Central Scotland Escape to the Country

This fruity piece of architecture behind me is the only one of its kind in Britain

to feature a pineapple on such a large scale.

But where is it and where am I?

Keep watching, because all will be revealed in just a moment.

In today's show,

I'll be bringing together a creative couple

who currently live 400 miles apart

but want to find their forever home in the country.

They start off being rather polite about our houses.

Very nice.

This is nice, isn't it? Nice and bright.

But then the smiles just keep on coming.

-Windows in three directions. That's fabulous.

-Great views.

Today, we're in central Scotland

and this is the Pineapple House in Dunmore Park near Stirling.

Originally built as a summer pavilion in 1761,

the 45-foot pineapple dome was added in the late 1770s

by John Murray, the fourth Earl of Dunmore,

after his return from America

where he'd been serving as a governor of Virginia.

Virginia itself was a state where pineapples were traditionally seen

as a symbol of wealth and hospitality.

I can certainly say I'm feeling very welcome in these surroundings,

which is no surprise

when you consider the beautiful scenery on offer.

Today, we're in central Scotland and an area known as the Forth Valley,

which takes in Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire.

In the late 13th century,

Stirling was strategically important as the gateway to the Highlands

with its navigable crossing over the Forth River.

The region surrounding the city and one-time Scottish capital,

is lush and green with magnificent countryside.

One of the highlights is the stunning area of Loch Lomond

which along with the Trossachs,

became Scotland's first national park in 2002.

The Forth Valley is a great location for those wanting a rural bolt hole

within commuting distance of Edinburgh and Glasgow.

But house prices in the area vary significantly.

Take Clackmannanshire, a detached house here would set you back

some £29,000 less than the Scottish average of £226,000.

Head to Stirling and closer to the desired landscapes of the Highlands

and the same house will be £13,000 more than the national average.

So, with that in mind,

let's take a look at what's currently on the market.

For just under £250,000,

you could buy a large slice of this barn conversion development,

close to Drymen village.

It has a high-spec modern kitchen and a spacious sitting room,

which features a wood burner for those winter nights.

The three bedrooms are light with plenty of room for storage.

This three-bedroom country home in the upper Bridge of Allan

could be yours for offers over £415,000.

The interior provides a harmonious mix of styles,

from the rustic kitchen-diner with a range,

to the modern extension with a feature window

offering fantastic views.

For top budgets,

this four-bedroom 1820s house in Larbert has been much extended.

On the market for offers over £735,000,

it has a large sitting room with feature fireplace,

a welcoming entrance hall and there's even a dedicated games room.

Some delightful houses there, but time now to meet today's buyers

who are ready to call this beautiful part of Scotland "home".

After 11 years of living and working in Moscow,

our house-buyers have returned to the UK and are in the process

of putting their master plan of moving to Scotland into practice.

Unfortunately, that means they have to live apart.

Cora's in Bristol, tying up the sale of their four-bedroom family home,

while Ian, a GP, is already working in the Stirling area

and is currently staying at his mother's.

Although there's 400 miles between them,

they're very much in tune

with why they want a new lifestyle in the country.

I think it'll be a much happier,

more relaxed lifestyle for both of us.

The main advantages for moving are really for my husband.

He longs for the countryside, for peace and for views.

He's quite a creative person

and he thinks in terms of expressing himself through music.

You have these wonderful open spaces, you have the mountains

and the forests and the rivers and the lochs and it's just wonderful.

To be able to go out and walk in that environment

and be attuned to nature,

it makes all the difference for creativity

and thinking up musical tunes or thinking of poetry or literature,

whatever it might be.

Ian may yearn for that rural openness,

but Cora also wants community to be close by.

As far as location is concerned,

I don't want to be completely isolated.

Village life or just outside a village

or one of these farmhouse steadings where they have

three or four families sharing original farmhouse buildings

that have been converted, would be perfect for us.

They've viewed around ten properties

and it seems the Scandinavian style of their Bristol home

with its large rooms has clearly influenced the wish list

for their next property.

What I would really like, I think, is a big entrance space

so you get plenty of light and the feeling of spaciousness.

Another thing that we'd like to have is space in the kitchen

where the family can gather round a table.

We've enjoyed having a big lounge and we'd like that again.

Ian is toying with the idea of getting a grand piano.

We'd love to have a good garden again and we love to eat outside.

In fact, when possible, we have all three meals out in the garden.

They also want space for their creative pastimes.

Cora does a lot of reading talking books, narration,

that sort of thing, so she's keen to do that

and we'd like to have enough space to make a little studio for her.

I like to dabble in music and writing music and making music.

With the sale of their home about to go through,

they're able to make an immediate offer

and they have a very tidy sum with which to purchase their new home.

Our maximum budget would be £400,000, but ideally,

if we could get something we liked for less,

then we'd have money to spend on a piano or a new car

or various things... new furniture for the house.

So, yes, £400,000 would be our ceiling.

So, after 11 years living in Russia,

Ian and Cora have spent the last year back in the UK,

but the last month living some 400 miles apart.

That's something we're going to have to remedy and very quickly,

because they've already got a buyer for their house in Bristol.

So, we'd better get cracking.

Our house hunt takes into account

that Ian works across the Stirling and Clackmannanshire area,

so we'll be trying to minimise his commuting time as much as possible.

I'll be showing them a crop of three superb country homes

which answer their brief, but I won't reveal the price of each

until they've had a guess first.

The last of these is, of course, our mystery house,

designed to challenge them

and make them reassess what they think they really want.

-Here we are in a windy Scotland. You certainly get the weather here.

-Sorry about that.

-Very blustery today.

-Don't apologise.

It's the place to come. We've got this wonderful scenery.

It's what you expect when you make it this far.

It always looks so much better in the sunshine and good weather.

You have to take it as it comes in Scotland.

What have we got to find that's going to make it the one for you?

Well, the practical question is, of course, location.

I've got to be somewhere within striking distance of work,

but at the same time we'd like it to have the sense of country

and the sense of open space and all that Scotland has to offer.

-Views of the hills.

-Views of the hills, is that it for you, Cora?

-Oh, it's really Ian's baby.

-That's my particular plan.

What about you? What are you looking for in a home?

I think more of living in the house. I'd like a big, sociable kitchen.

What's our budget?

Well, we think probably 400,000 would be about our ceiling.

-Our comfortable ceiling.

-How are we doing with your property sale?

-We complete next week.

-Fantastic.

-Find us something quick, please!

Not very long. In that case, what are we doing standing out here?

-We'd better get on with it.

-Let's go and look for some houses.

-OK.

We're getting our property search under way

just under 20 miles from Stirling, close to the village of Avonbridge,

where, in the 19th century, coal mining dominated local industry.

Nowadays, it's home to 700 residents and holds onto its post office.

Lying outside the village in complete rural seclusion

is our first property,

a barn conversion known in Scotland as a steading.

Importantly, it's a style of home Cora said she liked.

This property does come with the views that you've asked for.

What do you think of this property?

My first reaction is the rendering catches my eye

and doesn't immediately endear me to it, to be honest.

-The stonework is lovely.

-Beautiful stonework.

This property was developed over the last couple of years.

You're looking at an original farmhouse, a couple of barns.

I think, once this weather's really got hold of that rendering,

it might start to blend in a little bit more.

-Yes.

-For now, shall we get out of this weather

-and have a closer look inside?

-That's a good idea.

Ian will hopefully start to sweep those first impressions away

as we head into the property via the side entrance.

I've got to say, first things first about this property.

There are four others and they've all been sold in this development

and this was the show home.

I think that'll be obvious from the decor.

What I think you've got to do here is imagine it as your own

and what you'd do to make it feel homely.

I do think you're going to get a lot of house.

I'm quite impressed with the idea of coming in through a utility area.

For Scotland, you're always out walking in the fields, muddy boots.

The first thing you can do is take off your boots

and put them by the sink.

It strikes me as a small, neat kitchen, but certainly adequate.

You could have a family table here.

You could do something bigger than that.

Would you prefer to have a family table here

rather than using this space?

I see, there's another space here.

That's a little bit detached from the working area of the kitchen.

I like the idea of working and entertaining at the same time.

This property does provide lots of living space

as they'll see in a moment.

Leading off the main entrance hall is a downstairs cloakroom

and a study which might make a good recording studio for Cora.

It's the main sitting room which could really appeal.

-Wow! Look at that. Windows on three sides.

-Yes.

That's fantastic to have that amount of natural light, isn't it?

This view through the main window is pretty good, isn't it?

-Pretty impressive.

-As an entertaining space...

When you've finished the meal, to come through here would be great

and in good weather, those doors could be open.

Cora's keeping very quiet

but hopefully she'll perk up when she sees upstairs

which, with four bedrooms, gives them plenty of accommodation

for visiting family.

Up here, I think you can again appreciate how much room you get

with this property.

Four good-sized doubles and this very spacious

and generous corridor space running the length.

-Great for grandchildren to run up and down.

-Run up and down and play.

The three bedrooms they would use for guests

are all of a good size and immaculately decorated.

They could all make use

of the equally well furnished family bathroom.

At the end of the landing is where they would sleep.

So, this bedroom would lend itself to be the master

because it's the only one with an en suite.

-These are wardrobes on the way in?

-That's right.

-A bit like a dressing room.

-Yes.

That's good use of that corridor space.

-You seem to like this room.

-It's certainly big enough.

Like the downstairs room, it's light from three sides.

You've got the views.

Their spirits seem to have been lifted by the layout and space

that upstairs delivers,

but I sense Cora is having trouble

with how she can add that homely feel,

although it is in immaculate order

and ready for them to move straight into.

We'll nip outside to face the full force of the elements

and see what land they could have.

From out here, you can see your garden space.

-All of this.

-It's big.

-A completely blank canvas.

-It is, just like the property.

You'd make it your own. But you don't just get this space.

Over there, you also get some paddock,

so all in all, you're looking at 0.6 of an acre.

-We'll get into sheep farming or something.

-There you go.

Sheep, a little pony, perhaps, or something.

On top of that, they also get a purpose-built double garage.

Time to head back inside for shelter and get their view on the price.

This is better, isn't it? Out of the wind.

It's come to that crucial moment where we have to work out

how much you think this property is on the market for.

You've had plenty of time to think, so Cora?

-I think it'll probably be on the market for £320,000.

-OK.

I was going to say something around 335,000.

Well done, you were spot-on. It's on the market at £335,000.

I have to say, Cora, you were pretty close as well.

I'm impressed at how well you know the market around here.

That is quite a way under your budget

and you do get quite a lot of property.

-Yes, absolutely.

-There are lots of pros.

Much to be encouraged about from this property.

-Why don't you've another look around?

-Thank you.

They seem to know the market very well, but I've got to say,

I don't think they were overawed with this property.

Maybe it felt a bit too new.

The thing they have to consider is

what they can get within their budget.

Priced at £335,000, our first property leaves them a sizeable pot

to add the features they want to make this a character home.

It provides them with...

What's more, it falls within their search area.

The stone walls are beautiful. Upstairs is perfect.

Lots of space, lovely light, four lovely rooms.

The kitchen was a disappointment.

It's not how I imagined my kitchen to be.

If the utility room hadn't been in the middle,

if it could be moved, as Ian suggested,

that might solve it.

But really, I don't think I want to move into a house

and start pulling it around, especially when it's newly done.

It just seems crazy.

My first reaction as we came up the drive here

was I know we were trying to escape to the country

but this is a escaping to the back of beyond.

As we began to walk around,

I did see that there was a lot to commend this place.

It's got big rooms, lots of light.

Having said all that,

it wouldn't be near the top of my list of houses

that we've seen or come across,

so I think we're looking with interest at the next house

that you have in store for us.

-Can you believe, I think it's got windier!

-It's impossible.

We have to get back out here because we've more houses to see.

Fantastic.

Set against a mountainous backdrop

and flanking the banks of the River Forth,

the town of Stirling sits where the Highlands meets the Lowlands.

It's here where pivotal events in Scotland's history

have been played out.

Notably William Wallace's victory over the English

at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297.

His iconic image in the form of a monument built in the 1860s,

stands at Abbey Craig, the site where his small army set up camp.

As Ian and Cora are returning to Scottish soil,

earlier in the week, we arranged for them to find out more

about Stirling's important place in history

from local guide, William Blackburn.

It is said that he who holds Stirling holds Scotland.

Based on that, it was very essential for Wallace's guerrilla army

to displace the English garrison from Stirling Castle.

That was very important.

The whole point of the Battle of Stirling Bridge,

was it was a question of tactics and a knowledge of the lay of the land.

He knew perfectly well that the only road was the Causeway,

that either side was treacherous,

especially if you sent cavalry across.

As it was a relatively ragtag army of locals,

was he able to overcome this most powerful army in Europe

because of their local knowledge?

Yes, they were very well trained.

They were guerrilla fighters,

a guerrilla army taking on a professional army.

17 years after Wallace's victory,

Robert the Bruce won the Battle of Bannockburn nearby

and secured the release of Stirling Castle from Edward II.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, it flourished,

as both a military fortress and a Scottish royal residence.

So, William, what famous kings and queens lived here?

Most of the Stuart monarchs, the early Stuart monarchs, lived here,

so James IV and James V.

Mary Queen of Scots was actually put here

for the first six years of her life

because it was considered a stronghold

against the machinations and the intentions

of her great uncle, Henry VIII of England,

whose firm intention was to grab Scotland

by marrying his infant son, the future Edward VI,

to the infant, Mary.

That means that he'd become King of Scots

and therefore the whole of the British mainland

would become under the domination from London.

Stirling's strategic position at that time

represents a significant chapter in Scotland's enduring heritage.

But for now, it's time to get back to the house search

and see if we can find a fantastic Scottish home for Ian and Cora.

Our house search continues close to the town of Culross,

which has an array of historic buildings

that are a reminder

of the town's prosperity, from exporting coal to the production of salt.

Less than a five-minute drive away on the outskirts of Saline village,

our second property is in a prime spot to take in

the surrounding views of the Ochil Hills.

Although it's a little windswept,

I think it could be just what they're after.

Dating back to the early 1920s,

this former schoolhouse makes a grand impression,

although they'll find that inside also has

that comfortable homely feel they wanted.

Right, first reception room.

-Very nice.

-It's nice, isn't it?

-Nice and bright.

-Yeah.

Big furniture, but it doesn't feel too big in this room at all.

The room's spacious enough to cope with it.

A gas fire here. However, there is a chimney and you could open it up

and have a real fire if you wanted to.

It's a very nice, unpretentious room. Simple room.

-You could feel right at home.

-Yes.

Across the hallway,

the second reception room could be music to Ian's ears.

-Look at this. Obviously a musician's room.

-Very fitting.

Yes, an array of guitars.

This is obviously a room that's suitable for a musician.

It might be rather nice to be able to close the door on you.

-Thank you very much!

-Just once in a while.

-Yes, keep out the racket.

-Well, to have separate rooms, that's amazing.

-Having a separate room, a music room, could work well?

-With the door, yes.

You're liking the door, aren't you, Cora? "Yes, with the door..."

When you do want to come together, you've also got the space here.

You can open it out and you've got a conservatory.

You can imagine when it's sunny and summery,

you've got space out there, but even on a windy day like today.

That's a lovely thing.

Along with rooms to spread out in, the kitchen gives them

the chance to bring the family together.

Ah, look.

Plenty of space to gather the family around the table.

-Yes, you could get a big table in there.

-Yes.

It's well integrated with the kitchen, isn't it?

Lovely utility space through there

and a downstairs cloakroom and shower room.

-That's useful, isn't it?

-Sounds great.

-Yes.

That's what I like to hear.

Downstairs has Cora beaming, and the smiles should continue upstairs.

First stop is where they would sleep. This one is the master.

-My goodness.

-That's why!

-Yes, you can tell why.

-Wow!

-Isn't that great? Right up the hillside there.

This house is surrounded by green belt

so you shouldn't have anything being built up around it.

-This room's big, isn't it?

-Lovely.

These mirrored wardrobes keep it very bright and light.

Bright, light and clean. It doesn't have to be cluttered.

The main bedroom also comes with a modern elegant en suite.

There are three other doubles which give their visitors

a lovely selection of light, bright bedrooms to stay in.

These can all make use of the high-spec shower room.

The large, light rooms and homely feel of our second property

seem to be hitting the right notes, so hopefully the gardens can build on that.

Out here, there's a large garage block built on two storeys

which has two rooms upstairs,

offering the potential to be a music space for him or a studio for her.

-Still windy, but the sun's come out.

-It has!

We're moving through the seasons very quickly today.

That's what you'd expect in Scotland, isn't it,

and where better to take it all in than out here?

Yeah, this is lovely.

That view out over the Ochil Hills

and the farmland between here and there.

You say farmland. In fact, as well as this area of garden here

which I think is pretty substantial, you could do quite a bit with it,

your land continues down to that line of trees there.

-You're sitting on an acre plot with this property.

-Really?

Really, it's quite sizable, isn't it?

Quite sizable, but it comes at a price.

What do you think that price is?

You did very well last time, Ian, so I'm going to start with you.

Well, you know, there's a lot to this,

so I would aim much higher than the last time.

Perhaps I'll say 395.

-OK. Cora?

-I'm going to say 380.

380? This property is on the market at £420,000.

Yes, it is over your top budget of 400.

However, we wouldn't do that to you. It's been on the market for a year

and the owner's interested in sensible offers.

I can see you're starting to think about this one already.

-Yeah.

-Lots to consider.

-Yes, a lot of attractions about this house.

-The wind's dropped, sun's out, enjoy the outdoors!

-It makes it look good.

Have a look at that garage, there's plenty to see in there.

Yes, we'd like to.

Although this property is over their budget at £420,000,

Ian and Cora could make an offer

that reflects their strong position to move quickly.

It's a beautifully presented home that gives them...

You can't help but enjoy being in this house as soon as you come in.

All the wonderful artwork, and look at these guitars on the walls.

But, of course, it reflects something of the interests

of the present occupants of the house and in a sense,

that perhaps almost over-attracts me to it.

There's many other things about this that commend itself.

I suppose the views and the location.

Easy access to walking countryside, a great big garden.

All in all, I think this is a really positive contender, I would say.

There are lots of things about this house that I really like.

The downstairs is super.

The two lounges I really like, where we can be separate

and do separate activities to relax.

The kitchen's great. The kitchen's really what I had in mind.

Something still missing. I'm not sure what.

Hey there. I thought I'd lost you.

That was great, there was so much to look at.

So much to see and lots to think about.

-Let's go find somewhere to sit down.

-Great.

As evening falls over the Scottish skyline,

it marks the end of the first day of our property search.

Having returned from living in Moscow for 11 years,

Ian and Cora are spending their time living 400 miles apart in Bristol and Stirling

until they can finally unite under one roof in central Scotland.

Of the two properties we've shown them so far for their £400,000 budget,

Ian seemed to particularly warm to our refurbished 1920s house,

although Cora wasn't completely sold.

But coming up, our mystery property throws down the gauntlet

of 21st-century living in the country.

-It's a brand-spanking-new build.

-But it's a nice new build.

-It's characterful, attractive.

-Yes.

-That's exactly it.

-It's very impressive.

And I go up in the world thanks to the ancient laws of physics

and the wonders of modern Scottish engineering.

We got off to a mixed start yesterday

and sometimes to find your dream home,

you have to start from scratch,

so with our mystery house, we've nearly done just that.

-What are you expecting from our mystery property?

-I don't know.

Oh, my goodness.

Maybe it'll be some kind of timber A-framed,

like a pioneer-frontier cottage or a ranch or something like that.

-That would be good.

-That would be good, would it?

-Anything would be good.

-What would not be good?

Wouldn't be too keen on just a little crofter's bothy.

-With a mud floor.

-In the mud or something.

Well, Ian was surprisingly close with his first idea.

Our mystery house is near to the village of Kippen,

which has a range of amenities including a local shop.

The setting of our mystery property is idyllic

but whether they warm to its modern design is still up for debate.

This wonderful property is our mystery house.

The reason it's our mystery

is because it was only completed about three weeks ago.

-This is a brand-spanking-new build.

-But it's a nice new build.

-It's characterful.

-That's exactly it.

It's very impressive. It's wonderful.

I think it's a very good choice for a mystery property.

We're keen to see inside.

Their first reaction is really encouraging.

Our mystery house has been nominated in this year's Scottish Home Awards

and hopefully its high design spec will knock them off their feet.

-There we go. Nice and warm.

-Come in out of the rain!

And very welcoming.

-It's got some character, hasn't it? Lovely.

-I like it very much.

It's actually what we've talked about these last few days.

-Big table, island in the kitchen. Lovely. That's very good.

-Good.

Tucked around there, you also have a good utility room and a door out to the garden.

Another way to come in and clean off your muddy boots.

Not only is it bright and modern but it's got that soft, homely feel.

This is lovely. This is perfect.

With a very open layout,

the reception hall flows through to the main sitting room.

How would this work for you? Is this enough space as a living room?

Do you like it being open-plan or do you prefer rooms...

I like it open-plan, but if we did want a big piano,

there wouldn't be room for very much else.

That's probably the only place you could put a large piano.

It's the only place in this room. However, there's another room.

-Do you want to have a look at that?

-Good!

-Great.

I thought this would be a good room for the piano

because positioned here, you're looking right out at Ben Ledi.

-Wonderful. That would be inspiring, wouldn't it?

-There you go.

And, Cora, for you, you can shut the door. It's all tucked away.

You wouldn't want to shut the door, would you?

-Most of the time, I wouldn't.

-Every now and then, if you want to.

Otherwise it's open-plan through there.

-What do you think of this space?

-It's not huge.

It's not huge, but it's certainly, in addition to the other one,

it's great.

Downstairs seems to be striking a chord with them.

Next door, there's a fantastic light bathroom

also fitted with an eye on quality, which as they will see,

is a running theme upstairs.

The feeling of space continues up here and again,

they've really designed this house well.

Lots of windows, lots of light pouring in.

This is what I want to show you first - a fantastic bathroom.

A lot of space in this bathroom, but my favourite feature

is taking a seat right there and having a look out of that window.

-Great view of Ben Ledi.

-Ben Ledi from the bathroom.

From the bathroom or from the bath if you were lying in there.

A very nice bathroom.

You might just want to spend the whole day lying in there.

And why not?

The master is an equally fabulous room to relax in.

Again, you get the views all the way round.

-Lots of light.

-Windows in three directions, that's fabulous.

-Great views.

-A big, big, big room.

-An en-suite bathroom with a shower.

-Wonderful.

-Very stylish too.

I think it's very nicely done and I can see us living in it.

It's a lovely home.

It's a style that they are clearly at home with

and the other two large double bedrooms

have light flooding in from the generous number of windows.

With our mystery house covered on the inside,

we'll get the measure of the outside.

Here you are, this is the garden.

It's a cute space, I think, but it does have some lovely features.

Number one, you're looking at the farmland there

and you've got the sheep to keep you company.

-You really know you're rural.

-This lovely little stream.

The stream just running through.

-How much do you think this property will set you back?

-Oh, my goodness.

I'm going to go for 415,000.

-15?

-415.

-OK.

I'm going to say 395.

-Oh!

-Because I don't want to pay too much.

-Is that hopeful?

-Yes!

You're both wrong this time, but you're close.

It is over budget at £425,000

but the owners would accept a lower offer.

That's tempting, isn't it?

Currently priced at £425,000 but open to offers,

the unique design spec of our mystery house

certainly seemed to impress them.

Along with two reception rooms,

Cora thought the open-plan kitchen-diner was spot-on.

This is wonderful.

It's a great surprise and a delight for us to see such a nice place.

Lovely designer features.

There are one or two things that perhaps aren't quite so positive.

It's a little bit far for my work.

I'd have to commute for an hour each way to some of the places I go to work.

We'll have to think a little bit about this to balance up

these pros and cons before we can really make up our minds,

but undoubtedly a hot contender, this house.

I love the light and the airiness of it all.

I think it's beautifully designed

and I like the simple lines of the bathroom and the kitchen cabinets.

I think I'm disappointed with the garden.

It's quite small and it's limited by a few slopes

but the house is perfect, the house is lovely.

-Hello.

-The sun's shining.

The sun's back out, the rain's over and so is our property search.

That's it, all three properties seen.

-Time for you to have a little think.

-Yeah.

-Come on.

Scotland is famous for its feats of engineering

and it's a reputation that continues to this day.

Earlier in the week, I visited Falkirk, home to the Falkirk Wheel,

the world's first and only rotating boat lift.

This phenomenal piece of architecture was part of

an £84.5 million project that aimed to re-link two main canals

that stretch between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

I met with Alasdair Smart, the Scottish Waterways manager,

to find out more about this remarkable structure.

What is it, why is it here?

This is the Falkirk Wheel.

It's the world's only rotating boat lift and it's here, basically,

to connect the Clyde Canal with the Union Canal.

That's it, really. It's connecting people,

it's connecting Glasgow, Edinburgh,

but it's something that happened a long time ago and it fell away, didn't it?

The canals, basically, the two main Lowland canals,

closed in the 1960s, and one of the problems was that the two canals,

to connect them and to connect Edinburgh and Glasgow,

there used to be a flight of 11 locks

and it wasn't possible to recreate those 11 locks

because in the intervening years they had been built upon.

British Waterways, working with some others, came up

with this fantastic design to put a boat lift in place

which would link the two canals which are 35 metres apart.

In the past, it would have taken half a day to go through

the canals' 11 locks.

We can float up in just 10 to 15 minutes,

thanks to Archimedes' principle of displacement.

How does it work?

How is it such a gentle move when you've got tonnes of steel operating?

Basically, there's two gondolas, one at the top and one at the bottom,

each of them full of water.

Basically, one of the boats goes in the bottom and very simply,

the wheel rotates and it moves up to the top.

You're moving in, the right amount of water moves out

and that pushes the boats round?

To try and keep it as energy efficient as possible

and keep the engines small, basically you need to have

both of the gondolas roughly the same kind of weight.

What happens with Archimedes' principle is that

as the boat moves in, the weight of the boat displaces

the same amount of water, so no matter how many boats you have in,

you always have roughly the same amount of weight

between the two gondolas, so it makes it very efficient.

'In fact, ten fitted hydraulic motors

'generate the 1.5 kilowatts of electricity needed for each rotation,

'which is only the equivalent of boiling eight household kettles

'and standing 35 metres up on the banks of the aqueduct,

'you get a real sense of that linkage

'between Scotland's two biggest cities.'

It's beautiful, because this really does connect Edinburgh and Glasgow.

It's centrally across Scotland

and it's a real bringing together of the community.

Has it achieved what you expected it to?

I think it's surpassed what we expected.

It's been a tremendous achievement for Scotland.

It's reinvigorated the canals, brought them back into life.

There's six million people use the Lowland canals each year

for the towpaths and getting out and encouraging

healthy living and just enjoying the wonderful scenery we've got here.

Since opening ten years ago,

the Falkirk Wheel attracts around 500,000 visitors a year

and is proof that this iconic landmark

has put these historic waterways back on the map.

Time to see if we've engineered a house for today's buyers.

Three very different properties with increasingly striking views

but were any of our houses dramatic enough

to convince Ian and Cora to make them their home?

Let's find out.

11 years in Russia and the last month,

you've been so far apart, haven't you?

Now here we are, finding you a home in Scotland.

It's been nice looking with you, but there's urgency, isn't there?

-Yes.

-You've got a week.

-We're going to be homeless in a few days' time.

Exactly. Three properties you've seen with us.

Had a bit of time to think about them.

We started with the steading

and that's something that was on your wish list.

-Yes.

-Rewind yourself back.

How did you feel when you approached the property?

We liked the idea of a steading because it gives you the chance

to be in the countryside and have a little bit of a community.

We were a little bit disappointed as we approached that.

It's hard to say, you know, the weather was awful.

-Uncharacteristically awful.

-Yeah.

But something about the design and the finish.

It was the large plain gable end that was rendered.

The first thing you see is a grey rendered gable end.

There was nice stonework to the right of that

but the main thing was a plain gable end.

From the inside, it was fine. A nice, cheerful show house.

Perhaps a little bit ordinary as far as the finish was concerned.

-It didn't have a lot of character to it.

-It was adequate, it was fine.

It just wasn't inspiring.

But one of the key features of that property and one of the reasons

we showed it to you, because of the price,

you would have had some money left over with that property.

Yes, we could have gone on a world cruise

or taken early retirement or something.

So, for the second property, we took you further north,

closer to Dollar, Clackmannanshire.

-What did you think of that one, the white house?

-Attractive front.

-Quite a gracious setting in its grounds.

-That long drive up to it.

A fun house, the work that had already been done.

-It was nicely done, nice bathrooms.

-We liked that.

It felt homely, it felt lived in.

There was also a nice conservatory in the front,

a south-facing conservatory, which could be lovely in the summer.

And the kitchen, how did that work for you in that property?

It was fine, it was nice.

I preferred the kitchen in the third property.

The third, the mystery house.

That was a mystery because it was only three weeks old

and after your comments about the first property seeming new,

I wasn't sure how you'd take to the mystery house.

-It had a lot more character.

-Yes.

-It was wonderful.

It was beautifully designed, very nicely decorated.

Lovely feel to it. Light and airy, very, very nice.

Finished to a very high quality, a high standard.

A spectacular setting with views out towards Flanders Moss

and northwards towards Ben Ledi.

The small garden is a problem, the small, north-facing garden

is a little bit of a disappointment, isn't it?

-It detracts somewhat from the otherwise wonderful...

-Lovely house.

What is the plan, what will you do next over the next few days?

Well, I need to go home and pack up our home in Bristol.

-You have to go back to work.

-Mm-hm.

We may have to put our things into storage

and rent somewhere for a little while

until we can find something that's just right to move on.

We don't want to move again.

If we can find the right property that will do us now

on into retirement, that would be perfect.

I hope you do find somewhere very soon,

sooner than you being homeless,

and when you throw one of these infamous parties, can I come along?

-What impression have we given?

-You'll be very welcome.

-Thank you.

We really have braved the elements this week in our quest

to find the perfect property for Ian and Cora.

It has been somewhat of a battle to find a house that meets

their needs for both practicality and inspiration all in one.

I think that we came close, but their search continues.

They'd better get their skates on as they've only got a week

before their house is sold.

I'll see you next time on Escape To The Country.

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