Scottish Borders Escape to the Country

So influential was the architecture and the owner of this building

behind me, that in 1867, when Queen Victoria came to visit,

she decided to redecorate Balmoral Castle in the same style.

Find out where I am,

and who the very imaginative owner was in just a moment.

On today's show, I help a couple who want to escape to the wilds to

find their ideal country retreat.

But from the start,

I'm kept on tenterhooks as to how they feel about the properties.

I'm smiling at you, Alistair.

I know. My heart sank when you first arrived.

And, when it comes to price, they do not hold back.

How much?!

-The Yorkshire..

-How much?

Today I'm in the Scottish Borders, and this is Abbotsford,

which was the home of one of Scotland's greatest writers,

Sir Walter Scott.

Completed in 1824,

on the proceeds of his very successful Waverley novels,

it was inspired by Scott's journeys through his beloved country,

and particularly its architecture.

Indeed, there are parts of some of the rooms

that he so admired built into the fabric of this home.

It was very influential in its time, and became the template

of what's known as the Scottish baronial style of architecture. But,

great stately homes are not the only thing

that the Scottish Borders have to offer.

As one of the 32 council regions in Scotland,

Scottish Borders flanks Edinburgh to the North,

Dumfries and Galloway to the West,

and the English counties

of Northumberland and Cumbria to the south.

An area of vast open spaces,

the Borders landscape sweeps across lush green fields and woodlands,

and rises to one of the area's best known landmarks, the Eldon Hells,

which are visible for miles.

Of these three heather clad summits, the middle peak is the highest.

Standing at 1,385 feet,

it commands a breathtaking view of the valley below,

overlooking the majestic River Tweed.

Flowing east across the region, and just into northern England,

this river is abundant with salmon and trout.

It has been a favourite spot for fly fishers since the 19th century.

97 miles long, the Tweed is crossed by the Kelso Bridge,

designed by John Rennie,

who later modelled London's Waterloo Bridge on this design.

And picturesque market towns include Kelso itself,

described by the novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott as "The most

"beautiful, if not romantic, village in Scotland."

So, with its strong identity,

impressive heritage and awe-inspiring scenery, the Scottish Borders

make a truly compelling region for aspiring escapees.

At the moment, property prices in the Scottish Borders stand at around

£250,000 for a detached house.

That's £12,000 more than the Scottish average,

but it's £30,000 less than the figure for England and Wales.

And if you go away from the commuter hotspots and the south of Edinburgh,

or around the East Coast mainline station at Berwick-upon-Tweed,

then your money will go further still.

So, where in this beautiful part of the world are our buyers looking to

move? Let's meet them and find out.

Retired builder Ken and finance administrator Carol

from Ilkley in West Yorkshire, have been together for the last 16 years.

Both have grown-up children

from previous marriages and they feel the time has come

for new adventures.

Well, we want to move now, because we're due to retire,

I'm already retired.

And we are looking for a more peaceful way of living.

It's definitely our time.

As Ken was a builder,

he and Carol completely converted their current home,

and are happy to take on a small project in the next.

This property was a little detached bungalow, but in a nice plot.

And we got planning permission and converted this property

into a beautiful four-bedroom detached house.

I'd like a little project, I think.

I'm fit enough to do...

Maybe not a full conversion, but a conversion.

Ken is also keen to have land with the next property to follow country

pursuits. Hooked on fishing,

he looks forward to spending more time along the rivers and streams of Scotland.

Carol is keen to pursue her own hobbies and they'll both come

together for country strolls with their dog.

We just love it up there.

It's just nice and peaceful,

and we found the people nice where we've stayed and been.

-Oh, it's a beautiful part of the world.

-Yes, it's really nice.

Today, they've seen numerous properties online,

and have been up to view a couple,

but they've always fallen short in some way,

and it's very clear that they have a lot riding on this move.

What do you say, it's... It's your...?

-Forever home.

-There you go.

-Forever home.

-It's going to be our forever home.

-Our next move will be.

-Yeah.

Our next move will be our forever home.

Ken and Carol are keen to live near the towns of Jedburgh and Kelso,

and their surrounding villages.

We are all meeting up at the magnificent Scott's View,

to delve deeper into their property wish list.

Welcome to Scotland, guys. Although, I think, actually, you, Ken,

know this area probably better than I do.

-You've been here a lot.

-I have, yes,

in the last 25 years I've been up here fishing

and enjoying the views and scenery.

Right, so is he dragging you here kicking and screaming,

-or willingly?

-Willingly.

It'll give us time to spend together,

and time for him to do his fishing etc.

And beautiful countryside.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-This is Sir Walter Scott's favourite view.

It is indeed, yeah.

Don't get much better than that.

So, tell me about the property that you want.

My idea would be a detached property.

Three bedrooms. Minimum of, probably, half an acre or an acre

of land around. The outskirts of the village would be very nice.

And views like this, if possible.

Are you on the same page with that?

There or thereabouts, yeah.

I'm not bothered about the land.

I'd like to be a bit nearer people,

I'm not quite ready for living in the middle of a field yet.

-Right.

-And I'm not bothered about a huge garden,

so long as there's room for table and a glass of wine,

it'll be fine by me.

And in terms of the actual style of the property...

There's various styles of property up here which we like.

Whether it be a or bungalow or a house, or whatever it may be.

I come from a building background,

so if there is a bit of a project there, that wouldn't be a problem.

A bit of a project.

What are your thoughts about a project?

I've told him, whatever we look at, he's not taking the roof off.

I don't mind knocking walls down, kitchen, bathroom,

it's got to be habitable, whatever we get.

And what's the top end of your budget?

Our top end of the budget would be £350,000.

Good. We can talk more about what you're going to do up in Scotland

as we drive around, but we've got three lovely houses.

Hopefully you're going to love them all. So, let's get in the car

-and go visit.

-OK.

-Fine.

With a budget of £350,000, they are looking for a detached property

that has at least three bedrooms.

Carol would like to be near a village,

and between half an acre and an acre of land would be ideal for Ken.

They are up for building project, so long as it's a small one,

and are hoping for a location with lovely views.

We've found three fantastic properties to tempt them

and at each one I'll be asking them to guess the price

at the end of the tour.

Our final destination is the Mystery House,

which will broaden their horizons,

being something they would not have considered before.

In a bid to start off the search in your preferred area,

we're beginning our tour in the rural village of Redpath.

Quaint cottages and converted crofts come in abundance here,

lining quiet country roads and sitting alongside the Leide River,

whose waters flow into the Tweed and to the nearby town of Melrose.

Dating back to the Iron Age,

this picturesque town neighbours the Eldon Hills,

and offers all the shops and amenities you'd need.

Just a short drive from here is the first property I want to present.

Back in the peaceful village of Redpath.

Here we have it, house number one.

What are your impressions from the street?

-Oh, right.

-All right.

It's semidetached, an older property.

-Yes.

-This could be the project.

Ah, you're pulling a very pained face.

-Hmm.

-Carol, it's not for you?

-No, don't like...

Not from the outside, I don't like the look of it.

What is it that you're not liking?

-The rendering.

-Well, that's a very Scottish thing,

there's barely a house in the whole of Scotland...

It's better than the grey blocks you get.

-Yeah.

-But it's OK, it looks all right.

-At least it's got a roof.

-It has got a roof.

It's a good roof as well.

Keep your hands off it.

Let's have a look inside and see if we can win you over.

-Yeah, looking forward to it.

-OK, then.

'Despite being semidetached,

'and not to Carol's taste on first impressions,'

'I believe this cottage has lots to offer.

'Dating back to the 1860s, it has been recently extended to the rear,

'and it comes with a beautiful classic country decor inside.'

Come on in. Let's go straight into this room.

-Great.

-I like that.

-Nice, isn't it?

-Lovely.

This is a lovely room because you've got the log burner.

There are two rooms with log burners.

And you've got the French doors going into the patio area at the back of the house.

-That's a nice room.

-First impressions, it's a nice room.

This is a lovely room, yeah.

Have you warmed up from the outside?

-Yes, I have.

-OK.

I'm smiling at you, Alistair.

I know. My heart sank when you first arrived. But a good feeling in here?

Yeah. Good feeling here.

-Let's go into the kitchen.

-Ah.

Small.

I think it's a decent size.

-No.

-Yeah.

-Carol doesn't.

The Cottage. Cottage kitchen.

Yeah. It's a cottage kitchen, yeah.

Good-sized dining table.

Yeah. And is this the only eating area?

Yes. So, behind us you've got quite a nice second sitting room,

which they have also used as a dining room.

-And then on this side you've got quite a big utility room.

-Right.

So, there are currently plans in

to knock the two rooms behind us through

-to make a big room at the back of the house.

-Right.

So, you could...

make this a big kitchen-diner, if you wanted.

-That's your project.

-Yeah.

-There's a project there. I like projects.

-You do.

'Along with giving Ken a project,

'there is also a ground floor single bedroom to throw into the mix.

'But I'm keen to see what they make of the three upstairs bedrooms.

'The first is a large double,

'and sits beside a spacious shower room.

'The second, again a roomy double, with painted floorboards.

'Which just leaves the last bedroom.'

-The landing is lovely.

-It's good, isn't it?

-Yeah.

So, this bathroom serves what they use as the master.

-There's a bath in there. OK.

-Oh, right.

-And a shower.

-That's a nice one.

-Yep.

And this is what they're using as the master.

Nice size. Double aspect.

-Good-sized room. I think this is a nice-proportioned house.

-Yeah.

-It's got good bones.

-Yeah.

Good bones, that's a nice phrase, yes.

So, I'll let you have a good sniff around upstairs a bit later,

but I want to show you the garden.

-So, the garden is not massive. Brace yourself for that.

-OK.

Despite initial reservations,

I'm glad they're beginning to see the merits of this immaculately-presented home.

As we make our way outside,

I hope we get more positivity when they take in the back garden,

with its established borders, raised lawn and patio.

What are your thoughts?

For me, the garden is about the right size I was thinking of.

Hedges, nice.

Just manageable to cut maybe once or twice a year.

Trees, yeah.

-I like the garden.

-For me, the garden's...

too small.

I don't quite get the raised level of garden.

How much do you think this property is on the market for?

Not much idea, but I'll say 265.

I'll say...

230-ish.

OK, so... This is where it might be a bit of a wake-up call.

This property is on the market for £340,000.

Right. That's a surprise to me.

So, maybe the market has moved up, or...

Or if the property is not right for you, you down-price it.

Quite. Anyway, that's an important part of the puzzle - the price.

So, you can stroll around the garden and have a look around the house again,

and I'll meet you out the front

-and then we can take you to the next one.

-OK.

-OK.

Just under budget at £340,000,

the price of this Victorian cottage may come as a surprise,

but it does come with four bedrooms and spacious living areas.

What's more, with planning permission to extend,

it could offer a potential project for Ken.

And whilst it is semidetached with a small garden,

it does have a lovely village location and community

that Carol might enjoy.

It looked quite nice from the front.

Little bit disappointed it was semidetached.

But very pleasantly surprised when we came inside.

I like the proportions of the rooms.

The garden...

a little bit too small for me.

When I came in, I liked the rooms, I liked the layout,

it's presented beautifully.

The kitchen, I thought on first appraisal, was a little bit small,

but then...it's warmed on me as it's gone through.

I quite like it.

-Right, guys.

-Yeah.

All done? If you pull the door behind you, we're going to head off

-to house number two.

-OK, that'll be fine.

Ken and Carol have been coming up to the Scottish Borders for many years,

attracted by its stunning scenery and great fishing opportunities.

And they don't come much better than the River Tweed.

Cutting across the region through villages and valleys,

it's the fourth longest river in Scotland, and boasts

the largest catch of Atlantic salmon

out of any river in the EU.

The River Tweed Commission oversees the welfare of this river,

and they in turn set up the Tweed Foundation

to protect and monitor the fish.

So, with our couple keen to cast off here in the future,

we've brought them along to meet assistant biologist James Hunt,

on one of his river surveys.

So, what is it we're doing today, James?

Well, we're going to go down the Leader Water there

and we're going to have a look at the numbers of juvenile salmon

that are in the river.

And what's the benefits of doing this?

It's to know the health of the river,

to check where there's good numbers of fish,

where there's not so many fish,

if there is anything we can do to improve the numbers of fish.

So, we are just looking for the tiddlers, I'm afraid, not the trophy hunting.

That is all we concentrate on, just the fry of the year, like that.

I'm a keen fisherman, salmon fisherman,

so how are we going to be catching these fish today?

Well, not the way you might think of catching them, with your rod and line.

-Right.

-So, we've got our battery on my back, our probe, and our earth,

and we'll go down to the river, and it's quite an amazing thing, really,

that you can pass a low current through the water,

and these fish will just appear, and then we're going to count them. There's no harm to the fish.

It's an established method that people are using throughout the United Kingdom.

You'll see that the moment you put them back in the bucket, they're going to be absolutely fine.

-There's a chance they'll come back and you'll catch them with your rod and line.

-Sounds good to me.

The technique James is using today is a scientific method

used throughout the UK called electrofishing.

They've been using it successfully at the Foundation since the 1990s

to count fish stock.

With waders on and equipment in hand,

it's down to the river bank to get today's survey underway.

Electrofishing is the only safe way of getting young fish out of the river.

And we're going to pass a very low current through the water

and give the fish a little tickle.

So the fish will only be affected just around the probe

and we're going to bring them down to here

and you're going to catch them with the net and then we're going to put them in the bucket.

Mainly it's the salmon we're looking for then, is it?

Yep. This place here is one of the most productive places in the catchment,

so, fingers crossed, I expect to catch lots of salmon here.

We want to make sure that there's enough young fish

that are going out to sea to come back.

So, I think we better get on, then.

-I think so.

-So let's have a go.

So, if you just want to put your net down, Ken.

And we're just going to pass a low current through the water here

and you'll see the fish are just affected in this area here.

-There's a fish.

-There you go.

By slowly working up the river,

a good sample of salmon can be collected.

Comparing these counts every three years helps to identify falls

in the fish and salmon stock

and provides an early warning system for any problems upriver,

which means they can be acted upon quickly before there's any marked decline.

We'll just try just here.

-There's a fish coming down.

-Another one.

-There we are.

-Do you normally catch as many as this?

Sometimes more, sometimes less.

But you always catch them?

It's like this pretty much anywhere in the catchment we go to.

Next it's back to the bank,

where the fish are transferred to buckets containing a mild anaesthetic,

which calms them before a closer inspection can begin.

Now he's getting a little bit more relaxed.

-There you can see...

-Oh, yeah.

-We can just measure him now.

-Yeah. 80 millimetres.

-Yeah.

So, if you're going to hold the fish, just wet your hands...

So, that fish will, if it's lucky,

it will spend another year in the river and then it will go off to sea

and then spend one or two years at sea and then come back.

Have you seen a vast change in numbers?

We've been doing this method since 2006,

and there is absolutely no measurable change in the numbers of fish.

Certainly on the Tweed, the salmon stocks are still very healthy.

So, here we are.

It's a big fish for this bit, but that's a salmon parr.

That's about 120 millimetres.

That'll be a year old, then, will it?

That's a year old. And that fish is just about ready to go off to sea.

Are you happy with the catch today, James?

Yes, there's absolutely nothing wrong with this site.

It's bang on average.

So, absolutely nothing to worry about.

After a satisfactory measure and count,

the fish are returned to the wild.

So, all you have to do is just... Yeah.

Just tip it into the water.

That's it.

-And then just lift them up.

-There you go.

There they are... off on their merry way.

With the fish heading off down the river, our couple head off as well,

and we turn our attention back to the property market.

For our second property,

we're moving further north, to the market town of Lauder.

This royal borough is a town steeped in history,

written all over its traditional architecture,

most notably in the town hall that was once a tollbooth

where traders paid rent.

Today, the town offers many essential facilities,

and it's the gateway to the surrounding Leader Valley,

where walkers can reach its most famous landmark, Thirlestane Castle.

Sadly not house number two.

It's a little bit out of your budget, this one.

I make no bones about it. But...

It is your neighbours, in fact.

-Right.

-Have you ever been here before?

-No.

-Never.

And you can see here very clearly

how Scotland used to be allied to France - the Old Alliance.

Because it's almost like a French chateaux.

-It is.

-Yes, it is, yeah.

'It's been owned throughout history by one of the most powerful and

'distinguished families in Scotland - the Maitland family -

'who later went on to become the Earl and then Duke of Lauderdale.

'Over generations, the castle has been extensively remodelled

'and is now open to the public.

'And neighbouring the castle, nestled on a hillside,

'we find our second house.'

This is property two.

Right. Much better.

-Much better?

-Yes.

-Oh, phew.

-Yes.

I like the position, I like the...

the shape of it. The outside is lovely.

-Very detached.

-Yeah. Very detached.

Ken, what are your first impressions?

Nice. Detached property.

Nice area, by the look of it.

Surrounded by green fields.

-It's looking the part.

-Yeah, it's looking good.

-Shall we go?

-Yes, thanks.

'That's more like the first impression I was hoping for.

'Built in 2002,

'this detached home has been designed with contemporary living in mind.

'Outside, it has an impressive facade, stunning views,

'and well-stocked gardens.

'We're going in via a side door.'

So, this is the big surprise.

Oh...

-Right.

-Oho!

-Speechless, I think the word is.

-Ha-ha!

And no face, this time, Alistair.

No face.

-Smiles and speechlessness.

-Only a smiling face.

-This is...us.

-Is it?

-Yeah. This is perfect.

Ah, that's such good news.

Yeah, this is absolutely spot on.

Lovely big inch-thick oak floorboards throughout.

-High ceilings.

-High ceilings.

-Very high spec.

-Yep.

-Spotlights, lovely.

-And then you've got, behind you, you've got a little utility room for your white goods.

-Yeah.

-Right.

You've got this rather nice five-sided sunroom,

which pushes out into the valley

and maximises the view.

I think the rooms look great.

Yes. The space is amazing. I love it.

I think this is a winner.

'The ground floor has certainly delivered so far.

'It's smiles all round.

'And there's a WC and also an office to boot.

'I just hope it's happy faces upstairs, where there are three bedrooms.

'Two are light and bright doubles, currently set up as twins,

'but both share the use of a fresh, modern bathroom.

'And we've saved the best till last.'

Oh, everything's so clean and smart in this house.

This is the master.

-Very nice.

-Cos you've got the lovely views...

-Yep.

..right over the fields. So that's the morning sun that comes in there.

And through here, you have a dressing room, wardrobes, and an en suite.

-Good size of room again.

-Yeah.

-Nice big double.

-It's lovely, fantastic.

-Double aspect, great.

-High ceilings for you.

-Good ceilings.

You don't need to take the roof off.

We like the minimalistic look, don't we?

-Yeah, we do. Yeah.

-They're selling it to themselves.

Yeah, we are. We're trying to justify that we...

we like it so much.

You don't have to. It's wonderful that you like it.

-Outside, you can just see through, there's this huge garage...

-Yep.

-Yep.

-..which has a mass...

I mean, it's a double garage and a workshop downstairs.

-Really, man cave.

-Right. Very useful.

And upstairs it's all boarded, so you could easily get,

sort of, a guest suite up there

-or just a games room or a study or whatever you wanted.

-Right.

But I want to show you the garden,

because I know that it was a sticking point with the last property.

And the garden could easily make all the difference when considering

that all-important price.

Back downstairs, the double doors take us outside.

So, the garden is not massive.

But you can see, it's got this rather nice effect,

it's just a wire fence.

She did that so that it feels like

it just flows out into the fields around.

Because, actually, this land around you,

this rough land, is owned by the farmer.

It's lovely. The perfect size for me, is this.

-Right.

-Yep. Spot on.

Patio for my glass of wine.

It's your manageable garden.

My manageable garden. I can potter about in the hedges.

-Yeah.

-I think the location is fantastic.

-Oh, it's beautiful. Can't fault it.

What do YOU think about the garden, though?

Well, it's a bit too small for me,

but with all this open space and fields around,

I'd try and do a deal with the farmer, I think.

Right, yeah.

This is a nice property.

Yeah, you've done well here, Alistair.

What do you think it costs, though?

Mm. I'm going to say...

370.

I'll go five grand above that, 375.

OK, so this is over your budget.

I'm afraid it's actually on the market at 380.

And I know that is over your budget,

but we couldn't resist showing it to you because it's a standout property.

-Absolutely.

-Definitely.

And you can perhaps negotiate.

-Yeah.

-If there's any slight room for negotiation there,

-then we're in with half a chance.

-Yeah.

-Well, food for thought.

-Yeah.

-Yes, definitely food for thought.

-Do have a look around,

have a look in the garage and just stroll around

and see if you can get a feel for it,

and I'll meet you out the front.

-OK.

-Right.

-Thank you.

-Off you go.

Oh-ho!

It's a winner.

If they can, you know,

squeeze the budget so that they could afford it,

I think it could be the perfect house for them.

Granted, this detached house is over budget,

but it's impeccably presented,

needs no work and is ready to move in.

It not only comes with a kitchen-diner

and open-plan living,

but separate spaces for Carol's crafts as well.

And although it doesn't have

an acre of garden

or a village location,

it does have wonderful views

and a river close by.

Yeah, wow.

It's a winner as soon as we walked down the drive.

Everything's going for it.

I think it's a great layout.

The rooms flow from one to another,

they're all of good proportion,

and, obviously, well maintained.

It's a beautiful house.

Well, as soon as we came on the drive, it were like...

loved the look of it, the location, the situation,

the space round it.

And then, when we came inside it, were...

Well, I were speechless. I really did have our lump in my throat.

I thought, "This is just what we were looking for

"and we were hoping to find."

I can't say any more than that. It's...

I'm just lost for words.

Hello, guys. You're all done?

Yeah, all done, and still smiling.

-Still smiling.

-Yeah!

-Tugging at your heartstrings?

-Yeah, absolutely.

-Great prop.

-Let's...

Let's get a little distance from the property so you can digest,

and we're all done for today, so...

-Fantastic.

-..you can have a rest.

-Very good.

It's the start of our second day in Scottish Borders,

with Ken and Carol from Ilkley in West Yorkshire,

who have a budget of £350,000 to spend on a three-bedroom house.

Still to come, their reactions to our mystery property are written all over their faces.

-Certainly a mystery.

-Mystery.

Yeah. And I'm smiling at it still.

Oh, I caught your resting face before you came in here.

It wasn't looking so impressed.

And I learn about our traditional textile

that's definitely not run of the mill.

I've just noticed.

-Well, this is...

-We've got our own tweed!

Beautiful, summery Scottish day here for day two of our property search

in the Scottish Borders. And, I have to say, we're in a slight dilemma

because the Mystery House was meant to solve some of the problems

that house number two threw up.

But, actually, Ken and Carol totally fell in love with house number two,

even though, in some ways,

it didn't give Ken a big garden

and it didn't put Carol right next to a community.

So, the Mystery House gives them that, but in a slightly different combination,

cos it's very rural and there are definitely neighbours.

What are you thinking about the Mystery House?

Neither of us have any real idea.

After yesterday, I don't know what you can throw at us now.

I think...

..something converted, I would have thought.

Uh-huh.

I'm guessing, maybe an older property, as well?

Barn conversions.

-Not that keen on them, but I've never looked at one.

-Right.

For our mystery property, we are heading to the east of the region -

five miles from the coast - to the village of Duns.

Formerly a market town,

for centuries Duns was the focus of the local farming community,

who came from miles around to sell livestock here in the square.

Now marked with a monument - the Mercat cross -

to represent its borough status,

there are plenty of shops to cater for everyday needs.

It's also surrounded by great dog walking country that takes you along

woodland paths and open hillsides,

passing the River Whiteadder on your way.

And it's out in this super-remote setting,

surrounded by miles of fields,

that we come to our final property.

So, the Mystery House.

Oh, right. It's certainly a mystery.

-A mystery.

-Yeah.

And I'm smiling.

Oh, I caught your resting face before you came in

and it wasn't looking so impressed.

It is a conversion.

-Right.

-And I know that you said you would never look at a barn conversion.

-Well, because I've never been in one.

-Right.

-There's always a first time.

-You haven't written it off?

-Is...is...

-No, I certainly haven't written it off.

-..this the front garden, or is it...?

Yeah, this is all yours. So, all of this...

all of this is.... Again, it's about a quarter of an acre plot.

A lot of it towards the front or the back, however you want to see this.

-Mm-hm.

-The thing about it is that we thought

this is perfect because it gives Ken exactly what he wants

because we're miles from anything,

but you've got built-in neighbours.

-Yep.

-Yeah, so best of both worlds.

-Well, that's what we thought.

-Yeah.

What do you think of it in the flesh?

I like it. From the outside, it looks very nice.

Be interesting to see the layout inside

and how much there actually is of it.

-Well, you're only seeing the, sort of, side of it, really.

-Uh-huh.

-Good, shall we look inside?

-Please, do. Yes.

-Yes, please.

'It's a great reaction for our Mystery House - a barn conversion.

'One in a group of 11 other properties.

'This former farm building,

'built in Blackrock stone and set in the middle of the countryside,

'definitely offers them something different.

'And it comes with all the rooms they're looking for,

'all on one level.'

In you come.

It's the kitchen, obviously.

Plenty of base units and wall units.

Yeah, they've just put this in, actually.

The present owners redecorated this whole entrance area.

They sort of.... There's a utility room,

and then there's a, sort of, downstairs closet.

And then they, sort of, redesigned the kitchen.

-No, it's a nice, big enough kitchen.

-Nice and private.

I'm pleasantly surprised about this.

Height of the ceilings as well.

They're very big, tall ceilings.

I mean, the thing is, as you've probably guessed,

this is a mono-level dwelling.

-Yes.

-So there is no upstairs.

So all the...all of the space of the building,

-right up into the pitch, has been taken...

-Right.

-..for ceiling height.

-Yep.

So, a good vibe from this room?

-Yeah, good vibes, yeah.

-Yeah, this is a plus in here, as well.

-Yeah.

-The...

-Little table.

-..dining area.

-Yeah.

So, that is the actual...

That is, there isn't a formal dining area,

-although there is space next door to put one.

-In there to put one.

-Let's have a look.

-OK.

-OK.

Another big, long room.

-Oh, yeah.

-Oh, yeah.

-It's quite nice.

I know that you like the open,

-but some people prefer to have the kitchen a little separate from the...

-Yeah.

..their, sort of, living space.

I like either, it's... They both work, for me.

It's a good-sized room, is this.

It's a nice room.

Yeah, I think the dining room needs to be at the centre, straight from your kitchen.

-The same again, if you're dining...

-Yeah, dining area.

If you're dining on a Sunday, you can have the doors open.

What really impressed me is that actually, the next wing, if you like,

is also... It feels very spacious.

-Let's have a quick look there.

-OK.

From the large living room, a door leads into one wing of the property,

where there's a long corridor with three bedrooms and a bathroom off it.

The first is a neat double, with recessed windows.

The second is similar, but is currently set up as an office.

Next to that, is the family bathroom suite.

And at the very end, we find the largest room.

It's a long corridor, isn't it?

-It is, yeah.

-See what I mean?

-It is a long corridor.

It's like a long wing of the house.

-And this is the master bedroom.

-Yeah.

-Lovely, big wardrobes.

-Wardrobes, yeah.

Deep, deep wardrobes.

And then an en suite. So, it's...

It's an interesting offering, I think.

-You know, it's...

-It is, yeah.

-It's nice, yeah. Very nice.

Let's go out in the courtyard and talk about price.

'Heading outside, we come to the courtyard and the opposite wing.

Here, there's a carport, accessed from round the other side,

and also a fourth double bedroom with its own en suite.

You get the...the full scope of the C-shape.

So, that's where the sleeping quarters are.

-That's your living quarters.

-Yep.

And this is a fully functional annexe.

-I think the conversion's a cracking conversion.

-It's beautifully done, isn't it?

-Yeah.

It is, yeah. The courtyard works for me, as well.

It's private, you're getting the sun.

-A nice place to sit out of an evening.

-It would, yeah.

How much do you think this one's on the market for?

I think it's probably just slightly under our budget.

Maybe £500 under.

I'd say 355,000.

OK. So, interestingly, this property

is on the market for £5 under £315,000.

-How much?

-Go that again?

How much?

-The Yorkshire...war cry.

-How much?

The Yorkshire war cry. Right.

So, get inside and have a think.

Because now you've got the price, that puts some...

-Yeah.

-..rocket fuel in your thoughts.

-A fresh look.

-Have a look inside.

-OK.

Mystery House triumph!

They loved house two, but now they might love the Mystery House more.

On the market just shy of £315,000, our Mystery House -

a four-bed barn conversion - has really thrown them a curveball.

Considerably under budget,

it has all the requested rooms

wrapped around a quaint, sunny courtyard.

And although it may not have the half acre plot Ken wanted,

it does give him his rural dream,

with a community of neighbours not too far away for Carol.

This Mystery House really was a Mystery House for us.

Great property, complete surprise.

I like it very, very much.

The living quarters, and the kitchen, I think they're quite doable. They're quite nice.

The outside space is good.

With all that lovely grass at the front, you know, and the views,

why would you not like it?

That was a good Mystery House, huh?

Yep. Very good, yeah.

Let's find a spot where we can gather our thoughts...

-and have a cup of tea.

-Sounds good.

The largely rural landscape of Scottish Borders

belies its once industrial past,

centred on a booming textile industry.

All of a piece with this rugged landscape,

tweed cloth was developed as an material for outdoor clothing.

Many of these tweed mills have closed,

but some have stood the test of time.

Particularly Lovat Mill, in Hawick,

which dates back to the 1880s.

Today, I've come to meet one of the two current owners, Stephen Rendle,

to find out more about this local textile.

-Hawick is the home of tweed, isn't it?

-It is indeed.

In fact the word "tweed" basically sprung from Hawick,

and indeed, from commercial roads in the street we're in today.

So it's not from the river?

No, not at all. It's actually a mistake.

It kicked off because the local cloths that were made were called tweels,

and this is referring to the twill weave.

There were woollen cloths - they were quite heavy -

and they were made by a number of mills around here.

But one particular mill owner, Willie Watson,

sent down a consignment of tweels to London and somebody misread the

copperplate L at the end of the word for a D.

And when they reordered, they reordered six bales of tweeds, not tweels.

Thinking, "Ah, I can't read it,

"but maybe the River Tweed's up there."

Willie Watson kept the name, and the word came into common use.

For centuries, tweed has been the material of choice

for renowned estates, landowners and regiments.

Linking the fabric to the land,

each tweed comes with its own unique pattern and design.

This is the estate tweed book.

This is the tome. For example, Cawdor estate.

Cawdor, from Macbeth.

Indeed, yeah. Now, important to this is to get the colours right.

And mills traditionally had their own colour mixtures

and these were very much the DNA of each individual mill.

Here's an example.

-Gosh, the colours are so bright.

-They are extremely bright.

-Do those goes into a tweed?

-Extremely bright.

These are real core colours.

So, what would happen would be,

you would take individual bright colours.

Now, these tufts are then blown and mixed together.

And then carded to become this sort of colour mixture.

But of course, this is spun into a yarn like this,

which in turn becomes the weft yarn of this tweed.

-Ah, I see.

-And you can see there.

Oh, wow. Yes, cos you can see all the colours in it.

Now, that richness you see can never be copied by someone who is trying

to do it on the cheap with two or three colours.

And that's the sort of gift of Scottish tweed makers and Scottish designers.

Can I go and see this being made?

Yes, indeed. I think the next thing to do

is to take you down to the looms and let you see how it goes.

And I think you may find an interesting tweed downstairs.

'Tweed is still made in traditional styles,

'but the original machinery has now been replaced with more modern technology.

'Some of the yarns the machines weave here are still sourced from Scotland.

'It's on the factory floor where I'm meeting the co-owner Alan Cummings,

'to find out about the weaving process with one very special cloth.'

I've just noticed.

-Well, this is...

-We've got our own tweed!

This was something we thought might be interesting to you.

We put together a little something for the Escape To The Country Tweed.

So, do you approve?

Oh, totally. It's gorgeous. It's gorgeous.

The actual construction of this tweed is very typical.

Essentially, the vertical threads are the warp,

and then the threads you have coming in from left to right are the weft.

-Right.

-So, warp, weft.

-Yeah.

-And that principle goes back hundreds of years.

Each thread is threaded through a hethel on a shaft, OK?

And the order in which those threads are lifted

-dictates what the weave will be.

-Yeah.

-Can we see it in action?

-We certainly can.

'This cloth is made with a simple tweed construction,

'which gives the weave its distinctive diagonal pattern and design.

'Once the tweed is completed, any imperfections are removed,

'which is where expert darner Margaret Thompson steps in.'

So, this is ours?

So, is it very good quality, this one?

Very good quality.

So, these ladies inspect every inch of cloth,

and where there is a fault, they will take the weave back to a point

where they can re-weave it

and take out the fault.

So, who... So, let me just...

So, you've just found a fault...

-Yeah.

-..and then unthreaded it back a bit.

Yeah. To make a darn bigger.

Oh gosh, so you're going to thread that back in?

I'm going to thread it back in.

So you get it completely lined up?

-Yeah.

-That's amazing.

Brilliant. What a wonderful set up.

And thank you so much for making this for us.

-It's really great.

-No problem. I hope you'll wear it with pride.

'What a fascinating insight into the making of tweed,

'and it's lovely to see the legacy of Scotland and Escape To The Country

'woven into a traditional pattern and design.'

12 hours ago, I would have bet all the tea in Yorkshire

that Carol and Ken would have gone for house number two.

100%. No doubt.

But the Mystery House really seems to have done its job,

and stirred everything up.

Ken was really in love with it.

Not so sure about Carol, and usually you can read Carol's emotions a mile off.

So let's find out what they really think.

Wow, we found a lovely place.

How has the week been?

-How's it been for you?

-Amazing.

Absolutely amazing.

-Great.

-An absolute blast.

Tell me, what has been the result of our week's house-hunting?

Out of the three contenders, I think we found a good two.

For me, it is number two and number three, being the Mystery House.

But for you, Carol?

Yeah, I'm the same.

But I'm... Number three doesn't hold anything from me at all.

-Right.

-It's a very nice house, but I couldn't see myself living there.

But number two, I didn't want to come away yesterday.

-I'm guessing that we're going to go for house number two. Is that the favourite?

-Oh, yeah.

That's...that's still my favourite...

-Good.

-..by a mile.

Yeah, by miles, yeah.

And what is it that you like about that house?

The positioning, the elevation, the view.

And inside it were just such lovely clean lines

and just our kind of thing.

-And are you on the same song sheet?

-Yes.

The land was an...an issue for me.

But, surrounded by farmland,

there may be a little move there where I can have a chat with the farmer.

possibly rent, or even buy.

But the house, itself, a beautiful house.

Perfect for us.

I love to hear that on a show, that's so great.

Yeah, we just hope we can pull it together.

And what happens next? What's the very next step for you?

Well, we've talked about it all night, just about

and we've done some number crunching and it was slightly above our budget price.

But nothing is impossible,

and maybe a little bit of wiggle room there and it could be our -

as Carol would say - our forever home.

If everything goes to plan, which I hope it will, and you move in,

what are the things you're most excited about moving into that property?

Just sitting and relaxing and enjoying it.

Just enjoying it. I could have sat in that window yesterday all afternoon

and not come home, just sat there.

It's been a tremendous joy showing you around. You've really been great.

And I love the fact that we may have found...

-Yeah.

-..a house that makes you happy.

-So, all the best.

-Thank you very much.

-Make it happen.

If anybody can, I'm sure you two can.

Oh, we can. If it's possible, we will make it happen.

I always love going up to Scotland,

and it's particularly lovely to come up in the company of such a great couple.

Don't you think Ken and Carol deserve happiness?

They deserve to find a place where they can crochet and sit

and fly fish and relax in their retirement.

So, I hope they make it happen and I hope that you join us again for more

Escape To The Country.

Ken and Carol are still very keen on property number two,

and have followed up by putting in a note of interest.

We hope they do manage to seal the deal and wish them the very best.

If you would like to Escape To The Country

in Scotland, Northern Ireland,

Wales, England, and need our help,

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