The property market in Dumfries and Galloway has continued to attract high demand from lifestyle buyers with a third of all property sales last quarter (Q4, Oct – Dec) being smallholdings, reports Galbraith.

Smallholdings with land up to 50 acres continued to attract heightened demand from buyers keen to relocate to the area from the rest of the UK, with three quarters being from south of the Border and a quarter being from within Scotland. Demand outstripped supply in this market segment highlighting the draw of rural living in Dumfries and Galloway.

The team in Castle Douglas recorded a 16 per cent increase in the number of viewings conducted during the final three months of the year compared to the same quarter the previous year. Double the number of prospective buyers also registered with Galbraith in Castle Douglas over the same period, indicating a healthy appetite from buyers keen to make their next move.

David Corrie, head of residential sales for Galbraith, located in Castle Douglas, said: “It’s encouraging to witness healthy property sales and buyer activity in our final quarter of last year.  As we enter the busy Spring selling season, the market is indicating a good level of competition from lifestyle buyers who remain attracted to the area given the quality of properties available and the value for money property in the region offers compared with many other parts of the country.

“Dumfries and Galloway is a stunning part of Scotland to live with buyers being attracted to the great outdoors and beautiful coastal scenery, from The Mull of Galloway to Gretna Green and everywhere else in between. With beautiful views and numerous paths for walking, cycling and wildlife watching, as well as offering opportunities for sailing and a wide range of water sports, the region really does offer a fantastic work-life balance for families, especially with hybrid working here to stay.

“It’s no surprise that small holdings are in particularly high demand, offering a sizable portion of land to allow owners to be more sustainable and grow their own, as well as offering ample outdoor space for young kids and their four-legged friends. We have buyers registered with us and ready to make their next move so anyone thinking of selling should take advantage of the current competitive market conditions.”

Currently for sale through the Agency Team at Galbraith in Castle Douglas offering a combination of rural and coastal living:

Balgowan Farmhouse & Steading, Ardwell, Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway, Offers Over £325,000

Balgowan Farmhouse (B-listed) and Steading sits in a slightly elevated position with uninterrupted views over the surrounding countryside, Luce Bay and the coast beyond. The striking curved architecture with conical roof to the front sets this property apart from more traditional farmhouses in the region. Balgowan Farmhouse provides a blank canvas in its current condition however, it has the potential to be a stunning country home sitting in 2.74 acres of land, surrounded by open farmland and within walking distance of the beach.

The Old Lifeboat Station, Auchencairn, Castle Douglas, Offers Over £850,000

The Old Lifeboat Station is an idyllic coastal retreat in a breathtaking location with its own slipway, direct access to the sea and panoramic views of Auchencairn Bay on the Solway Firth. The B-listed property is nestled among six acres of garden and woodland, home to an abundance of wildlife, including red squirrels. Established in 1884, the property was converted and extended by the current owners in the late 1990’s to create an award-winning four-bedroom house.

Balgowan Cottages, Ardwell, Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway, Offers Over £450,000

1 & 2 Balgowan Cottages offer a beach retreat with uninterrupted views over Luce Bay and a small paddock. Two semi-detached properties with a shared outbuilding, ‘The Bothy’, offering potential to convert the cottages in to one property, subject to relevant planning consent. The property is surrounded by open farmland with stunning views and numerous beaches close by.

Kirkeoch, Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway, Offers Over £250,000

Former farmhouse Kirkeoch, sits west of Kirkcudbright and enjoys breathtaking views of the Dee Estuary. Kirkeoch represents an opportunity for a buyer to create a wonderful family home in a sought-after area.

A traditional Galloway farmhouse and recently converted Cheese Loft, with dramatic coastal views across the Irish Sea, has been brought to the open market through leading property consultants Galbraith.

Situated in a rural area of natural beauty on the South West of the Rhins of Galloway peninsula, Slockmill Farmhouse and Cheese Loft sits approximately 4.2 miles from the village of Drummore and 6.9 miles from Scotland’s most southerly point, the Mull of Galloway. 

The property was previously the family home for Slockmill Farm and over time, the land has been sold off and the property converted to a holiday let. In recent years, the adjoining cheese loft, formerly used to store cheese made on the farm when it was still in production, has been extensively renovated and refurbished to form an additional one-bedroom residential dwelling.

Slockmill Farmhouse presents well-proportioned accommodation with two reception rooms and four bedrooms. Stunning coastal views can be enjoyed from the sitting room and three of the four bedrooms. There is an Aga in the dining room providing additional cooking facilities and extra warmth and spacious sitting room benefits from an open fire and has two windows enjoying views of the garden and coastline beyond. The outside area includes a hot tub, situated in the garden adjacent to the patio and a detached garage.

The Cheese Loft has been completely refurbished throughout to form a cosy one-bedroom accommodation, benefitting from renewable energy provided by 4kw solar panels situated on the new roof with 9.8kw storage batteries, housed in the cloakroom. This provides electricity to both the Cheese Loft and farmhouse. The triple aspect open plan kitchen/dining/living area has a multi-fuel stove allowing the living area to be a cosy space to sit and relax, and there is a door opening out directly to the patio.

Sheena Ramsay, Handling the sale for Galbraith, said: “Slockmill Farmhouse and Cheese Loft presents and exciting opportunity for those seeking a lifestyle property combining a holiday let business with rural living in a truly stunning part of Dumfries and Galloway. The current owners live in the cheese loft and let out the farmhouse, however this could be reversed. Alternatively, the cheese loft could be used as extra living space to provide additional accommodation for multi-generational living.”

The farmhouse garden is predominantly a low maintenance garden and primarily laid to lawn, with an area of gravel around the patio and hot tub, enclosed by a dry-stone wall. Part of the garden has been designated to the Cheese Loft, which is an extension of the main garden and with a patio to the side of the property.

Drummore is the most southerly village in Scotland, a quiet coastal village with a shop & post office, primary school, church, doctor’s surgery (Mull of Galloway Medical Practice), café and two hotels with restaurants, a bowling club and direct access to the beach. Fishing boats still go out from the harbour and leisure boats frequent Luce Bay. Logan Botanic Gardens, Scotland’s most exotic gardens is approximately nine miles north of the property, a variety of tropical plants flourish in the warmer climate, a result of the Gulf Stream prevalent in this part of the region.

There are excellent transport links, the port of Cairnryan, just over six miles from Stranraer has two ferry operators running passenger and freight services to Northern Ireland. Trains to Ayr and Glasgow are available at Stranraer. Trains also run from the regional centre of Dumfries, 83 miles to the east.

Slockmill Farmhouse and Cheese Loft, Drummore, Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway is for sale through Galbraith at a guide price of £510,000.