Dumfries and Galloway Escape to the Country

200 years ago, this remote farm was home to a poet whose words

ring around the world every New Year's Eve.

Find out who he was, and where I am, in just a moment.

On today's show,

I'm looking to help one couple escape the rat-race and head

north over the border for the quiet surrounds of the Celtic countryside.

They feel right at home.

-Really cosy.

-Cosy. That's what I was thinking.

I can imagine being curled up on the sofa in the winter here.

And they find it all overwhelming.

-Oh, wow!

-Yes, it's very nice.

Today we're in Dumfries and Galloway, and it was to this

farm in 1788 that the poet Robert Burns

brought his young family.

And it's been known ever since as the poet's choice because

he wrote some of his most famous lyrics here,

including Auld Lang Syne.

The idyll didn't last very long, however, because he got

a job in Dumfries, because of money worries, three years later.

But he remembered the place with great fondness, and when you see

the beautiful landscape this county has to offer, you'll understand why.

Historically known as Dumfriesshire,

Dumfries and Galloway is bordered by five regions, including

Cumbria in England, South Lanarkshire to the north,

and Scottish Borders to the east.

To the south lies the Nith Estuary, designated a National Scenic Area.

And within it is found

the Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve,

which stretches for ten miles along the Solway coastline.

The River Nith flows through the town of Dumfries,

known as the Queen of the South,

and it was here in 1306 that Robert the Bruce

dispatched his rival, Red Comyn, to take the throne

as the King of the Scots.

To the north, the River Annan leads towards

the town of Moffat, gateway to the Moffat Hills.

The Southern Upland Way runs past the town

and forms Britain's first coast-to-coast walk,

running 212 miles from the Irish to the North Sea.

If you're after dramatic views, then head for the Devil's Beef Tub,

a refuge once used by rustlers to hide their stolen cattle

and a spectacle not to be missed.

Whatever you're looking for, this region has something for everyone.

If the words "rural" and "affordable"

are at the top of your property shopping list,

then Dumfries and Galloway could be the place for you,

because the average price of a detached house here is £184,000,

which is £68,000 less than the national figure for Scotland.

There are some expensive little pockets, for example,

the lovely village of Rockliffe on the coast,

or the foodie capital, Castle Douglas.

But if you go westward to the villages like Glentrool or Glenluce,

then you get a lot more bricks and mortar for your money.

Now, our couple today want to travel 400 miles to get

a slice of all this Scottish beauty.

So, let's meet them.

Elaine and Ian have spent the past nine years in Herne, Kent,

but feel that with Ian on the cusp of retirement, the time

is right for a change of pace, to pack up their bags for Scotland.

When we first moved here, it was very much a village atmosphere.

But it's got busier and busier.

We live on a busy main road, which is noisy,

especially in the summertime when you're sitting in the garden,

you can hear the traffic noise.

It's time for life to slow down in pace.

And a family connection lies behind their distant relocation.

It's always been one of my ambitions to,

when I do retire, to move up to Scotland.

My father was from Scotland.

I've got cousins that live up in Jedburgh,

and I've got a stepfamily that live in Annan.

The area they're looking at, played host to a major

event in their lives.

So, we decided to get married at Gretna Green,

in Scotland, Dumfriesshire, mainly because of Ian's family.

And we had a ceilidh band, people sat on straw bales with

Highland checked blankets, it was lovely. Really good fun.

The English met the Scottish... dancing. It was great.

-It was good.

-It was really... Would love to do it all over again.

Following the wedding, little beknown to us,

Elaine's parents moved back up on holiday to Carlisle a week

later and have now settled up there as well.

So, what are they looking for in their Scottish homestead?

The ideal property would be detached, on the edge of a village,

and whilst we're looking for most of the accommodation on the ground

floor, I do like a chalet bungalow, having a bedroom,

maybe a bathroom, upstairs.

Three bedrooms, four would be nice.

A reasonable-sized garden with some sheds and possibly a greenhouse.

I'm going to be retired,

so, I'll probably be more in the potting shed, hopefully.

It would be nice to have a stream running through the garden,

but there again, you know, you can't have everything.

The most important feature for me is the kitchen,

because one of my passions in life is cooking,

so to have somewhere that I can cook in and people can sit at the table

and talk to me and have a glass of wine or two...

-Or three.

-..would be lovely.

And Elaine's love affair with the kitchen isn't restricted to

dinner parties.

I love baking because it brings out the creative side in me

and if I've had a really hard week, it's a good way to de-stress.

When it comes to entertaining, Elaine and Ian don't always

follow convention, finding a novel use for their garden shed.

We've actually converted it into quite a little cosy pub.

The boys can get up there and watch the football

and be out the way of the house. Keeping the nest nice and tidy.

All that remains to be ironed out are the financial

details for their move north of the border.

The budget for the planned move is approximately £300,000.

Elaine and Ian would like us

to concentrate our search to the south, around Dumfries,

and within reasonable distance of Elaine's parents in Carlisle.

I met up with them on local soil to find out more about what

they're after in the property.

Welcome to Scotland, you two.

-Thank you!

-Thank you.

-You know this area quite well.

-We do.

We've been coming up here for many years now to visit family

and parents.

What about decor and decoration? Are you keen builders?

Yes. I just love that.

I love wallpapering, painting, and mixing colours.

Elaine has a very good eye for colour, I must admit.

And the majority of the paint in our house is commonly known as,

"Yes, dear."

I shall bear that in mind as we walk round the houses.

Which areas are you looking in particularly?

The area that we've specifically looked at at the moment is sort of

somewhere between Moffat, Dumfries and Carlisle, that sort of triangle.

-How much is your budget?

-The budget is £300,000.

-OK. But you are also quite keen on doing some work, is that right?

-Yes.

We would be happy to look at something that was less money,

say 240,000, that had some scope to be improved.

Well, we've got three lovely properties

and I think they are going to give you lots of food for thought.

So, no time like the present, let's go.

For a budget of £300,000,

Elaine and Ian are looking for a property on one level or possibly...

We have three properties to show them, and at each one I'll be

asking them to guess the price before I reveal it.

The final one will be a mystery house that sets them a challenge.

But before that, we're heading to the house that's first on our list.

Did you get married in a kilt, Ian?

I did, yes. In the family kilt.

-What clan are you?

-Clan Ranald, which is a sept of the MacDonalds.

Right.

So, you really are in the thick of it, the whole Scottish...

-Yes, I mean, I love Scottish music...

-The tradition.

-The tradition of Scotland.

-Celebration and tradition.

-So, everything is moving north?

-Absolutely!

We begin our property search close to the village of Waterbeck,

around 40 minutes east of Dumfries and 20 miles from Carlisle.

Surrounded by a pleasing rural landscape is the nearby

village of Eaglesfield, founded in the 19th century, which

provides the basic necessities, with a Post Office and general store.

A short distance away is our first property,

a sandstone country cottage set in splendid countryside.

-What are your first impressions?

-Very nice.

-Love the stone, and the location.

-Do you like the location?

-I do. Yes.

Stunning. Absolutely stunning.

Out in the country, open up the curtains, seeing the hills, perfect.

No traffic. Lovely.

The interesting thing about this property

is that it is actually an old property.

The front part was a byre,

sort of an agricultural outhouse,

from probably the end of the 19th century.

And this part, straight in front of me, is less than seven years old.

-It's blended in well.

-It has.

-Amazingly well done, isn't it?

-Shall we have a look inside?

-Yes, please.

-Let's go.

We're off to a great start with a positive reaction to the setting,

and I'm hoping the interior can match that

and deliver the space they need, as this is a property with potential.

This is the kitchen, obviously. Is this what you were looking for?

It's lovely. It's not cramped, the dining area.

You have an eating area in the kitchen.

-That's what you've always wanted.

-It's nice and light. Yeah.

And you've got quite a nice-sized utility room there with

-the white goods, and a door out into the back garden.

-Yes.

And then onto the drive, so you can bring your shopping straight in.

-That's really handy. Yeah.

-Well, after the kitchen...

and then into this room,

which I think is a really lovely room in this property.

This is lovely. I love the fire.

It was on our list, our wish list, so, yeah, that's really nice.

Beautiful views.

I think this is really the killer thing about this house.

-Such a lovely, warm feeling here.

-Yes.

-Cosy. Really cosy.

-That's what I was thinking, comfortable.

I can imagine being curled up on the sofa in the winter here.

So, that's your living space, the sitting room, the kitchen.

You have, well, effectively, two-and-a-half bedrooms.

OK...

This one's being used as the master

-because it has this en-suite toilet and washbasin.

-That's pretty.

-Very nice.

-They're not colossal, the rooms.

-No, no.

I'm thinking about storage. They have one wardrobe.

Realistically, how much storage do you need?

Probably more than certainly is in this room at the moment.

Perhaps Elaine's got it right with the chalet bit.

Perhaps we do need to go up as well.

Well, these are things, I mean,

I'll let you walk around and get the lay of the land.

But talking of land, let's look outside.

There is another generous bedroom, and a smaller room, currently

a study, which could be used as a small, single, third bedroom.

All are served by a good-sized family bathroom.

Lovely kind of 360 view, from here.

Well, this land around us doesn't belong to the property,

but the farmer, who is just across the way, is a canny chap

and realising that it was up for sale, has offered it up for sale.

-So, you would enjoy having that bit more land.

-Yes, I think we would.

Yes. It wouldn't go to waste.

Possibly, then also, that gives other opportunities with the house.

-You were thinking of maybe pushing out on one end.

-Yes.

-That sort of work requires money.

-Yes.

And we haven't talked about money.

So, what do you think this is on the market for?

-Difficult one. Without the land...

-Without the land.

-225,000?

-I was going to say 260.

-Well, in this instance, Ian, you were right on the money.

-Oh!

-225.

They've just lowered it to that price, so they probably

wouldn't go any lower, but that would give you a substantial chunk.

-It would, very much so.

-OK, well,

why don't you have a look around in the garden on the other side, check

out the bedroom, see if there's any scope for moving things around.

Thank you.

This single level cottage comes in well under budget at £225,000

and offers them three bedrooms, a kitchen-diner,

a large living room, the possibility to extend the property,

all in a rural location surrounded by stunning scenery.

We could have a conservatory.

Either from there or from over on this side.

We could really extend the garden right out. The setting is fabulous.

-The land has completely changed...

-Changed the view.

-Absolutely.

I like the style. It's a mix of old and new, which suits me,

it's got some character features, it's not just a square property.

The kitchen, for me, is a good size.

It's a very usable space and a sociable area. So, yeah,

I'd be very comfortable here. The issue for us is the bedrooms.

I really would like a third bedroom.

If we were to sort of be able to extend

and put another bedroom on,

then we'd obviously be eating into the garden.

But the potential of the extra piece of land, if we could gain that,

that would be absolutely perfect, because we could extend the garden.

I've always wanted to have a pond and be able to have

ducks on a pond and that would be absolutely ideal.

So, yeah, we could take this fence down...

Are you admiring your kingdom?

-Yes, very much so.

-Absolutely.

-Yes, it would be very nice.

So, you still think it's a little on the small side?

Slightly on the small side, but we'd like to investigate further as to

whether we could extend it to a third bedroom.

-Or you could go and look at another property.

-OK!

-We could.

-That's what I'm offering. Come with me.

-Thank you.

From acres of lush, green forest to sandy shores,

much of the countryside in Dumfries and Galloway

falls within Scotland's protected National Scenic Areas.

It also encompasses some of the country's largest

and most historic estates.

A fine example is the Caerlaverock Estate,

just south of Dumfries, on the Nith Estuary,

which covers 21 square miles

and includes a unique triangular medieval castle.

The Nith Estuary was once home to 18th-century shipyards

and before that, Viking settlers.

Mindful of Elaine and Ian's desire to immerse

themselves in Scottish life and culture,

we've arranged for them to meet the estate gamekeeper, Robbie Cowan, who

practises an ancient Viking fishing technique still used to this day.

-How long have you worked here for?

-I've worked here for 13 years now.

My father was working on the Caerlaverock Estate for 40 years.

And my great-grandfather was here 55 years before him,

-so, very much a family job.

-Goodness. Yes.

I've got a variety of roles, everything from habitat enhancement

to keeping the vermin down, obviously,

normal gamekeeping roles.

But then there's unique forms of fishing like the half-netting,

which we're about to try.

The half-netting dates back to the Vikings, believe it or not,

so it's been here for over 1,000 years.

It's actually not changed a great deal

in terms of the technology that's used.

We use modern string nets as opposed to... The Vikings used flax, a plant

that they rolled up into a twine and dipped into tar to preserve it.

But that would only last a few weeks

and they would have to make a new one.

We do wear neoprene waders now, which makes it a bit more pleasant,

especially in the water temperatures that we have today.

Shall we go and get some waders on and we'll get the river and see

-if we can catch a salmon?

-Love to!

-Love to!

-OK.

-Thank you.

Half-netting is a unique method of fishing,

using large, 18-foot framed nets.

Fishermen wade into rivers holding the nets in place,

a technique that demands great strength and patience

for keeping it steady as they wait for fish to swim into the net.

But it's a dying art.

In the 1960s, the Nith Estuary held 200 half-net licences,

but only 55 are issued now, due to low salmon prices,

low fish numbers, and exceptionally wet summers.

Just watch your feet when you're coming in with the net. That's you.

Perfect. One hand there, one there.

Keep it level and straight. That's you.

-Are you sure you've not done this before?

-Well...

Yeah. Aye, you're a natural. You're doing fine.

Elaine and Ian seem to have taken to the Scottish waters rather well,

but with nothing to show for their labours on this occasion,

it's time to put down the nets and continue with the property hunt.

We're travelling west towards Dumfries for our next

property offering, which lies in the hamlet of Shieldhill,

close to the town of Lochmaben, and about 33 miles from Carlisle.

Lochmaben is the nearest town, serving the local community,

with a variety of shops, cafes and pubs.

The town also offers an array of activities including tennis

and bowls. And sitting close to three lochs,

it also provides fishing and sailing opportunities.

Around four miles out of town is Shieldhill,

the setting of our second property,

a four-bedroom, chalet-style bungalow

surrounded by rural countryside.

All right! House number two, this is our offering.

I'm liking what I'm seeing at the moment.

Tell me what you're seeing, what's jumping out at you.

I like the high-pitched roof, it's obviously got character.

How old do you think the property is?

I would say it's probably not as old as it probably looks.

-Nine years old.

-Is it really?

-Yes.

It's a very modern property, very idiosyncratic,

and I think this is something that you might want to put your mark on.

-OK.

-That sounds good.

-Shall we look inside?

-Let's get in.

-Yeah, absolutely.

We're off to a flying start, and I'm confident the interior will deliver

on space, but whether it offers the wow factor remains to be seen.

-Aha!

-Ah!

-This is nice. Yes.

-That's intriguing.

It's surprising, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-That's really nice.

-Yeah.

-I like that.

It's a much bigger property, even than it looks from the outside.

-Is it your taste?

-Definitely, absolutely.

-We do like oak staircases.

-Yeah.

It's interesting, these pine floorboards, yellow pine,

-are actually salvaged from Glasgow tenements.

-Oh, right!

Shall we look in the kitchen?

-Let's do.

-Mm, yes, please, my domain.

So far, so good.

Now for the most important room in the house.

Are you ready for this?

-We're ready.

-Come on in.

-Oh...

-Oh! Right, yes.

Oh, wow...

It's very nice. Oh!

-Are you all right?

-It's... Are you welling up?

-She is.

-Wow!

Oh, Elaine, tell us what is it that's getting to you.

It just feels really... It's got a really good feeling.

Yeah, I mean, I can visualise all my bits in here and... Mm.

It's lovely, a really family...

-..family room.

-It's got a lot of what you wanted.

-It's got a lovely kind of gas range.

-Yeah, definitely.

Very nice wood, when you see the original wooden

island that's built in there.

And all those lovely workspaces for when you do your baking.

Well, that was quite a response to the kitchen.

But let's continue through to the sitting room. Hankies to the ready.

OK.

-Here's your sitting room.

-Nice and big.

-A beautiful size.

It's a nice space.

-It feels...

-Any reservations?

It's something about the fireplace, it's incredibly dominant.

-I think it might be the stones that I'm not too sure about.

-Yeah.

The thing about this house is I think it needs a bit of TLC.

And on this floor, we've also, there's also a small study.

And actually, on the other wing, because you have another wing,

there are two very-nice-sized bedrooms and a family bathroom.

-Right.

-OK.

-Which you can explore.

-But this is actually a four-bedroom house.

-OK.

-OK

Though, I think you'll find when you see the size of the bedrooms

-upstairs, you might think of it as an eight bedroom house.

-OK.

With such an emotional response to the ground floor,

let's hope upstairs can match that reaction.

-Oh, my goodness!

-It's big.

-Very big.

-Yeah. That's great! What a size. That's amazing.

And colossally bright.

I mean, the room is, it's a huge room, but it so well lit,

it's like a ballroom.

Fantastic.

-What would you do with all this space?

-Keep my shoes here!

Wardrobes!

So, this would be your walk-in wardrobe.

THEY CHUCKLE

There is another bedroom up on this floor,

I'll let you explore that at your own leisure.

But let's nip outside and let's think land and think price.

-OK.

-OK.

As we head outside, it seems that in terms of space,

the interior has well and truly delivered.

Along with a few unexpected tears.

The garden here is south-facing and over these fields, which

are not yours, but are just being used

for ponies and some Highland cattle.

There's a sort of ambivalence about the two of you.

I can't say whether you love it

and are keeping it under your hat, or...

I love it.

I think, for me, there's a lot of work in there. That doesn't faze me

because the structure is there, it's cosmetic.

It's going to need some imagination

in using that very large bedroom,

and how we would use that, and seeing how that could be developed.

So, you're saying it's too big?

Well, I must admit, it took me by surprise when I went in,

I never imagined having a room that size.

And then thinking, "Well, what can we do this?"

So, a very different offering from the house this morning.

What do you think it is in terms of price?

-I'm going to say 305.

-Ian?

I would probably go with, say, 245.

Well, it's not far off Ian's guess.

It's actually on the market for 250.

That's... very surprising. Very pleasing.

Well, why don't you go in and have a look because there's some rooms...

some rooms that you haven't seen which I think you might be

quite interested in.

-OK. Thank you.

-Thank you.

On the market for £250,000,

this nine-year-old cottage offers them the space they are

looking for, including four large bedrooms, two bathrooms,

a tear-inducing kitchen-diner for entertaining,

a large living room,

perfectly placed in the beautiful Dumfries and Galloway countryside.

Oh, no!

Nice!

I think I'll have this as my bedroom.

This is a much larger property than the last one.

More bedrooms, the extra bedrooms that we were looking for.

There's obviously some work to do both inside and out,

but that won't faze us at all.

Something, in fact, that we'd be quite keen to take on.

The kitchen is just the wow factor for me.

The size, the colouring, the style.

If I were to describe the kitchen that I want, this is it.

I was speechless.

The size of the bedroom upstairs, it's absolutely huge.

I'm not quite sure what we'd do with it,

how we'd fill it with furniture, but it's lovely.

The hills are really beautiful at this time of the evening.

-And really peaceful.

-It is peaceful, isn't it?

-Beautiful.

Well, we're done for today,

so time to rest and digest what you've seen.

-We will do.

-On we go.

-Thank you.

It's the second day of our house hunt in Dumfries and Galloway

with Elaine and Ian from Kent.

They have £300,000 to spend on a Scottish retreat.

Coming up, the mystery house gives them something to think about.

This is the selling point of the house, isn't it? Without any doubt.

And I find someone to fetch my slippers. Go back!

My reading of yesterday is that we slightly baffled Elaine

and Ian by giving them so much in property number two.

Elaine reduced to tears by the beauty of the kitchen

and Ian, I think, slightly overwhelmed or puzzled

by the amount of space inside the property.

So, for the mystery house, we're going to go back to the bungalow,

giving them something that I know that they want which is

location, but also throwing in another scary challenge.

This one about extensive remodelling.

In terms of the mystery house, where do you think we're going to go?

I think the two houses already have been a bit of a mystery,

so, the mystery house, really not sure at all.

It could be anywhere.

I'm wondering if it is across the border into Cumbria.

I don't know. Surprise us.

For our mystery house, we're staying on Scottish soil,

heading around six miles south to the outskirts of Dumfries

and 45 minutes from Carlisle.

The market town of Dumfries, set on the banks of the River Nith,

has been a Royal burgh since 1186.

The town is the regional capital

and also the final resting place of celebrated poet, Robert Burns.

His former home, now a museum honouring his work.

Our mystery house is a four bedroomed bungalow

in a peaceful setting, well-placed for the amenities of the town

and can test their appetite for taking on a refurbishment project.

So, you know you mentioned in your wildest dreams how

-you'd like a stream running through your house?

-We did.

-We did.

You have found us one.

So, we have been scouring Scotland to find you

a property in your budget that has a brook.

-It feels as though you're completely in the middle of a wood here.

-Yeah.

It's beautiful.

And the house, I think, well, originally from the '70s,

it was a holiday home and has been run as a holiday home ever since.

-But I do think you'll probably want to do a bit inside.

-Not a problem.

Don't mind at all.

Probably could be the house of our dreams, I don't know.

-This is music to my ears.

-Yes.

Let's hope the music continues as we step inside. Follow me.

The setting of the house more than delivers, however it's time

to cross our fingers and hope that they are a couple with the vision

for a project.

Come on in to the sitting room,

-which is at the front of the bungalow.

-OK.

That's a reasonable size.

I think it's smaller than others that we've looked at.

-Certainly smaller than yesterday afternoon.

-Certainly.

But it depends what else there is, doesn't it?

I like the fact that it's got a chimney breast and a fire.

That's good.

I think the thing to think about this house, is really,

if you can, just to think of it as a shell

-and, really, the ground plan you can re-jig as you like.

-Yes.

I think you'd want to think about this in terms

of maybe the kitchen/living room,

-because this flows on into the kitchen.

-OK.

So, I imagine you'll have a view about the kitchen.

Yes, it's not the biggest kitchen in the world, but I've had smaller.

But knowing what I know of you

-and how you responded to the kitchen yesterday...

-Yeah.

I was thinking that you'd probably want to sit down

and either reconfigure the whole house,

move the kitchen at the other end of the house or something,

or open up this space to make it a bigger...

Yeah. Yeah.

The footprint of the house is certainly bigger than

the first house that we saw,

but it's constellated for a holiday let.

Alongside this is a series of bedrooms which are all stud walls,

so you can move things around, you can knock this wall out

and make it one big square.

-It's a project.

-Yeah. But that's... That's fine.

Let's take a look at one of the bedrooms.

With the kitchen, bathroom

and two of the bedrooms separated by stud walls,

Elaine and Ian have a variety of options available

for reconfiguring the property EXACTLY how they'd like it.

-We've got four bedrooms.

-Uh-huh, OK.

-Two of them are good sizes.

There's this one and the one next door, which could be the master.

And then you've got two littler ones on the other side,

one of which could be a study, and a bathroom.

But I think the high point of the house for you guys

is probably this next room.

The scale of the project is becoming clear

but, so far, they don't seem fazed.

This...

..I think is going to be one of your key rooms.

This is nice.

-This is really nice.

-This could be nice as a lounge.

-Yeah.

And I like the idea of it's not a conservatory

with a glass...plastic roof.

Yeah, this is lovely.

This is the addition, this is what they put on.

This is the selling point of the house, isn't it, without any doubt?

Doors open, sun coming down, stream dribbling past.

I can imagine the nice light oak doors that,

sort of, pull completely back and open it up.

That's... That's, um... That's expensive.

Which brings us onto the question of price

because I can see that you've been, as you've been walking round,

-you've been knocking down walls...

-We've been spending it!

..reconfiguring things.

As I suggested, this is a complete remodelling, perhaps.

So, how much do you think this property is on the market for?

I'm going to say 199.

Ian?

-I think probably on the market for probably 275.

-275?

Wow, you've completely swapped now.

You've gone high, you've gone low.

Well, actually, it's somewhere in the middle.

-It's actually on the market for 225.

-OK.

But the vendors have made it clear that they're open to negotiation,

so you might get it for less.

Ah...

-That does leave scope...

-To do the work.

-To do quite a bit.

Through there, there's a kind of garage conversion,

a small room that's been converted.

A downstairs loo, and there's lots of little rooms,

-which I probably think you'd probably want to...

-Open up a bit.

..or reconfigure. So, why don't you go back down there

-and have a rummage?

-OK.

-Thank you.

-And I'll see you out the front.

See, that's why the mystery house is such a success

because it turns everything on its head.

And, in many ways, frees up lots of potential for new ideas.

Our mystery house falls well within their budget

at £225,000,

giving them plenty of cash for improvements.

And includes:

-Ah, the games room.

-The garage, converted. I see.

You could probably turn this into the pub, into the Nag Shed.

SHE LAUGHS

Really good idea.

Love the location here. It's absolutely beautiful

with the stream running through the garden

and the woods in the background.

We've always said it would be lovely to open the curtains up

and just look out onto a view like that. It'd be fabulous.

I think the mystery house has really given us somewhere

which challenges us in terms of renovating a property completely,

not just a cosmetic change.

Yeah, this is lovely.

Beautiful having a stream at the end of the garden.

-Are you admiring your bluebell woods?

-We are.

-Absolutely.

It's a lovely stream. It needs damming, though, doesn't it?

It needs small children to come and play in it.

Childhood dreams!

Good, OK, time to go and think about all the properties I've shown you.

-OK.

-Come with me.

-Great.

We've shown Elaine and Ian three properties

that have certainly got their minds thinking.

And if you, too, feel the call of the stunning wilds

of Dumfries and Galloway, then there's plenty of property on offer.

For those on an average budget,

you won't have to forego character in this area.

This detached, two-bedroom cottage renovation in Kirkpatrick Fleming

has a mix of period features and contemporary decor

and is on the market for offers over £240,000.

If you're looking for something a little different,

this rural area has its share of barn conversions.

This four-bedroom example in Kirtlebridge, with plenty of space

and rustic charm, is on sale for £339,000.

And if it's the immersive countryside experience you're after,

then this seven bedroom traditional country house in Moffat

could be the ticket. Restored to its former glory,

complete with equestrian facilities, it's priced at the £500,000 mark.

Through the centuries, Scotland's beautiful and stirring landscape

has been the backdrop for clans, battles, and titled families,

all of which have shaped the country's vibrant history.

Around 20 miles north of Dumfries,

overlooking the magnificent Nith Valley, is Drumlanrig Castle,

an impressive example of 17th-century Renaissance-style

architecture, built on the site of an ancient stronghold.

Home to the Dukes of Buccleuch

and Queensberry for the last 500 years, it played host to

Bonnie Prince Charlie on his retreat north in 1745.

I'm here to meet castle guide Ian Sutherland to discover

the story of this glorious pink sandstone palace.

-Who's this handsome chap?

-It's Chad.

-Chad, he's gorgeous.

-He certainly is, isn't he?

-So, tell me briefly about Drumlanrig.

Drumlanrig is the very last castle to be built in Scotland.

You're in the valley of the River Nith. And, in the old days,

it was used as an invasion route from the south right into Scotland.

So, in the past, we've had Romans, Vikings, Anglo-Saxons.

-Even the English have tried to invade this part.

-Heaven forfend!

And what the castle is doing is guarding the only good crossing

across the River Nith.

In fact, Drumlanrig is a bit like a cork in a bottle -

it tries to stop any army from getting further up the valley.

So, this is one of the best places you could possibly have a castle.

Even in the old days, the Romans, they had a fort.

We've got the fort in the grounds.

That is wonderful Scottish history.

But I am partly enchanted by this chap here.

So, what's his role in the proceedings?

The family is one of the first families to introduce these

-black Labradors into Britain.

-Wow.

Since that time, they've been used as gundogs.

-So, we have the Buccleuchs to thank for the Labradors?

-Yes, I think so.

How wonderful.

Ever since the fifth Duke of Buccleuch introduced

black Labradors from Newfoundland in the 1830s,

working dogs have been an important part of the Buccleuch Estates.

David Lisett, trainer at Buccleuch Gundogs,

has agreed to give me some tips on working with these handsome beasts.

What we'll do is, we'll start at the very beginning,

the recall whistle and the stop whistle.

The recall whistle would be "toot-toot-toot-toot-toot",

and, hopefully, he'll come charging in.

And then the break whistle would be one blow.

WHISTLES ONCE

WHISTLES REPEATEDLY

WHISTLES ONCE

WHISTLES REPEATEDLY

-Good boy. Good boy.

-Oh, so cute!

So, the next stage, we'll start stretching him a wee bit now.

David is setting Chad a memory task.

He'll launch a dummy bird across the lawn

and I have to tell Chad to remember its position.

Is there any whistle-blowing? Do I need to?

No, the only time is when he's gone

three-quarters of the way across there, just give him a...

WHISTLES ONCE

Just practise.

WHISTLES WEAKLY

No, you need to do it as if somebody's nicking your wallet.

WHISTLES ENERGETICALLY

Just enough.

-Right, here we go. That's it.

-Mark.

GUNSHOT

Before he retrieves it,

I send him off to look for a second dummy, already hidden in the bushes.

Go back.

ALISTAIR LAUGHS APPRECIATIVELY

Put the brakes on now.

WHISTLES ONCE

And then push him back. "Go back."

Go back!

-Lovely.

-Look at that, amazing!

-Absolutely lovely.

-Just the hand gesture did it.

-Just the hand gesture and your tone.

-Here we go.

-Should I do the "toot-toot-toot?"

-If you don't mind.

WHISTLES REPEATEDLY

Oh, superstar!

Look at that! Good boy, Chad.

Good dog.

Just line him up and pick the other ones now.

-So do I...

-Do the same again,

just put your hand down and point to where you want him to go,

-and say, "Go back."

-Sit. Good boy.

'OK, now, to retrieve the first bird.'

Go back.

-He's off like a rocket, isn't he?

-It's amazing! It's like a "doing".

-Like an arrow.

-Just because he loves doing it.

Do I need to do any of the things?

Once he's picked it up, just a wee recall whistle.

WHISTLES REPEATEDLY

That's what they're bred for all these years.

Good boy. Good boy.

-Well done, you.

-You're an absolute natural, Alistair.

I think HE'S an absolute natural. It's been a joy. Thank you so much.

It was a lovely experience working with Chad,

and I'm sure these beautiful dogs will be working alongside

future Dukes for years to come.

But now it's time to go back to our buyers.

Having spent a couple of days with them,

I've come to appreciate Ian's poker property face.

Although I think he rather put his cards on the table

when he guesstimated the price of the mystery house

so high above the market value.

When it comes to Elaine, however, I put my money on house number two,

largely because of her tears in the kitchen.

But let's find out which, if any, of the houses, are still contenders.

We began our little Scottish odyssey by a fire,

and we're ending it by a fire.

-I hope you've had fun.

-Definitely. Yeah.

It's been an absolute eye-opener for me.

I get the impression, and correct me if I'm wrong,

that number one is not so much of a contender.

It's all down to property number two and the mystery house.

But I'm very in the dark which of the two you prefer.

Number two or number three?

Number two is my favourite, in terms of the property.

But number three, it has to be the location.

What has to happen next

for you to make a decision, one way or the other?

I think, for me, I want to go back and see property number two

before we leave Scotland.

And I think I need to understand how property three can work for us.

It was a challenge, property three, in terms of what you'd have to do.

Absolutely.

I think probably an ideal would be if we could take property two

and put it into the setting of property three.

That would be amazing. And there you have the conundrum.

-Have you been surprised at what we've shown you?

-Very much so.

I really didn't think that we would get the amount of property

-that we've seen at those prices.

-It's been lovely showing you around

and I hope that you find your place up here.

It's really lovely to see you

coming to look back in your homeland, as it were,

and that one of the properties we've shown you comes up trumps.

-Thank you, Alistair.

-Thank you very much.

Looks like house number two

and the mystery house both still strong contenders.

And I have to say, I thought we did very well in Scotland

because we kept well under budget and offered Ian and Elaine

a lot more than they'd hoped for. A lot of space in house number two,

and super potential in the mystery house.

And with all this amazing landscape, you can understand

why they'd want to move here.

I hope you've enjoyed our jaunt through Bonnie Scotland.

Do join us next time for more Escape To The Country.

Having mulled over the properties we served up, Elaine and Ian have

since had a change of direction, discarding any notion of taking on

a project and opting instead for a new-build that's ready to move into.

And I'm happy to say they've had an offer excepted on a house

in Eaglesfield.

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