West of Scotland Escape to the Country

Today I'm in a region which has gained a worldwide sporting reputation

thanks to the tiny island behind me.

So where am I? Find out in just a moment.

On today's show, we'll be following our animal instincts

as we help an artistic couple find a new home for them and their many pets.

But there's an unexpected response in one kitchen.

-Do either of you cook?

-Not really.

-No, we're terrible.

And a surprise revelation means they could be moving in sooner rather than later.

-This is...

-I'm declaring squatters' rights!

Definitely.

Today I'm in the West of Scotland and this island is Ailsa Craig.

Now, the extremely hard blue hone granite, which is unique to this island,

has been used to make curling stones since the early 1700s,

and even today carries such a high pedigree that only stones sourced from this island

are deemed good enough to use in the Olympics.

Now, the origins of curling here in Scotland can be traced back to 1511,

but it's now become so popular overseas, it's played in around 45 countries.

I'm going to be find out more about this historic game later in the programme,

but first let's find out what else this area is famous for.

Situated on the western coast of Scotland, the counties of Renfrewshire and Ayrshire

provide some of the country's most dramatic and historic backdrops.

To the north, the rural areas of Renfrewshire unfold

with rolling countryside and atmospheric moorland.

Then, further south, into Ayrshire, the village of Alloway is celebrated

as the birthplace of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns.

Ayrshire's western coastline is fringed by craggy headlands that descend to meet the rocky shores,

looking out over the Firth of Clyde.

And the sparse ruins of Turnberry Castle, once home to Robert the Bruce,

have, like him, been defiantly resisting defeat for over 700 years.

The sheltered quiet waters present an ideal starting point

to explore the county's rich coastal geography by boat,

and, for landlubbers, the 100-mile-long Ayrshire Coastal Path

features magnificent views across to the Isle of Arran every step of the way.

The average price of a detached home in Scotland is just under £228,000,

and if you're particularly keen on the West of Scotland, you could be on to a winner.

For example, a typical home in Argyll is around £17,000 below the national figure.

However, it's not all plain sailing.

If you fancy moving further south to Renfrewshire or South Ayrshire,

the price of a detached home there is the highest in the region.

In fact, you could pay more than the national average.

But whatever your property desires, one thing's for certain...

the West of Scotland offers a wealth of different property styles

that reflects its rich architectural heritage.

Dating back to the 1800s, single-storey stone-built farm workers' cottages

are peppered throughout the region,

with prices starting around the £150,000 mark for a three-bedroom home.

On the coast, there are a number of resorts which sprang up in the Georgian and Victorian eras,

and a four-bedroom period villa with a sea view in Ayr could cost you upwards of £400,000.

However, if you'd like to realise that fairytale dream of owning a renovated castle

with acres of land,

then don't be surprised if you're quoted prices in the region of £2 million.

There's certainly a varied mix of property styles in this beautiful part of Scotland.

But what are our buyers after? Let's meet them and find out.

Civil partners Jackie and Fiona met 20 years ago

when they were both training to be occupational therapists at university.

They currently live in a very crowded home in a busy Hampshire town

down on the English South Coast.

We live in a four-bedroom house in the centre of Lymington

and, at the moment, we share our house with my mum who, sadly, has Alzheimer's disease.

We also share our house with many pets.

Well, we've got six cats, a squirrel, four rabbits, two hedgehogs...

..and Jackie!

Well, Jackie aside, they've certainly got their hands full!

But with retirement on the cards, they're hoping they can use their new-found freedom

to fulfil their dream of running an animal sanctuary.

We're actually running out of space here for our animals.

We would like to develop the wildlife-rescue side of things

and our garden just isn't big enough.

They've decided to start up their new venture on Scottish soil,

and it's a place with which Fiona has long-held ties.

Well, we'd like to live in Argyll, Inverclyde or Ayrshire.

It's where I used to live and was brought up.

Despite moving many miles, their key requirements for this relocation are small but perfectly formed.

I think the three essential things for our new property would be...

the land for our rescue...

ground-floor facilities for my mother

-and, for us, I think it would be important to have an art room or a studio.

-Yeah.

We've concentrated on our artwork, I think, for about the last ten years or so.

I enjoy doing painting and Fiona also paints.

-And I like to paint people. And you like to paint animals.

-Yeah.

So I paint a lot of animals, wildlife and cats. No surprises there!

Their current house is on the market so they've got a clear idea of their budget.

However, their funds will have to cover more than just their own needs.

The budget for our property is a maximum of £350,000,

basically because we'd like to have a little bit of money left over so that we can renovate a property,

and also build some of the cages and pens that may be required for the animal sanctuary.

Upping sticks by some 450 miles is a massive change,

but for our buyers it's a transition that will improve their lives for many years to come.

It will give us a lot more time to focus on our animals

-and also, I think, it will make us feel a lot more relaxed...

-Yeah.

-..And sort of happy as people.

-Yeah.

For their move to Scotland, our buyers want a location close to Fiona's extended family in Greenock,

so our house hunt will stay within an hour's travelling time of her relatives there.

Time for me to meet up with them to finalise the details of their cross-border relocation.

Well, girls, here we are on the West of Scotland. Looking forward to the next few days?

-Yes.

-Yes, I can't wait.

-But what is it about this part of Scotland that so appeals to you both?

Well, I think the scenery is lovely, and we're both painters.

The colours are amazing. If you just look, you know, you get lots of purples

and very strong colours for painting.

-So it's not just land, it's the artistic side of it as well.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

So, the property up here, what's on your wish list?

It's got to be detached, ideally, with some land to it.

It's got to lend itself to have an annex and also we'd like something to do our artwork, so...

a studio or a room... a loft room that would lend itself to that sort of thing.

-Any bedrooms, kitchen-diner?

-Bedrooms would be helpful.

Three bedrooms probably or more. We're not great cooks, so we don't really worry about the kitchen,

but as long as it's got a kitchen of some sort.

-Something quirky and unusual.

-Well, Fiona and Jackie,

we've got three fantastic properties lined up for you to see,

one, of course, being our mystery property that I think might test you a little bit.

-We'll see how you get on. So shall we get started?

-That's great. Lovely.

We've got some wonderful properties for our buyers

and I'll be asking them to guess the price of each one before I reveal it.

As ever, our final option is the mystery house

which today could really see Fiona and Jackie opening up new horizons.

So you both currently work as occupational therapists,

but in a way you want to give up looking after people to look after animals.

We primarily want to look after animals now because that's just our love

and that's what we want to do.

We're starting our house search in Renfrewshire

and we're heading for the rural outskirts of Lochwinnoch

which is about 25 miles from Greenock.

Lochwinnoch is a medium-sized village

with a range of essential amenities.

It's believed its name means loch of the birds,

rather fitting as there's a bird sanctuary and nature reserve on the wetlands

where our animal-loving buyers would be welcome as volunteers.

Our first property is a short drive out of the village and set amongst glorious unspoilt countryside.

Well, ladies, welcome to Renfrewshire and your first property.

-Wow! That looks fabulous.

-Yes, very nice.

-It's beautifully kept up.

-Yes.

-It does actually date back to the 17th century.

-Wow!

-Does it?

-Yeah. Original farmer's cottage, stone and slate.

-Yes.

About ten years ago, extended quite extensively, actually, to the side.

-But the main property itself, it is listed, category B.

-Right.

-So a lot of history there.

-That's nice.

-Yeah.

-A good first impression?

-Yeah, it's lovely.

-Looks quirky.

-Shall start the tour?

-Yeah. Lovely.

This L-shaped cottage is mostly laid out on one level but does have some quirky features

that I hope will appeal to our buyers' artistic flair.

We're starting the tour in the heart of the house which is situated in the original part of the property.

-Wow! What a lovely kitchen.

-Isn't it?

-Lovely windows.

-Really spacious, isn't it?

-Yeah, big kitchen, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Do either of you cook?

-Not really.

-No, we're terrible.

-So this space is going to be wasted?

-Yeah.

As long as it's got the fridge for the bottle of wine!

-A toaster and that's it.

-No, it's perfect.

-It's a lovely kitchen.

-Perfect.

-Good. Shall we continue?

-Yes.

-OK.

-Let's go through.

-I like the doors.

-The doors are lovely.

So these steps lead down to the original cottage.

-Come on in.

-Ooh!

So this is the oldest part, over 300 years old.

-The kitchen was the cattle shed before it was all converted.

-Right.

-Oh, I see.

-Yeah.

-The low ceilings and the staircase going up makes it feel really cosy.

-Yeah. It's lovely.

This side of the property also houses two double bedrooms.

There's one directly off the sitting room that could be used as an art studio,

or, as an alternative, they could transform the larger double

which also has a brand-new en-suite bathroom.

Located on the mezzanine level is another bedroom

which is accessed from the staircase in the sitting room.

It's an unusual configuration, but Fiona and Jackie want something a bit leftfield,

so I'm hoping they'll especially appreciate this feature.

There are three further bedrooms in the extended wing, all with their own en-suite.

One is a small single, but next to that is a good-sized double, perfect for guests.

Finally, there's the largest bedroom which is what we're checking out next.

-This is the final one, this makes five.

-What a fabulous room.

-It's big, isn't it?

Potentially this could be right, we're thinking, for Mum.

-Yeah, it would make a great bed-sitting room, cos that's what she's got at the moment.

-Yeah.

We have an impressive amount of cupboard space here,

-but again it's not what it seems.

-No?

Ladies, just poke your head in there.

-Wow!

-That's amazing, isn't it?

-There's the en-suite.

-Wow! That's amazing.

-A secret en-suite!

-So you've got the en-suite, you've got all this space...

-Yeah.

Is this the type of thing that you had in mind for Mum? Because I know it's important to get it right.

-Yes.

-Yeah. It's perfect.

-It's perfect.

-It's perfect. It's got lots of space.

Yeah, and very well cared for, and the floors are lovely as well. It's lovely.

My goodness! And it's only the first property that we're showing you.

We've had great responses so far, and I'm getting the sense that this house is a real contender.

All that's left now is to find space for the animals, so let's see what's in store for them outside.

So, looking at the land, I mean, it does need a little bit of work,

as you can see, because where the building work's gone on in the house,

perhaps it needs to be laid back to grass again.

-But you do have three acres.

-Uh-huh.

And you do still feel like you're in the country because you're surrounded by trees,

it's not all on one flat level. What were you thinking of?

You know, you said, you wanted a little bit of land for the animals. Is this enough?

-Yes.

-Yes, it's about the size we would envisage, isn't it? Yeah.

-Yeah, it's great.

-It's manageable.

-Manageable, yeah.

-All good?

-All good, yeah.

-All good.

-Yeah, lovely.

I'm looking at you both to try and gauge reactions, but you're not giving too much away.

-No, it's brilliant. Just trying to sort of work out...

-Just working out money in my head.

You've cued that up beautifully for me, Fiona. How much do you think this property is on the market for?

-Well, I'd say about 340, because of the land which needs a lot of work on it.

-OK.

And I would think about 335.

You're both under...

-Oh!

-Oh!

Now, I know we're looking at £350,000 as our budget.

-It's slightly over.

-Right.

-£360,000.

-Right.

-Right.

And it has come down quite considerably in the last few months.

-Right.

-They're very keen to sell. But it is 10,000 over your budget.

-A good start, thought?

-Yeah, brilliant. Beautiful.

-It's been fantastic.

-Good.

Well, have a think, have another wander around,

start off with the property and then I'll let you look around the grounds.

-And then I'll catch up with you two when you're ready.

-Thank you very much.

-See you.

Although it's £10,000 over budget,

our first house does a very good job of delivering what Fiona and Jackie are looking for.

The unconventional layout offers...

all with en-suite bathrooms.

-Lovely wooden staircase.

-It is, isn't it?

-This is a good room, isn't it?

-This is a nice room.

I mean, this would have to maybe be the art studio.

I really like the look of the property. It's our sort of style, it's cottagey,

and quirky as well.

Inside it's beautifully kept and it needs nothing doing to it at all.

So, again, very impressed.

It's lovely that you get more than what you asked for.

All the bedrooms are lovely and they've all got en-suite, and they're all done up beautifully.

So that was nice surprise. The house is perfect, lovely and quirky,

and, yeah, it would just be putting the money into the land, really.

-Right, ladies, have you seen enough?

-Yes, yes, that was absolutely fabulous, that house.

-A good start, then?

-A really good start. It's going to be difficult to compare, really.

-Yeah.

Let's see how we get on. Come on!

Standing proudly some nine miles offshore in the Firth of Clyde

is the iconic Scottish landmark of Ailsa Craig.

The rock covers over 200 acres

and geologists believe it was formed from an extinct volcano over 500 million years ago.

Today, Ailsa Craig is principally a seabird colony,

home to the third-largest population of gannets in Britain.

With Fiona and Jackie's passion for animals,

earlier in the week, we sent our wildlife enthusiasts to the old fishing port of Girvan

to meet Paul Tarling from the RSPB

who monitors the colourful varieties of breeds on the island.

And by far the best way to appreciate the spectacular sight and sounds of the seabirds

is to take to the water.

This is the north side of Ailsa Craig

and this is where the main colony of birds are.

There's 20,000 or more gannets up on the cliffs.

All the gannets have got a six-foot wingspan. They really are quite amazing.

Ailsa Craig supports over 70,000 breeding seabirds

and has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Species include guillemots, razorbills, puffins and peregrines.

So what attracts so many of these birds to the island?

It's where the Gulf Stream or North Atlantic Drift comes up

from out of the Gulf of Mexico. That drift that comes up

is bringing nutrient-rich waters up here and it's great for fish in this area.

And this close-up experience provides a wonderful opportunity

for Fiona and Jackie to exploit their artistic talents with some challenging new subject matter.

There are puffins in the water over here.

Aw, lovely.

-They're very pretty, aren't they?

-Yeah.

-Gorgeous, aren't they?

When they finally make their move up here,

our buyers will certainly be hoping to take advantage of Scotland's many burgeoning natural habitats,

but for now it's time to return to dry land as we continue our house hunt.

Our next stop takes us to the village of Kilbarchan

which is within a half-hour car journey of Fiona's family in Greenock.

The most prominent landmark gracing the centre of the village

is a towering steeple, and there's a range of useful shops and businesses.

Our second property is a colourful character home which started life as a humble farmhouse.

So what do you think?

-It's lovely, isn't it? It's a very traditional cottage.

-It dates back to 1688.

-Right.

-Well, that's when either it was built or the couple that moved in got married,

because it's written just above the door and they're not sure, it's either one of the other.

-Oh, right.

-Lots of history.

-Very old. Lots of history.

It's awful weather. Shall we just step inside and I'll tell you more as we do the tour?

-Come on!

-Thank you.

Well, our buyers seem really taken with this property's heritage,

so let's see what they make of the accommodation which is all on the ground floor.

It's so cold out there! Bring you into a nice, warm country kitchen.

-It's lovely.

-Yes.

-Lovely feel to it.

-A nice square room.

-Very nice.

-Lots of space.

-Nice ceiling height.

-Really high ceilings.

-It's pretty nice, isn't it?

A lot of light coming through.

-It's nice, especially if you can have a table in the kitchen as well.

-Yeah.

-To your taste?

-Yes.

-Good.

There's a door through there and at the moment it's a TV room, but it could be a good hobby room.

Probably not good enough for easels and paints and everything, but a nice snug for you.

Let's continue through.

OK.

-So here is your rather grand drawing room.

-Wow! This is lovely, isn't it?

-Oh, yes, it is.

-Very nice.

-Yeah, and I like all the windows.

-I like the space. Yeah, the windows are lovely.

When your family invades, there'll be plenty of seats for all.

They'll be so pleased to have you on their doorstep, won't they, when you make the move.

And there really is plenty of space for all of them.

This home has a total of four bedrooms.

One is currently being used as a dining room,

while another is a lovely bright twin, perfect for sharing.

There's also the master bedroom with an en-suite shower,

but perhaps most important is the potential bedroom for Jackie's mother.

-Come on in, girls.

-It's big, isn't it?

-It is big.

-That's a fantastic size, isn't it?

-Uh-huh.

-And it's got its own en-suite.

-Oh, so it'll be good for Mum.

-Yeah.

So, yes, in a way, the best bedroom will perhaps be suitable for Mum,

cos not only does it have the en-suite, but also through there, there's another room...

-Is there?

-..Yeah, which has a sink, and it could be a sitting room,

-and there's access outside as well.

-That's good.

-Right.

-So it's like a little annex almost, isn't it..?

-Yeah.

-..With its own door.

-That's lovely.

-I'll let you explore this house on your own in a little bit,

because I know you're keen to see outside and what land is available.

-Are you ready to face the elements one more time?

-Yes.

-Jackie, after you.

-Thank you.

Outside the majority of the land is given over to stone-chip courtyards,

one to the front, creating a large driveway,

and another at the back of the property which could be grassed to make a more traditional garden.

-This is it. If you wanted additional acres...

-Right.

-..You'd need to try and find a local farmer,

-because this is the land that comes with the property.

-Right.

That's actually a shame, because I do think we would need a bit more land than this.

For the safety of the animals, we would need the land close to the property,

rather than sort of rented down the road.

Well, you've seen everything now,

and you realise this is the total amount of land you're going to get with the property,

which does bring us on to guess the price.

-Right...

-Who wants to go first?

-Er...

-I'll say about 325,000.

-OK.

-And I think about 275.

-Shall we go in the middle?

The asking price is...

-£295,000, and offers over.

-Right.

-Right.

-That's the starting point, but as we're in Scotland they say offers over.

-Yeah.

So we wanted to show you a property that did have a lot of space inside for you.

It does have sort of minimal land for your requirements,

but it gives you quite a lot of money to play with.

-The first property was over, this is quite a bit under your budget.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Just so that it gave you something also to think about.

-Yes.

-Yes.

Well, go and have another look around the property anyway.

-It's so cold and damp! You loved the house itself?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-And I'll catch up with you in a little while.

-OK, thanks, Nicki.

On the market for offers over £295,000,

this property is more than £50,000 under Fiona and Jackie's top budget.

This is a great space, isn't it? I think this would work well for Mum.

-Yes, it's fine.

-And that room is such a nice big room, it could turn into a bed-sitting room for her.

-Yes.

-With the en-suite bathroom. I think it works really well.

-Yeah.

The dining room would have been really good for an art room. Just the right size and the right light.

So that would be perfect, but of course the land which is the whole reason for moving,

or part of the reason for moving, there just wasn't enough land.

I felt it was a lovely-looking property, very traditional,

and it actually offered us, I felt, all that we wanted in terms of sort of annex potential for my mother,

and art room and studio...

but the sad thing was that it really doesn't have enough land.

-Right, girls, that's it for today.

-It's freezing out here!

-It is cold.

-I think it's time for a hot toddy.

-Oh, yes.

-That sounds great.

-We deserve it, don't we?

-Yes.

-Come on.

As the sun sets on the horizon, turning the sky crimson,

the first day of our property hunt draws to a close.

With a budget of £350,000, Fiona and Jackie from Lymington in Hampshire are seeking a Scottish sanctuary

for themselves, Jackie's mother and, of course, their menagerie of pets.

So far we've shown them two lovely period properties, but each time the amount of land has fallen short.

However, have we hit the jackpot at the mystery house?

-No way!

-You're kidding?

-You're kidding?

-No way!

And I get cold feet playing an Olympic Scottish sport.

Well, yesterday we got some very positive comments about both the houses,

but I can't help feeling we didn't quite deliver on the land,

something that's so important to Jackie and Fiona.

But today with the mystery house, well, land is something the girls certainly won't be short of.

I just hope they're not all at sea with the journey to get there.

Our final stop of this wonderful West Scotland house search takes us even further west.

The mystery property destination is Glenstriven,

and not only is it cross-county into Argyll,

but to get there you also have to go across the water.

The ferry departs from the port of Gourock and takes us across to Dunoon in Argyll.

-Oh, great! We're going on the ferry. Look!

-We certainly are!

-Got your sea legs?

-Yeah!

Bulk tickets purchased in advance start at just under £20 return for a car plus driver,

and there are at least two sailings every hour throughout the day.

This short ferry crossing offers the perfect opportunity to soak up the breathtaking views

and discover what our buyers think.

So how well do you know Argyll?

-Not very well at all.

-Jackie?

-No. Not at all.

-That makes three of us.

We're going to explore it together.

The mystery property in Glenstriven is reached by a 40-minute coastal drive

and our buyers have certainly had a lot of time to let their imaginations run riot.

So, ladies, I hope the journey's been worth it, because two steps forward...

we can now reveal your mystery house.

You can look up now.

-Wow! How fabulous is that?

-Ah!

-That is a dream!

-And then...

-Look!

Look at that as a view!

What a beautiful place, isn't it?

It's like heaven, isn't it? It's like heaven.

That's Loch Striven and we're actually in Glenstriven here.

So, Dunoon, which is where the ferry landed,

is about 12 miles away, so that would have two supermarkets, it's got a hospital, all your shops.

-This is your rural retreat.

-It's beautiful, isn't it?

-Absolutely beautiful.

-Just like heaven.

I think it's safe to say that the location has really captured their hearts, and it's no wonder.

The setting would be hard to beat.

The mystery house is very special too as it's a unique timber-framed home

that takes the idea of woodland living to new heights.

So, taking your eyes away from that amazing view for just a few minutes,

what do you think about the property itself?

-It's...it's nice...isn't it?

-Yes.

-It's very different.

-It's very, very different.

It is unusual. So you've got a dining area here, obviously, your seated area here.

You can see stairs going up and down which we'll explore in a minute.

-Again the house has been designed really with those views in mind.

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Just dumbstruck!

-I don't think houses like this come up for sale very often, do you?

-No!

-OK.

-It's fantastic.

-OK. All right, let's continue.

So, a fair size.

-Yeah, it's great. It's fine for us.

-Yeah, it is.

-We don't do an awful lot of cooking.

-No.

-You're such a refreshing change, you two!

-It's got a cooker and fridge and sink and that's all we need, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

And next door there's a large double bedroom

which you could use as a double bedroom or perhaps as a hobby room for art.

This property has three floors. On the top level is the family bathroom

which sits between two double bedrooms.

But I have a clever idea which could help our buyers realise a much better vision.

So...

-..here we have...

-Oh, my!

-..A very impressive master bedroom.

But, ladies, just go and stand by the window

-and tell me would this not make a fantastic art studio?

-Yes!

Gosh, yes!

Oh, gosh! I'd never come out of here.

So who needs an amazing bedroom when you've got a view like that?

It doesn't matter about the bedroom.

-This is...

-I'm declaring squatters' rights!

Definitely.

I would want to stay in here all the time.

-So this could be the perfect art studio for you?

-Mm-hm.

-Yes.

-Great.

Well, we've certainly set their artistic flames alight

with a stunning view that almost leaps into the room.

That just leaves Jackie's mum, so we're going to head down two flights of stairs to the ground floor

to see the last of the four bedrooms.

And in a way Mum has her own separate living quarters down here.

-That's lovely.

-This is lovely, isn't it?

-But what about the stairs?

-There's patio doors just through there.

-Oh, uh-huh.

You could actually build... There is a semi path outside from where the cars are parked,

and you could just make that a little bit more sturdy,

and then she could actually come that way,

and if she's ever in a wheelchair or anything like that, you could have access that way for her.

-She's got her own en-suite.

-Yes.

-Yes, she'd love that.

-And she can also sit outside.

-Oh, yeah, she'd like that.

-That's a bonus, isn't it?

-Yeah.

That wraps up the accommodation in here,

but I know they're desperate to get a feel for the outside land

and where better to take it all in than the huge first-floor balcony off the sitting room?

-And look at that! The Scottish sun has come out for us as we look at the land.

-Yes.

Guess how many acres you think this property comes with.

Er...about an acre maybe...?

A little bit more.

-A little bit more?

-A little bit more.

-One and a half?

Just under eight.

-Eight?

-Just under eight acres, but quite a lot of it is woodland,

-which means low maintenance. There's just under eight acres in total.

-My goodness!

That...that's more than enough.

So, for your little bit of paradise here in Glenstriven,

how much do you think this mystery house is on the market for?

-Ooh...

-I'd say about 550.

And I think maybe about 425.

Your budget is 350... Are you ready for this, girls?

The asking price

-is £265,000.

-No way!

-You're kidding? You're kidding?

-No way!

I wonder whether you two want a second tour on your own this time?

-Yeah, that would be great.

-Yes, please.

-OK.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-See you in a little while.

What can I say? What a fantastic reaction to the most amazing property...

with views like that on your doorstep.

Significantly under budget at...

I've never been over here from Greenock.

-I never thought about looking over this side, but it's absolutely magnificent, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-You've got the real beauty of Scotland, haven't you, here.

-That's right...

-It would be just beautiful to paint here.

-Mm-hm.

I thought it was absolutely breathtaking. I couldn't believe it.

The inside of the house had a nice sort of cosy feel to it, all the natural wood...

I couldn't believe the price, I thought it was virtually going to be double what the asking price is,

because of the location.

Well, I just couldn't believe it. I thought I was dreaming.

It looks like a cabin in Switzerland or somewhere like that.

And I'd never thought about that kind of house before to look at.

It's a bit of heaven here.

Couldn't dream of anything more, really.

Right, girls? All finished. So that's it.

-You've seen all three properties.

-Mm-hm.

-Have you enjoyed it?

-Yeah.

-Great.

-It's been wonderful.

-It's been a great experience.

-Have we got you thinking?

-Yes.

Well, we're going to need to find somewhere quiet where we can sit down and have a chat

and you can tell me whether you're going to be making that 450-mile journey

from the South Coast of England to live here in Scotland.

Right, come on.

The island of Ailsa Craig of the West Coast of Scotland is not just a sanctuary for seabirds.

It also quite literally forms the bedrock for one of Scotland's national sports.

It's the granite from this small island that's used to make over 70% of the world's curling stones.

But there's just one company, established way back in 1851,

that has the exclusive rights to manufacture Ailsa curling stones.

So during the week I visited the Ayrshire factory to meet director Donald Macrae

and find out more about the island's precious commodity.

So, Donald, Ailsa Craig produces the perfect granite to make curling stones,

but what's so unique about this granite?

Well, it may surprise you but there's actually two types of granite used in making the curling stone.

One, common green, which is for the outer cheese or body of the stone,

and that's found in the south of the island,

and the other is Ailsa Craig blue hone which is used for the running edge of the stone,

and that's found at the north end of the island.

I can see we've got two huge slabs of granite behind us.

How many stones can you get out of a size this big?

It's hard to answer that question.

Maybe if I say we took of 1,800 tons of granite over ten years ago,

and we use a yield factor of five-and-a-half completed stones each ton.

Only loose rocks can be harvested from the island as quarrying is no longer permitted.

And once the rocks are transported to the factory, diamond cutters bore through to create each stone

which is then shaped, polished and fitted with a handle.

The whole process is highly specialised with each completed stone weighing exactly 40lbs.

So, now I've done with the theory, let's see how good I am in practice,

under the guidance of Sarah Reid who once held the title of Junior World Curling Champion.

-So we're going to just push forward slightly, now you're going to bring your hips up.

-Yeah.

Back slightly and then just push off.

After a demonstration from Sarah, it's time for me to have a go.

In Scotland, the sport of curling dates as far back as the early 1500s.

It's a game of skill and strategy, rather than speed and strength,

so it can be played by all ages,

and involves two teams sliding their stones towards a target

whilst trying to knock their opponents' stones out of the way.

Looking good. You're going to take that one out.

I'm going to knock your stone out.

Well done!

-I've knocked you into the middle.

-Really good shot.

-Oh, I'm pleased with that one.

-That's good.

With origins dating back to medieval Scotland,

curling is now enjoyed throughout the world

and is officially recognised as a Winter Olympic sport,

and I can really see the attraction.

Well, I gave it my best shot, but I don't think I'm going to make the national curling squad soon, do you?

So that's it. Our tour of the West of Scotland is over,

but what did Fiona and Jackie think of the three properties we showed them?

Let's find out.

So we've finished our tour of the West of Scotland by the coast,

the beautiful Isle of Bute behind us. Well, shall we start with the very first property we showed you?

It was inland from here, in Renfrewshire.

-It was the old cottage.

-Mm-hm.

-It was quite quirky, it was very cosy.

It offered good accommodation for my mother,

-and for ourselves there was a question mark over the sort of studio/art room.

-Mmm.

The land... it had a small sort of area of land,

I think it was about an acre or so,

-and I guess that was the bit we were slightly disappointed with.

-Yeah.

-But a good start.

-Oh, yes.

-A good start. It was a really quirky house.

-Beautifully presented, wasn't it?

-It was.

-Lovely part of the world.

-Yeah.

So we decided to not take you too far to our next cottage which was just down the road, wasn't it?

It was five minutes away, still in the same shire,

-and again it was another farmer's cottage, dating back to what... 1688 or something?

-Mm-hm.

Give me your thoughts on that one.

-Well, it was a lot lighter which was good.

-Yes.

-Wasn't it?

And it was quirky as well.

And it had plenty of space for Mum and a lovely art studio of course... if you made the dining room into it.

But, of course, the disappointing thing was that there wasn't any land

-which is why we're moving up.

-It's that balance, isn't it?

Trying to find the property with the land for your budget as well.

Well, we came even further west and our mystery house...

-well, it was planes, trains and automobiles practically to get here, but worth the journey...

-Yes.

..For that stunning property. Well, that's what I thought. You tell me what you thought.

It was absolutely stunning, wasn't it? It was set in, what, eight acres of land

which was ideal for us.

Plenty of light in the property, very sort of cosy feel to it...

We really did love it, superb, it was dream house.

And this huge move from the South of England to Scotland is for retirement,

being close to your family, Fiona, spending time together, painting...

-and looking after your menagerie of animals.

-That's right.

And do you think the mystery house could satisfy all of that?

-Yes, I think it could.

-Yeah, yeah.

Yeah. It was so beautiful.

What's going to be your next step?

-We'll definitely be back to look at the mystery house again.

-Really?

-A second viewing.

-So we might have hit the jackpot, girls.

-Yes.

-I think you have, definitely.

-Let us know how you get on, won't you?

-Will do.

Thank you. It's been fantastic. I've enjoyed it so much.

-We have as well.

-We have as well.

-Have you?

-Yeah, it's been great.

-Yeah.

-Delighted. And even the weather hasn't put you off?

-No!

Result!

-Those views make up for it, don't they?

-They do, they do.

-Well, girls, thank you very much indeed.

-Thank you.

-Thank you, Nicki.

Well, I have to say it's been a real pleasure showing Jackie and Fiona this beautiful part of Scotland.

And it seemed when they opened their eyes, the mystery house captured their hearts

and the location? Well, it sealed the deal.

I really hope it works out for them and their new home is that amazing rural retreat.

Until next time, bye-bye.

After careful consideration, Jackie and Fiona decided that the mystery house was too remote,

but they're still set on making the move up to Scotland,

so we wish them all the best with their continued house search.

If you'd like to escape to the country

in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or England and need our help,

please apply online at...

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