to Scotland’s lochs to realise their waterside property dreams. “The result has been increased competition, marked closing dates and premium prices for this sector of the market,” Leslie adds.

With more than 31,000 lochs and lochans across Scotland, it isn’t hard to find evidence of the country’s waterlogged landscape wherever you turn. In property circles, however, some lochs are more sought after than others. Those within an hour’s drive of big cities are the main targets for buyers who are tempted by the idea of a rural relocation.

With that in mind, homes sell quickly around Loch Katrine, in the Trossachs, 40 miles north of Glasgow; Loch Tay, which straddles Stirlingshire and Perthshire, including villages such as Killin; Loch Rannoch, 50 miles from Perth; and in places on Loch Lomond as far north as the settlement of Inveruglas, 44 miles from Glasgow.

“We have seen a notable increase in demand for property on Loch Lomond’s shores,” notes Cameron Ewer, Savills’ head of residential. “That is down to the picturesque villages, excellent restaurants, idyllic country house hotels and an array of pretty cottages and country houses.”

Ewer identifies Balmaha, Luss and Rowardennan as lochside hotspots. These locations are near to aspirational amenities such as Cameron House, home to a Michelin-starred restaurant, and Aldochlay boat club, a draw for buyers with pockets deep enough for a vessel. In particular, the village of Luss (28 miles from Glasgow) has long been popular with commuters. Its sleek, recently relaunched seafood restaurant and chocolate-box cottages offer central-belt buyers an idyllic slice of country life, but that’s not to say that city purchasers from around the world aren’t willing to look at more rural locations.

“A traditional three-bedroom cottage situated deep into the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, on the banks of the loch, recently attracted worldwide interest,” Ewer says.

The property in question, Mill of Ross, had a former byre in use as a boathouse, a store shed and a lawn leading down to a secluded bay on the loch.

“It generated 55 viewings in just a few weeks,” he adds. “International offers arrived from as far west as New York and as far east as Dubai and Singapore.”

Farther north, second-home buyers look to Loch Ness as a safe bet. The benefits that tourists bring have been shown to have a positive impact on homebuyers. Thanks to £3 million of road improvements around Inverfarigaig, a hotspot on the loch’s eastern shore, extra passing places and widened sections have increased safety for local residents.

Fort Augustus, a village on the Thomas Telford-designed Caledonian Canal at the southwest end of Loch Ness, has seen a boom in newcomers following high-end developments, such as the Highland Club, reaching completion. Situated east of the mirror-still Loch Garry, the village comes alive in warmer months when the temporary population can triple.

Scotland’s sea lochs, most of which are found in the north and west, are also fringed with elegant homes (on the east coast, firths are the equivalent body of water). Properties close to Loch Long, Gare Loch and Loch Linnhe, all in Argyll, represent the best investment. Agents have seen fewer homes come on to the market in recent years, after changes to additional home taxation laws, therefore intensifying competition and nudging up prices.

What do buyers want?
Loch views are not enough for those moving to the area. They want direct access from their front doors without having to cross public roads — and properties of this kind are relatively rare.

“Looking at the water is great, but purchasers want to be able to walk right down to it from their homes,” says Phiddy Robertson, who handles sales of town and rural properties at Galbraith’s Inverness office. “That access to water will increase the value of a lochside property. Other features, such as a boathouse or moorings, are better considered as an added bonus.”

A whitewashed home near Achiltibuie, at the mouth of Loch Broom, is a recent example of a waterside property that captured the hearts of viewers. “It went on the market on April 7 and was under offer by April 24,” she says.

Expats returning home, thought to account for about 30 per cent of buyers, look for two distinct types of property. They are either contemporary, architect-designed homes with lateral living spaces, which are rare, or traditional west of Scotland cottages — the prettier the better.

“Buyers want something they can come back to and stay in longer term,” Robertson explains. “State-of-the-art homes by lochs will generate as much interest as the classic coastal cottages.”

A home on Loch Rannoch is with Knight Frank for offers of more than £950,000

What you can get for your money

Luss, Argyll (Loch Lomond)
A three-bedroom cottage in the village costs between £180,000 and £200,000. A larger, five-bedroom cottage on the outskirts can command an asking price closer to £300,000.

Fort Augustus, the Highlands (Loch Ness)
A two-bedroom flat in the upmarket Highland Club development costs from about £240,000. For a five-bedroom Victorian villa, expect to pay about £315,000.

Killin, Perthshire (Loch Tay)
A two-bedroom, detached new-build costs about £225,000. Expect to pay between £250,000 and £300,000 for a four-bedroom period cottage overlooking the Falls of Dochart.