Escape to the Country Season 24 Episode 8 | Caithness
Jules Hudson savours the spectacular scenery and splendid isolation on offer in Scotland's Caithness, as he helps a young family with a house-hunting budget of £270,000 to realise their dream of self-sufficiency.
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00:00When embarking upon a rural lifestyle, it might be a journey full of surprises.
00:06I like it very green.
00:10Guess what?
00:12You'd hope to have time for hobbies.
00:14Be really happy to wake up to that every morning.
00:16We'll be out there, mate. Crack of dawn. In the dark.
00:19Chasing around some sheep.
00:21And find a supporting community that will lend a hand.
00:25So, madam, you want to buy it?
00:28Yeah? You going to give me the money?
00:32But above all, a move to the country is about finding a place you can call home.
00:37It's just... I don't know. It just makes me smile.
00:57Today, we're in Caithness, in Scotland's magnificent Highlands.
01:09A land of glistening lochs, vast wilderness and scattered settlements.
01:15Where first-class scenery is a part of everyday life for the lucky few who get to call it home.
01:22I have never been this far north in the UK.
01:26This is a part of Scotland I've never seen before, and I cannot wait to see what it has to offer.
01:32And let's be honest, when you look around, it's perfectly obvious why it is so tantalising.
01:37There really is no-one here.
01:40If you are thinking about splendid isolation, goodness me, this place has got it.
01:48The historic county of Caithness is located at the northern tip of what is today known as the Highland Council area.
01:55There are just two towns in Caithness, with Thurso on the north coast and Wick over on the east.
02:01But clearly, big city life is not what brings people here.
02:06Caithness is a wonderful county, a great place to be brought up.
02:10I'd recommend it to any family thinking about moving here to bring up their children.
02:15Really safe, it's so idyllic, and actually excellent schools as well.
02:19If you're a golfer, there's some amazing golf courses.
02:22If you're a keen cyclist, there's really, really hard climbs, I can testify to that.
02:26Hill walkers, there's summits to get up.
02:29There's great wildlife and nature, puffins and orcas.
02:33There's castles galore, old ruins, all within a beautiful surrounding.
02:38It's so close to nature here, which is so healthy, I think, for people to grow up with that on your doorstep.
02:45So there you have it. Head to the edge of your map,
02:48and you'll find that Caithness is one of Scotland's best-kept secrets.
02:53So let's now meet today's buyers, who are hoping to make their very own Scottish escape.
02:59And when I say escape, think of that in bold, underlined twice,
03:04because quite frankly, short of buying their own island,
03:08they are undertaking one of the most extreme escapes I think I've ever seen.
03:15I absolutely love Scotland. I love the vastness of it, the ruggedness of it.
03:23We want to be more self-sufficient, more friendly to the environment,
03:27so the kids have got more space to play and enjoy life.
03:31Civil engineer James and his wife Sam, who works as a hairdresser and barmaid,
03:36live in a rented property close to the Herefordshire town of Bromyard.
03:40But juggling work alongside raising their two sons, Henry and George,
03:44means it can sometimes feel like life is passing them by.
03:48So I'm working in Bristol at the minute, doing six days a week.
03:52I also work the weekends at the rugby club,
03:55so we don't really get much time to spend as an actual family.
04:00My children are growing up fast,
04:02so I want to make that step so I can see them grow,
04:05because you're never going to get it back.
04:07Holidays to Scotland have fostered a deep love of the country,
04:10and having rented farmland in the past,
04:12a move there would allow them to get back to that way of life.
04:17We used to always have sheep, and when we did lambing,
04:21it was an amazing time for us,
04:24because we used to just all muck in and do it together.
04:27I'm hoping that we can get back there again.
04:30And the boys would love some chickens and a pig.
04:37Livestock might be on their wish list,
04:39but ultimately this is a move all about Sam, James and their two young children.
04:45We want to watch the boys grow up,
04:48and we want to spend more time with them as a family.
04:52Life is so short, and I just feel that we just need to make that move now.
04:59It's our time.
05:01Armed with a budget of £270,000,
05:04Sam and James are seeking a detached property
05:07with three bedrooms and a kitchen with space for a dining table.
05:11They want their new home to be off the beaten track,
05:14with plenty of outdoor space for them to grow vegetables and rear livestock,
05:18but within a 30-minute drive of a school for the boys.
05:23Well, what a day for a drive through this very remote part of Scotland.
05:29I'm really excited to be helping a couple who've got a very clear vision
05:34for what their genuinely rural life is going to be.
05:38So, fingers crossed, we can find them just what they're looking for.
05:44Apparently, our couple are undaunted.
05:48Wow, look at this, eh?
05:51We're over 400 miles away from Herefordshire,
05:54where we all come from.
05:56What's wrong with Herefordshire?
05:58I knew you were going to say that.
06:00The reason for wanting to move here, I mean, is this.
06:05This.
06:06This.
06:07This.
06:08This.
06:09This.
06:10This.
06:11This.
06:12This.
06:13This.
06:14This.
06:15This.
06:16This.
06:17Look at it, it's beautiful.
06:18I mean, splendid isolation, James, doesn't really begin to cover it.
06:22What an adventure you're embarking upon.
06:24Yeah, definitely.
06:25Scotland as a whole, financially for us, is more viable for us to move here.
06:30There's a lot of pressure nowadays financially on families
06:33with the price of living going up.
06:35Yeah.
06:36So we feel we need to come away from that, be a bit more self-sufficient
06:40and to spend more time as a family,
06:42because you've only got one life and you need to live it.
06:46Well, I'm really excited because country life is a sort of sliding scale, really.
06:50At one end of it, there are those who just want a beautiful house
06:53with a beautiful view, perfectly legitimate,
06:56and at the other end of the scale, there's you.
06:59Come on, let's go.
07:04We're beginning our Caithness property search
07:07in the coastal hamlet of Smeral.
07:10The nearby village of Leibster was once home to a prominent herring trade
07:15with more than 100 boats operating out of its port in the 19th century.
07:21Today, it's a little quieter but has a good range of amenities
07:25including a cafe, post office and local store, as well as a primary school.
07:32And heading south out of the village,
07:34a ten-minute drive takes us to the hamlet of Smeral,
07:37where we find our first property.
07:39It's beautiful. Wow.
07:41I absolutely love it. Yeah, it's lovely.
07:43It's very deceptive, this, too.
07:45It's absolutely enormous and, of course, the views and the sea right next door.
07:50It's amazing. It's exactly what we want. Yeah.
07:53The houses we've been looking at have been like this,
07:56so this is probably definitely one of the nicest ones we've seen.
08:00Yeah, it's lovely. Come and have a look.
08:03This modern detached home enjoys an elevated position
08:07overlooking the sea and the countryside.
08:12James and Sam might be happy to hear
08:14that it's built from environmentally friendly insulated concrete
08:17and has solar tubing outside to heat the property's water supply.
08:23Come in. There's lots to tempt you here, but we'll start with this space.
08:28Wow, this is lovely.
08:30Yeah, it's lovely and big. Yeah? Yeah, nice.
08:33And one like this. Yeah. There's a lot of space in here.
08:36I can even see the boys at the table doing their homework.
08:39Yeah, it's lovely. And it all flows through here, which is nice.
08:42This I love. Very clever little wood store there. Oh, that's lovely.
08:46The burner, of course, and then as much family area as you need.
08:51This is amazing. Brilliant, yeah.
08:53Yeah, I think it's great as a place for you to land as a family.
08:57Yeah, it'd be good cooking and in the same areas relaxing.
09:00Very social. Yeah, very social, yeah.
09:02I mean, what do you think the kids would make of this
09:05if they walked through the door now?
09:07I think they'd absolutely love it. The space.
09:09Yeah, they'd love the space.
09:11I think it's more room for us than what we've got now,
09:14so definitely just to wake up to that every day.
09:17It's just amazing. Yeah.
09:20Across the hall, there's a utility room and a family bathroom next door.
09:25There's also a double bedroom, the first of three in this property,
09:29with doors leading out into the garden and a rather fabulous outlook.
09:33Two further bedrooms are located upstairs,
09:36where there's also a spacious shower room which has been newly fitted.
09:43This, I think, would probably be the one you might choose.
09:46The views of the sea from here, I think, define this as the best one.
09:51Absolutely lovely. I get a lovely feeling about this house.
09:54It's lovely. Yeah?
09:56It's stunning, to be fair. They've done an amazing job.
09:58It feels so homely, don't it? Yeah.
10:00We love it. We've looked at some properties like this,
10:03but I think the roof, the height of the ceiling is high,
10:07and the rooms are really big.
10:09So, madam, you want to buy it?
10:11Yeah. You going to give me the money?
10:15I would if I could, Sam, I promise.
10:19Whilst the couple take in the rest of the upstairs on their own,
10:22there's one little nook of this house I must share with you.
10:25Three-bedroom property? More like three and a half.
10:29While the guys are exploring upstairs, I want you to have a look at this.
10:33Many of us do have a cupboard under the stairs,
10:36but how many of us have a dog kennel under the stairs?
10:39I think that is genius.
10:42The dog hut.
10:44Wow, what pampered pooches they are here.
10:50Oh, this is a lovely room.
10:52It's nice to be in it, for the boys.
10:54This house has given me a really good feeling.
10:56It feels like a home. Yeah.
10:58It's just a house that you're looking at.
11:00I could see ourselves here, to be fair.
11:03Mm. Especially with the outdoors like that.
11:06Mm, it's beautiful.
11:08It's just, I don't know, it just makes me smile.
11:12The generous garden is located at the rear,
11:15with a decked area ideally placed
11:17to take in the property's peaceful surroundings.
11:20What's more, the vendors tell me there's loads of wildlife to see here,
11:24including deer, a sight I think Sam and James' two boys would love.
11:29It's pretty, isn't it?
11:31And I love what they've done with the rocks here and this garden,
11:34but below us you've got that enormous six-acre strip,
11:37which is owned by the current owner,
11:40but we have spoken to them about the possibility of you renting some of it,
11:44and they are more than happy to have that conversation.
11:47Right. OK. It's an option.
11:50It's an option. Definitely.
11:52So what do we think about the house, then, in terms of its value?
11:55Ooh. What's it on the market for?
11:58£230?
12:01Ooh.
12:03Cheeky.
12:05I'd go a bit more, so I'd go £240, £250 mark.
12:10This is on the market for offers over £270,000.
12:14Oh, OK. OK.
12:16However, we have spoken to the owner, he's very realistic about this.
12:20Yeah.
12:22If you offered him £270,000 and an extra pound...
12:26Yeah. ..you'd get it.
12:28Right. Right, OK.
12:30So back to your earlier question, was I going to buy it for you?
12:33No, there's the pound that might get you over the line...
12:36..if you decide to do it.
12:40Recently reduced in price,
12:42this modern detached home could be secured for their maximum budget,
12:46offering the family an open-plan kitchen-diner,
12:49three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
12:52It is beautifully positioned,
12:54boasting views over both the mountains and the sea,
12:57with the option to rent up to six acres of land
13:00located at the end of the garden.
13:03I feel absolutely amazed by this house.
13:06I think the boys would basically want to move in straight away.
13:10They'd love the views and seeing the sheep.
13:13I think we'd be really happy here, to be honest.
13:16So, yeah, let's watch this space.
13:19I love the property.
13:21It's amazing to a high standard.
13:23My only reservation is the land,
13:26and I'd rather own it than renting it off someone,
13:29because if anything happens further down the line,
13:31if they move out and we have to come off that land,
13:34it's just defeating the object of us moving up here
13:37to farm and produce our own crops.
13:39We can compromise on the house,
13:41but our land is a big part of why we're moving up here.
13:46Our couple are hoping a move to Caithness
13:49will allow them to embrace a truly rural lifestyle.
13:52But in whatever isolated corner of this region
13:55Sam and James choose to settle,
13:57they'd like to be able to access a town within a 30-minute drive.
14:01So I'm sending them off to test-drive one of those things.
14:05It's a bit of a long drive,
14:07but I'm sure they'll enjoy it.
14:09It's a bit of a long drive,
14:11but I'm sure they'll enjoy it.
14:13So I'm sending them off to test-drive one of those towns.
14:16Wick lies on the estuary of the Wick River,
14:19and a century ago it was the busiest herring port in all of Europe,
14:23with the harbour chock full of boats
14:25exporting their catch all over the world.
14:28Those days might be long gone,
14:30but the hospitality of having once been a global centre still remains.
14:37Life around Wick is a lot easier pace.
14:42People just stop and talk to you when you're walking in the sheets,
14:45whereas back home in Edinburgh they just walk by you.
14:49It really is good here, I love it.
14:51But it does get cold.
14:53We really are at the tip of the British mainland here,
14:56just 16 miles south of John O'Groats,
14:59with the closest city of Inverness a two-hour drive away.
15:03Thankfully, Wick's locals find there's enough happening in the town
15:06and surrounding area to keep them from having to leave.
15:10The harbour really is the hub of the town.
15:13There's still some fishing, although nothing like what it used to be.
15:17But it's been overtaken with the increase in leisure.
15:20You get round about 400 yachts a year visiting us.
15:25Now, Wick might be a relatively small town,
15:28but did you know it's in the Guinness Book of World Records?
15:31Ebenezer Place in the town centre
15:34is officially the world's shortest street at just 2.06 metres.
15:40There's just enough space for a doorway which leads to No. 1 Bistro.
15:45Sam and James are being met by manager Murray Lamont,
15:48whose family have been running the adjoining hotel for over 60 years.
15:54What kind of town would you say Wick is?
15:56It's a small town these days, but it's had a rich history.
16:00In the 1880s it had a population of about 4,000
16:04and it went up to about 9,000 or 10,000 when the Herring was here.
16:09It was quite a wild town in those days,
16:11consuming 500 gallons of whisky a day, which is no mean feat.
16:17So we're a family of four. Is there much around here to keep us occupied?
16:21There's plenty to do around here if you like outdoors.
16:24Caithness is the land beyond the highlands,
16:27and yet there's hill walking, there's coastal walks,
16:30there's beaches with very few people on them.
16:34It's just stunning scenery.
16:36What's the area like for dogs?
16:38We have two dogs ourselves.
16:40There's a lot of very friendly places for dogs,
16:43and as long as the owners are well behaved, they'll be welcome.
16:49No dogs today, but Murray has invited Sam and James
16:52to have lunch in the bistro to sample some of the local cuisine.
16:56What's it like? It's lovely.
16:58To be honest, I thought I weren't really a fish fan,
17:01but this is actually really nice.
17:04It's great to know that when Sam and James aren't busy
17:07working the land of their new home,
17:09there'll be lovely lunch spots like this to decamp to.
17:12There's just the small matter of finding them that new home first.
17:22Our next property can be found in the countryside just outside Thurzo.
17:28The northernmost town in mainland Britain,
17:30Thurzo's pedestrianised high street has a good selection of shops,
17:35including no fewer than four bakeries.
17:40The River Thurzo runs alongside the town's eastern edge
17:43and is renowned for its salmon fishing.
17:46In the centre of town, Sir John's Square is dominated by a Gothic church
17:50built in 1832.
17:52We're driving inland for just over ten minutes,
17:55where our next property offering awaits us.
18:01Wow. What do you think?
18:03I like it. Yeah? Yeah, I like it.
18:05I like it. It feels very...green.
18:11Guess what?
18:14I like the fact that we're a bit further away from other people.
18:19Yeah. Looks great.
18:21Splendid isolation. Yeah, definitely.
18:23Come on, let's see what you think.
18:26This bungalow might not have the dramatic outlook
18:29of our first property, but its remote position
18:31seems to have tempted Sam and James.
18:34The building was once a schoolhouse,
18:36but around 15 years ago it was converted
18:38into a beautifully finished and extensive family home.
18:44Oh, come on in. Nice and cosy in here.
18:47There we are. What do you think? Wow. Yeah?
18:50This is lovely. Yeah, it's lovely.
18:53Lots of big... Oh, this is really nice.
18:55Yeah. More than big enough for us.
18:57I think this is super.
18:58And a really generous utility kombucha room out there
19:01with another door in from the garden.
19:04Yeah, I could definitely imagine us in here. It's lovely.
19:07Is this of a higher spec than you thought you might find?
19:10Yes. A lot of them that we've looked at in the past
19:13have needed quite a bit of work done to them,
19:15and this definitely doesn't need that.
19:17And then you can put all your efforts into whatever you do out there.
19:21Yeah, yeah. No, definitely.
19:23Living the green dream.
19:26Excellent. Right. Lean onto me there, mate. Let's continue.
19:31So how about this, then, as your family living space?
19:34Oh, this is beautiful. Yeah? Absolutely stunning.
19:37Yeah. Bigger than what we've had previously, so, yeah, it's nice.
19:41Loads of light as well.
19:42I feel like we could probably just move straight in
19:44and feel straight at home, really.
19:46And it's so quiet. Yeah, that's what we want.
19:49It's beautiful. The boys would absolutely love it here.
19:52Good to know my most important customers would approve.
19:56I'm going to let James and Sam explore the rest of the house solo now.
20:00They're hoping to spend lots of time outside when they move,
20:03so I think they'll appreciate the fact
20:05that all three of the bedrooms here shouldn't need any work.
20:10Ooh, wow.
20:11It's nice, isn't it? This is lovely.
20:13This would be our room, I think. Probably, yeah.
20:16I'm really surprised about how nice it's all furnished and finished.
20:21I'm just a bit taken back, really.
20:23I can't believe it. Really nice.
20:25Oh, this is a nice landing, isn't it? Yeah.
20:27There's a bathroom. Very long.
20:29It's a good layout. That's lovely. Good layout for us, really.
20:32Big, nice family bathroom. It's very modern, isn't it? Yeah.
20:35All good-sized rooms, that's a good thing.
20:37Look how hot the ceiling is. Oh, lovely.
20:40Oh, loads of space for the boys.
20:43Oh, wow.
20:44Oh, Henry would love this.
20:45Got your built-in wardrobes as well.
20:47Compared to the one this morning, it feels more spacious.
20:51Yeah, it does, actually.
20:52Yeah, I mean, I like the one this morning,
20:54but I've got a lovely feeling about this one as well.
20:57Yeah, I know.
21:00I mean, what's Jules doing to us? Talk about confusing.
21:06I can only apologise, Sam.
21:08The garden might help clarify how you really feel about this property, though.
21:12A generous plot, it's fully enclosed by a stone wall
21:15with a raised deck in one corner for sunnier days.
21:18Unfortunately, today is not one of those days.
21:23It had to happen, didn't it? Yeah.
21:25Let's be honest, we can't come all the way up here and not get wet at some point.
21:29But hopefully not dampening your spirits.
21:31And out here, bags of room for veg growing.
21:34What we don't have are acres for livestock,
21:36but look around, you can see there's plenty of it.
21:39And again, it's one that might involve approaching the local landowner
21:43to talk about perhaps renting or acquiring in the future some extra land to go with it.
21:49But the price may have a bearing on it.
21:51All right, so what do we think, then, James,
21:54our second property is on the market for?
21:57I'm going to go a bit higher than what I did last time.
22:00£265,000?
22:02I would probably say £255,000.
22:07This is currently on the market, but offers over £218,000.
22:14Oh, OK. Brilliant.
22:16What do you mean, right, OK?
22:18That is an amazing figure. Yeah, it's brilliant, yeah.
22:21Yeah, it's a shock. Yeah.
22:24This is better? Yeah. The shock is good, yeah.
22:27To be honest, I didn't think you'd be able to top this morning's property,
22:30so I'm really taken back, if I'm honest.
22:33I think we've topped it and we've done it for a fraction of the price.
22:36Yeah, definitely.
22:39This detached bungalow is comfortably under budget
22:42and delivers a spacious kitchen-diner, a cosy living room and three good-sized bedrooms.
22:48It's been tastefully decorated throughout,
22:50meaning that Sam and James could expend all their energy
22:53getting out into the garden and living the good life.
22:58I absolutely love this property.
23:00The price is amazing.
23:02I didn't think that Jules would be able to top this morning's property.
23:07I've just got a lovely feeling about this place
23:09and the space is unbelievable. Very happy.
23:12So, with the land, to start us off, it's good.
23:15It's a nice little patch, so we can at least start
23:18and then think of buying something later on down the line.
23:20House-wise, I'm not too fussed about.
23:23It's the land that's more for me.
23:26What do you think?
23:28I mean, I could quite happily live here.
23:30I could move in tomorrow.
23:32I've just got to work on this one here.
23:41Our property search might be done for the day,
23:43but you can't come to Caithness without paying a visit to its most famous village.
23:49John O'Groats is one of the UK's best-known landmarks,
23:52lying at the north-eastern tip of the mainland,
23:55with the Orkney Isles just six miles beyond.
23:59And whilst, of course, I'm here in a professional capacity,
24:02sometimes it's nice to just be a tourist.
24:07Look at this. An Aladdin's cave of gifts.
24:11You can't come to John O'Groats and not pay a visit to the gift shop.
24:15This one is called The First and Last,
24:17simply because, depending on which way you are travelling,
24:20it's either the first gift shop you're going to find on mainland UK
24:23or, indeed, the last you will see before you head north to the Orkneys.
24:27As you can see, it is packed full of stuff.
24:31And one thing I've been asked to get whilst I'm here is a postcard for my son, Jack.
24:37There we are. That says it all.
24:40From John O'Groats to Land's End.
24:44Oh, surely.
24:47How about that?
24:52Hello. There we are, sir.
24:53Hello. Good afternoon.
24:54One of those. One of those.
24:56This really suits you.
24:58Do you think it's my size?
24:59Well, it obviously fits you. I was thinking it was meant for the wife.
25:04Don't tell her that, although she will be watching.
25:07No wonder people come to visit, just to say they've been.
25:10Well, I always say this is the beginning of the world.
25:12Everything is downhill from here.
25:15You're absolutely right.
25:16Thank you very much.
25:17That's very kind, sir.
25:19And the final thing on my tourist itinerary
25:22is a visit to the John O'Groats iconic signpost,
25:25where we can all take in the awe-inspiring scenery.
25:29Well, you've probably been here before,
25:31but this is my first time at John O'Groats.
25:34Look at this. The end of the world.
25:36Right, come on. We can't come here and not have...
25:40A selfie.
25:42Right, with the post.
25:43There we are.
25:44Everybody smiling.
25:46Great.
25:47Fantastic. What a lovely end to the day.
25:56Many of us have had a chance to reflect
25:59on our living arrangements in the last few years,
26:01so if you're thinking a move to the Scottish Highlands
26:04might be right for you,
26:05here's what you need to know about its property market.
26:09The average price of a detached property
26:11would set you back just over £305,000,
26:14which, to put it into context,
26:16is a massive £152,000 less than a detached home.
26:21Traditionally, though,
26:22all of Scotland has offered value for money
26:24when compared to the rest of the UK,
26:26with the highest prices found around the country's urban centres,
26:30such as Glasgow and Edinburgh.
26:32As you might expect, then,
26:34the further north you go, the further your money goes.
26:38We had a lot of English buyers coming up last year.
26:41It just went a bit mad.
26:42A lot of English buyers want to come up here,
26:44knowing they can work for us,
26:45knowing they can work for us,
26:46knowing they can work for us,
26:47knowing they can work for us,
26:48A lot of English buyers want to come up here,
26:50knowing they can work from home in the country,
26:52so prices did go up.
26:54We are starting to quiet down again this year.
26:56We've not had so many English buyers coming up.
26:58But, yeah, you still have a lot of them.
27:00They all want to escape to the country, basically.
27:03Sam and James might be fitting the mould
27:06of English buyers heading north in search of a deal,
27:08but a quick look at the property stock
27:10shows there's more to Caithness than just good value.
27:15This unique lighthouse engine house
27:17has two bedrooms and is on the market
27:19for offers over £149,000.
27:23It might be in need of renovation,
27:25but it boasts some of the most spectacular views
27:27you could ever dream of.
27:30Or how about taking over an established guest house
27:33in the coastal town of Wick?
27:35This detached, double-fronted property
27:37has six bedrooms and is on the market
27:39for offers over £410,000.
27:44Or, if you're seeking a bit of luxury,
27:46you could head to this stunning wooden lodge
27:48located on a working farm.
27:51With room for up to six guests
27:53and access to a separate indoor barbecue,
27:55prices start at £680 for a seven-night stay.
28:03Well, at the end of our second property yesterday,
28:06I had a sneaking feeling that perhaps
28:08there was some division in the camp.
28:10Sam absolutely loved that property,
28:13but recognised that for James,
28:14there just wasn't quite enough land.
28:17So that is where our final roll of the dice
28:20comes into play.
28:21Our mystery house, which I hope will join everything up
28:25and give them a property that they can both fully agree on.
28:29It's our last one. It's got to work.
28:34To conclude our property search,
28:36we're travelling to the remote coastal settlement
28:38of Uchamster.
28:40But before we head there,
28:42Sam and James are making a detour
28:44to a 4,000-year-old archaeological site nearby.
28:50The Hill of Many Stains is home to 200 standing stones
28:54arranged in a fan-shaped pattern.
28:58Their exact purpose is unclear,
29:01but archaeologists believe the site might have been used
29:04for religious or ceremonial purposes
29:06during the early Bronze Age.
29:09Now, stone circles are not uncommon in this part of Scotland,
29:13but they do offer a tantalising insight
29:15into the region's ancient past.
29:17And whilst we might not know the exact secrets of this one,
29:21the secrets of our final property offering
29:23are ready to be revealed.
29:27Well, our mystery house clearly has some work to do today
29:30because although I think, to be fair,
29:32Sam would happily have moved into either of the properties
29:34that I showed them both,
29:36for James, this is all about land and space.
29:39The house, I think, will speak for itself.
29:42But just come and have a look at the views.
29:46Why is this the mystery house?
29:48Well, in truth, it's probably not quite as polished,
29:51both inside and out, as some of our earlier offerings.
29:54But what it does provide is that,
29:57what is known in the trade as a borrowed view.
30:01Plus, this has more land than any of the properties
30:04we've shown them thus far.
30:06So I am banking everything on them loving our final property.
30:11And to ensure the mystery house makes the very best
30:14first impression on Sam and James,
30:16I'm starting by turning their attention
30:18towards one of its best features.
30:20Does that sell it to you?
30:22Wow. Yeah, with the mountains, yeah, it's amazing.
30:25Overlooked by this, our mystery house.
30:28Wow, it's lovely. Yeah, really nice. I love the area.
30:31Yeah, it's lovely. That looks beautiful.
30:33This one comes with two acres.
30:36OK. Yeah, good.
30:38Shall we have a look? Yes, please.
30:40There's no gate here, we're going to have to walk round.
30:44This attractive detached bungalow sits in an elevated position
30:48and is clad in Douglas fir.
30:51So now we're a bit closer. Does it appeal?
30:54Yeah, it looks nice from the outside.
30:56Definitely, it looks lovely. Yeah?
30:58Let's see what you make of the inside, then.
31:01We're beginning the tour in the L-shaped kitchen diner
31:04with its architecturally impressive apex windows
31:07directing the eye towards those wonderful views.
31:11Well, as you may have figured out by now...
31:13Hello, cat. He doesn't come with it.
31:16This is all on one level. Yeah.
31:18What do you think? Yeah, it's very spacious.
31:21I'd be really happy to wake up to that every morning.
31:24Yeah, I bet you would. We'll be out there, mate.
31:26Crack of dawn, in the dark, chasing around some sheep.
31:29I could see us all here. It's lovely. The space is brilliant.
31:33You can tweak it as you go. Yeah.
31:35Yeah? Yeah, I like it.
31:37Is that a good smile? Yeah, yeah.
31:39He's still thinking about the two acres thing, isn't he?
31:42OK, don't worry, mate, we'll get out there in due course.
31:45Come and have a look at the living room.
31:48There we are. Suitably cosy, with the burner, of course.
31:51This is a nice room. Yeah, it's big.
31:53Look at the size of the log burner.
31:55I think you'll need it up here. It's a nice size, yeah.
31:58Does it feel like home?
32:00Yeah, after we put our stamp on it, yeah.
32:04Cos I think we need to join you both up a bit.
32:07Cos I think yesterday you absolutely loved all the properties.
32:10Are we... Yeah?
32:12..moving together on this one? Yeah, definitely.
32:14Good. Right, then, let's go and see some more.
32:18Much like the other properties we've seen,
32:21this one has three double bedrooms,
32:23all located in the entrance and served by a family bathroom.
32:28One thing this house has, but the others don't, though,
32:31is a main bedroom with add-ons.
32:35So, this one, you get your own sort of en suite suite.
32:38Shower room through there. Very nice.
32:40And then, er, main bedroom.
32:42Nice, good. Good size.
32:44Come on, look at the views you're going to get from out there!
32:47It's lovely. I mean, to be fair, probably a bit dated now,
32:50this sort of built-in thing, you know,
32:52but, again, it's something you can do in time.
32:54Yeah, definitely. Yeah.
32:57How excited, then, are we about this one?
32:59Yeah, I'm very excited, actually.
33:01I can see that we could do quite a lot to this.
33:04Yeah, change lots of things outside and inside, so...
33:07Well, you've really only glimpsed what's out there. Yeah.
33:10Let's have a proper look, shall we? Yeah.
33:14As I teased right at the start of this mystery house tour,
33:18the property sits in a two-acre plot,
33:20allowing plenty of room to grow vegetables and rear livestock,
33:24albeit with a bit of hard graft.
33:29Amazing, that, isn't it? Beautiful.
33:31That is your two acres? Yeah.
33:33Could you cope with the wind up here? Yeah.
33:35Yeah, just stick on our woolly hats.
33:37I love that, you see? Absolutely undaunted.
33:40You're not... You're not worrying about it?
33:42No. No, it doesn't worry us.
33:44Kids would love sledging round here, wouldn't they?
33:47What do you think this might be on the market for?
33:50I think probably top of budget. Yep.
33:53£270,000.
33:55OK, £270,000.
33:57James? Yeah, I'd go the same, probably a little bit over.
34:01So, £270,000, £275,000.
34:04This is on the market for offers over £215,000.
34:11Oh, wow. Hey, Joe.
34:13That's a surprise.
34:15Has that done it? Yeah, yeah.
34:17Wow. OK.
34:18Happy. Happy? I should hope so.
34:21That's an easy win in my book. Yeah.
34:25This detached bungalow is priced well under budget
34:28and boasts a spacious interior
34:30that Sam and James could personalise in good time.
34:33As well as a large kitchen-diner and three bedrooms,
34:36the property has some pretty impressive rural views
34:39and comes with that all-important two acres of land.
34:45I really like the mystery house.
34:47I think we need to have a good talk about this one, don't we?
34:50Yeah. It's been a long time searching for a property,
34:53so coming here today and finding something like this
34:57is getting us there. Yeah, we hope.
35:01We hope. So, fingers crossed.
35:03After a chat, we can try and sort something out,
35:06but, yeah, I like the property.
35:08I know on the first property, I did say, watch this space.
35:12I think I may have slightly changed my mind
35:16and I do think, watch this space on this property now!
35:25In the unspoilt wilderness of this magnificent region,
35:29it's easy to feel like you're the only one around for miles.
35:33But look more closely and you'll see that the farm buildings
35:36and fields are presided over by a busy and hard-working community
35:40of crofters, a farming practice entirely unique
35:44to the Scottish Highlands and Islands.
35:47A croft is a small farm often passed down through generations
35:51whose right to the land is protected by Scottish law.
35:55Graham Bethune's family have been crofting in Dunbeath
35:58for almost 200 years, and he's the right man to tell me more
36:02about the vital contribution of this farming practice.
36:06Graham, it's lovely to see you here today on what I suppose
36:09is a typical day of weather. We can hear the rain above us.
36:12Banging on the roof. This is a crofter's life, isn't it?
36:15This is it completely. Sun, wind, rain, snow.
36:20That's the crofter's life.
36:22But let's just talk about crofting.
36:24For anybody who's unfamiliar with it,
36:26it's an interesting movement, isn't it? How did it begin?
36:29The central impetus to crofting
36:33was to retain a working population in the Highlands and Islands,
36:38areas which were steadily depopulating
36:41as people emigrated either to the cities or overseas.
36:45What it did was it gave them much more secure tenancy,
36:49protection against the landlords.
36:51But, Graham, when you look at modern crofting,
36:53the facts and figures demonstrate just how important it is.
36:57Some 45% of Scotland's breeding ewes are held by crofters.
37:0220% of Scotland's beef, Highland beef, comes from crofters.
37:07Home to 33,000 families across 19,000 crofts.
37:12It's not a niche market, is it?
37:14It's absolutely central to this rural economy.
37:18The figures are absolutely a true reflection
37:21of the importance of crofting in the modern world.
37:24I would also add you cannot overestimate
37:28the importance of crofting to environmental management, for example.
37:32I run a super high environmental standard farm.
37:36I manage stockwoods.
37:39I've got an aspen woodland that goes back 12,000 years.
37:43I have incredible biodiversity and I actively farm for that
37:49because crofting is the antithesis of industrial farming.
37:53Industrial farming focuses on production at all costs.
37:57Crofting, you live on your farm and it's a small farm.
38:02You have personal but also generational and emotional
38:08and financial investment in that piece of ground.
38:12But for the principle to work, it has to be genuinely sustainable
38:16and that's the joy of it.
38:18I believe so.
38:20Originally committed to a career in academia and living in Nottingham,
38:24a crofter's life hadn't always been for Graham.
38:27But a siren call from home brought him back to his family farm
38:31where he's lived for the past 15 years.
38:34Wow!
38:36Oh, it's lovely.
38:38Now, is it possible then for anybody who's perhaps drawn
38:42to the crofting life to get a croft?
38:45Are there enough to go around?
38:47Absolutely not.
38:49There is a huge demand for crofts, especially the last few years,
38:53as so many people have discovered that the rural life
38:57is a much nicer way to live than stuck in your flat.
39:00Yeah.
39:01Our buyers this week, Sam and James, I think are absolutely at one with you.
39:05They want to come here and farm on a relatively small scale.
39:09Excellent.
39:10What advice would you give to anybody like them?
39:13What does it take?
39:14Move to the district and move into the community
39:18and wait for the perfect thing to come along
39:22and then you'd be in a much better position to get a hold of it
39:25because a lot of small holdings and crofts up here
39:29are not necessarily advertised nationally.
39:32Move here and experience the life and see if it really does suit you
39:37because if you've only come once and it was a nice sunny day in May...
39:42You might be fooled.
39:43You really are going to be shocked when it's December
39:46and it's dark at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
39:48Yeah. So there we are then.
39:50Flexibility, resilience, determination
39:52and be ready to take an opportunity if it comes.
39:54Absolutely.
39:55Get in there with both hands, grab it when it's there.
39:58Talking of getting in, shall we?
40:01Yep. Come on.
40:06You have to respect and admire the commitment of people like Graham
40:10who ensure the practice continues to thrive in this region
40:13so the land is retained for a generation of future crofters.
40:29Having had a chance to mull over the properties we've seen this week,
40:32it's now decision time for Sam and James.
40:37Oh, goodness me.
40:39I'm really happy with the properties we've been able to give you.
40:42Any one of them represents a really viable family home for you to grow into.
40:48Yes, definitely.
40:49All the properties were absolutely amazing.
40:51They were beautiful, weren't they? Yeah.
40:53Especially the last one was lovely.
40:56Mystery House is my favourite.
40:58We're going to have a good talk about that.
41:00Aren't we, the Mystery House?
41:02Yes, we've got ten hours to travel home.
41:04A lot of talking time. We've got enough time to talk.
41:06As you've rightly said, you are over ten hours away
41:09so you can't just pop back in for a quick look with the kids.
41:12Yeah.
41:13Would you offer on it, having seen it once?
41:17Yeah, because it's different in Scotland.
41:20You get a home report as long as we're happy with that.
41:23You've just got to go for it.
41:25Is it possible, then, that you could end up moving into our Mystery House?
41:29It's definitely possible, yes.
41:31Interesting. What do you think the boys would make of it?
41:34Oh, they'd definitely love it, wouldn't they?
41:36As soon as we'd just mention pigs, they'd be happy as Larry, so...
41:40Well, guys, I wish you all the very best.
41:43I hope this one works out because there's nowhere else to go.
41:46Any further north and you get wet.
41:49Enjoy the chat and let us know what the conclusion is
41:55when you finally climb out at the other end.
41:58Best of luck.
42:04Well, I have absolutely loved this house hunt for two main reasons.
42:08The first, well, it's allowed me to explore a corner of the British Isles
42:12that I'd never really seen before.
42:14But, my goodness me, look at what you get here.
42:17And the second, having the chance to accompany Sam and James
42:21at the beginning of a journey that I hope will lead them
42:24to a genuinely sustainable rural life for them and their two boys.
42:29They've still got a little way to go and a few more decisions to make,
42:33but they are absolutely on the cusp of a brand-new rural future.
42:37I'll see you next time.
42:41Well, James and Sam did make an offer on the Mystery House
42:45and are finalising the details of the Home Buyers' Report
42:48before they progress with the purchase.
42:50We're crossing our fingers it all works out.
42:54If you would also like to escape to the country in Scotland,
42:57Northern Ireland, Wales or England and need our help,
43:00why not apply online at bbc.co.uk forward slash take part.
43:15.