Scottish Borders Escape to the Country

Welcome to Escape To The Country.

Now, it is said that amongst these beautiful ruins is buried the heart

of one of Scotland's most celebrated heroes.

But who was he? And why was his heart buried here?

Well, join me in just a moment and I'll tell you.

Today's search is all about the great outdoors,

as we scour the Scottish countryside in search of the perfect plot.

-It's incredible.

-It's an absolutely stunning view. It's amazing.

And along the way, we find some pretty impressive properties, too.

This is way more than we expected.

Hugely!

Good. Well, start with a bang, why not?

Well, today, we are in the Scottish Borders, and this is Melrose Abbey.

And this stone, many claim,

marks the spot where Robert the Bruce's heart was buried.

The story goes that back in 1329, when on his deathbed,

he asked that his heart be taken on crusade and then returned here to the abbey.

And the inscription on the stone -

in my rather bad pidgin Scots - reads,

"A noble heart may have nane ease gif freedom failye."

Or in today's language,

"A noble heart cannot have peace if freedom is lacking."

Now with some 700 years of history beneath my feet,

I will be back here later in the programme to learn more about Robert the Bruce

and the wonderful surroundings of the abbey itself.

The Scottish Borders is one of 32 recognised councils in Scotland,

sitting south of the city of Edinburgh

and north of the English county of Northumberland.

Once a region of conflict and warfare,

today the Borders is a land of peaceful, picturesque landscapes.

Running 97 miles across the region to its mouth at Berwick-upon-Tweed,

the River Tweed ranks as one of the top salmon fishing rivers in the

world, attracting visitors from far and wide.

Crossing the river near Melrose is the prominent Leaderfoot Viaduct,

recognisable for its striking height of 125 feet and its 19 arches,

each spanning 43 feet.

First opened in 1863 to carry the Berwickshire Railway,

it was closed following flood damage in 1948,

and is now protected by a Grade A listing.

Six miles away, sited high on a rocky outcrop,

the rectangular Smailholm Tower was built for defence in the 15th century,

and is said to have inspired the writings of novelist Sir Walter Scott as a child.

Its position offers visitors splendid views of the surrounding countryside,

including the distinctive heather-clad summits of the Eildon Hills,

one of the area's best-known landmarks.

And a must-see for those exploring the awe-inspiring landscape of the Scottish Borders.

Well, I always enjoy coming to Scotland.

There is a palpable romance about the place.

Its landscape, its history and of course its people,

all contribute, to me, to an intoxicating mix that makes the whole place

absolutely adorable.

And for all of this beauty,

you may be surprised to learn that property prices are remarkably affordable.

Here, the average price of a detached property will currently

set you back around about £234,000.

And that compares very favourably with the average across the UK as a whole,

which at the moment stands at a whopping £313,000.

So as you can probably appreciate,

this is a part of the world where those precious pounds really can be

converted into acres,

which is exactly why today's buyers want to move here.

Horse riding instructor Sarah and account manager Colin met 18 years ago.

Since they have been together, they have moved five times.

Currently we live in a village called Waresley, in a small semidetached thatched cottage,

just outside Cambridge.

It is commuter belt for Cambridge, Bedford.

The traffic around here is quite busy,

so it can appear fairly rural until you live here.

Since we have been together, every three years we seem to move.

We started in the West Midlands.

We moved to the Fens, we moved here.

We moved to the States and back here again.

And we have another move on the cards.

They have owned their current home for 11 years,

but Colin's job with an agricultural chemical company meant they lived in

America for five of those years.

Every time it's quite an upheaval starting again in a new place.

The first time I accepted a job change, I didn't consult Sarah.

I just said to my boss, "Yeah, sure, of course we will move."

And when I came back and said, "Sarah,

"hurray - I've got a new job and we are moving" - big mistake!

So ever since then I've learned, always ask first.

This time, Colin has been offered a job in Scotland.

For him, it is an opportunity to return to his roots.

We want to move to the Scottish Borders.

It is a region in Scotland where I grew up.

It is one of the hidden gems.

It is full of history, full of culture.

Moving to the Scottish Borders, we think,

would be more of a long-term relocation.

You get more of a sense of permanency, belonging somewhere.

They are hoping a move to the countryside will mean more outside space.

A larger garden for green-fingered Colin,

with plenty of room for their three dogs and, most importantly,

additional land for Sarah's horse, Benito, to live on site.

I'm not sure where the love of horses originally came from.

But when I was six, I really pestered my parents for either riding lessons

or one of those beautiful old-fashioned wooden rocking horses.

My father had to make a decision.

He opted for the riding lessons and here I am,

rather a number of years later, still very heavily involved in horses.

Colin is also keen to make time for hobbies,

something his normally hectic work schedule doesn't allow.

If you go into the garage you will see I have a whole set of golf clubs, two bicycles.

Upstairs I've got a set of bagpipes.

I never really get a chance to use any of them.

But moving up to the Borders, I think,

will give me a chance to get the golf clubs out, get the dust off of them.

Bagpipes? I don't know.

But...

And I'm not very good. But who can tell?!

As Colin has to travel for work,

he'd like to be within an hour's drive of Edinburgh Airport.

Sarah's priority is to have her horse on site so she is in a flexible location.

I am keen to get started.

But first, I need to know what kind of property they're looking for.

Well, guys, what a scene-setter for your escape to the country.

Welcome back to Scotland, Colin. This is where you grew up, isn't it?

It is and it is a beautiful part of the world.

You know, looking for equestrian properties obviously does narrow

our sort of field of fire, as it were,

in terms of the search we are able to undertake.

But by the sounds of it, you are more than happy to think about

constructing your own stables and training areas and all the rest of it?

Yes, happy to do that.

And if it means that the right property is available,

we just have to add those to make it perfect, then we we'll do that.

From your experience, how many acres would really work for you?

Ideally, sort of about five acres.

Definitely not less than three.

So give us an idea of what this new house needs to have?

Well, ideally we want a minimum of two bedrooms,

as long as we also have a study.

If there isn't a study, it would have to be three bedrooms.

It is really important. I have lived in houses before where I have worked

from home in small rooms.

I'm looking forward to somewhere that is a little bit more functional

in terms of a proper office.

And what about style? Are you looking for something that is traditionally Scottish -

maybe something that goes back to your roots, Colin -

or are you up for a more modern affair?

It doesn't matter.

-No.

-We can always make things the way that we want them to be.

I'm not so bothered about the interior of the house because for me it's outside.

It's land. Space for the dogs to run.

As long as it's functional for us, that is what matters.

In terms of your sort of future work prospects,

are you thinking about working from home as well,

creating an equestrian business,

or still going out to work for other people?

I would like to, long-term, develop something at home.

Ideally something along the glamping lines.

I have stayed at other people's places where you can take your horse,

take your dogs, and it seems,

particularly in an area like this which is so beautiful,

it would be a wonderful place for people to be able to do that.

Now in terms of budget, how much are you proposing to spend on this, Colin?

Up to about 450,000, with everything already ready to go.

Well, I think £450,000 you have definitely come to the right part of the world,

as the Borders, beautiful as they are,

are not the most expensive bit of the country.

So I'm pretty optimistic about what we can find you.

So yeah, I think this could go rather well.

Let's go and see what we can find you.

For their £450,000 budget here in the Borders,

Colin and Sarah need a two-bedroom house with a study.

They are open-minded about the style of the property,

but what they can't compromise on is the outside space for Sarah's horse.

They need between three and five acres,

preferably with existing equestrian facilities.

Now, we've found Colin and Sarah three potential properties,

different in style but all in equally lovely country settings.

At each one, I'll ask them to guess the price before I reveal it.

And on our final visit,

they'll find out there's more to our Mystery House than meets the eye.

Can you ride, Colin?

Not at all. No.

I have put him on a horse before now.

I mean, if anyone can teach him, surely you can.

-Yes.

-Would you take it up?

No. I have had a go, but it was a painful experience.

Our first property is close to the small village of Ashkirk.

A popular spot for those interested in outdoor pursuits,

the area has endless footpaths and bridleways to explore

as well as an equestrian centre nearby.

For would-be golfer Colin,

there's a golf course as well as the local restaurant with a bar.

For the nearest shops and amenities,

residents make use of Selkirk or Hawick, which are both six miles away.

Just outside Ashkirk, house number one has a scenic valley setting.

There we are. What do we think of that, then?

-Wow.

-It's really eye-catching.

-It's really stunning.

-Yes. It's full of character.

-The old stone.

-It's lovely, isn't it?

-Slate roof. It's beautiful.

-Beautiful. It's an old threshing barn, actually.

It was converted about 17 years ago into a beautiful family home.

I can see the little burn running down the side, there.

Yes. Now, that supplies your water.

-OK.

-Really?

-Yes. Exactly.

So, you've got your own fresh water supply on tap, as it were.

You also get this quite substantial double garage

with a little sort of studio above it.

There's a little workshop behind that.

I'm thinking ahead to the possibility of maybe converting that

into holiday lets for your horsey glampers.

Super.

Needless to say, there is some equestrian with this.

All right. Don't panic.

Let's get on with the property itself, and then we'll deal with Benito.

OK. Find him some stables.

Right.

This unique property dates back to the 18th century,

and being a former threshing mill, it was perfect for conversion,

resulting in generous living spaces.

Right.

Now, I'm guessing this might be bigger than what you've got at the moment.

-Just a bit.

-Come on in.

And I'm thinking it's brilliant for your three dogs.

They would love it in here.

-Yes.

-I'm loving the beams as well.

I mean, we have beams in the cottage at the moment, and they're beautiful,

but these are a lot higher up than...

Well, this is the joy of converting a building like this.

Threshing barns had to contain a lot of gear and had to have a lot of space.

So you end up with a beautiful historic box, effectively,

and you can create these beautiful proportions.

-And they have done that throughout.

-We wouldn't have to change anything.

-It's all done.

-Ready to go.

-Yeah.

-Perfect.

Now, across the hallway you've got a family bathroom in there with a roll-top bath.

-Very nice.

-And then this is your living room, which I just love.

-It's beautiful.

-This window is lovely.

It gives a beautiful view, actually,

onto this very sweet, little sort of cobbled yard out there.

And then you've got the wood burner here, in the middle.

I like the hard floors because it's easy to clean.

It's so easy. It's so easy.

But there is a more intimate space through that door, there.

Now, it is divided into two floors.

Above it is the dining room, sort of mezzanine dining room,

and then below it, accessed by a beautiful oak spiral staircase,

is the media room.

I'm going to let you have the run of that a little bit later on.

As a place to work from home, I've not seen better.

It's really, really, really good.

-Great.

-Or somewhere for all my books.

Well, you can have a floor each.

You can have a study each. Linked by the spiral staircase.

That's the joy of it.

So, with warm reactions to downstairs, it's time to go upstairs.

Here, they will be pleased to find three double guest rooms,

all of them with more of those high-beamed ceilings they loved and

a shower room, and of course the master with an en suite.

And then, this is yours.

Oh, wow. Again, huge room.

When you said we wanted two bedrooms, I thought, well...

It's a bit on the cheap side, so we've got you four, of course.

This is way more than we expected.

Hugely.

Good. Start with a bang, why not?

The other thing it has is this.

Come and have a look out here. This rather sweet sort of Juliet balcony,

which, to be honest with you,

gives you as good a view as you're going to need of the garden.

It's not just the garden, it's the view out over the hill.

-It's just beautiful.

-Yeah.

So I think we're all agreed that, well, as you said yourselves,

this property so far has offered you more than you were ever expecting.

Hugely so. I'm amazed at what you've found.

Now then, acres-wise, you said minimum...

-Was it three?

-Three. Minimum

-three.

-Ideally...?

-Five.

It's got five. And some stables. Come with me.

Outside, the large lawned garden provides plenty of space for the dogs,

with a patio area to the back of the kitchen.

There's also garage space for three cars,

with a workshop attached and a room on the first floor.

The equestrian facilities are on a separate nearby plot but are included

with the property.

So just a short wander from the house, what's it taken us, a minute?

-Not even that.

-You have an outdoor school with an all-weather surface on it.

Got these three loose boxes with the hay barn as well,

but you get this paddock and then here are your five acres.

It runs up along that fence line and back around to the outdoor school.

That's fantastic, it's just what we wanted.

The only thing I can find to pick fault with is the fact that

the house is not immediately adjacent to the land,

but there may be some advantage in keeping it a little bit separate.

If that's the length of my commute, I think I can cope with that.

Yes, and what a place to commute in.

Any ideas what this one's on the market for?

-You're going to go first?

-Well, this is really tricky. It's a guess, complete guess,

425.

I'm going to go a little bit higher than you.

I think it's going to be 435.

I think the house is fantastic.

This is on at £450,000, but, of course, it is an asking price.

-Happy?

-Very.

-Yes.

-Right, off you go.

-Go and explore the house.

-Thank you.

-Come and have a wander round here if you want to.

Well, I am absolutely delighted.

This is the perfect package, for, I think, the perfect couple.

It's all of their budget but my goodness me, it's all their future too.

Bang on budget, this spacious, converted threshing mill has twice

the number of bedrooms Colin and Sarah wanted,

some great options for the study,

and it comes with five acres of land,

including stables and an outdoor arena.

-Fantastic room.

-It's wonderful.

My office room.

-Really?

-I think so.

It's far away from the kitchen, so there's not background noise.

I can get in and out through those windows without disturbing anybody.

I think it's mine.

The surroundings to this property are stunning.

The views out over the hills,

all the area that I can go and ride through,

are just beautiful.

This is a place we could easily live.

It's got lots of room, easily adaptable,

lots of space for Sarah for her horses and the dogs.

I'm very excited about this property.

I can't believe how lucky we've been to find this straightaway.

Look at you two.

Have we peaked too soon?

This is a great start, isn't it?

It is tremendous.

-What a find.

-I don't know where we go from here.

Well, I do. Come on.

Just an hour's drive south of Edinburgh,

set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,

is the Borders town of Peebles,

recently awarded top independent retailing town in Scotland for its

variety of shops and unspoilt character.

From his workshop in the centre of town, Julian Goodacre has,

for over 20 years, been hand-crafting an instrument

synonymous with Scottish history.

The bagpipes. So we've sent keen piper Colin and Sarah along to meet him.

-Great to meet you, Julian.

-Nice to meet you too, as well.

-Yes.

-Why are bagpipes associated with Scotland so much?

I think it's to do with the army, the British Army,

and putting pipers together.

Piping before that was a solo art throughout Europe.

Actually Scotland was one of the last countries in Britain to get the bagpipes.

Although the first examples of bagpipes are thought to date back to before medieval times,

it wasn't until the 1700s that they became linked with Scotland.

Follow me.

Julian is completely self-taught.

From his workshop, he makes around eight types of pipe,

from Cornish double pipes to highland pipes and the border pipe,

which he's making today.

So I've already reamed the inside of that, and now,

what I have to do is turn the outside to very, very accurate.

It has to be exactly the same,

same dimensions.

So why are you doing this?

Everything on the chanter has to be absolutely accurate,

and the finger holes have to be in exactly the right position.

This is all for musical reasons,

because if I made it thicker it would sound flat,

and if I made it thinner it would sound sharp, so it is critical,

this bit, it's almost like engineering in wood.

Julian sources most of his wood from Leicestershire, where he grew up.

He mainly uses wood from fruit trees, such as cherry, apple and plum,

but this border pipe is made from yew.

So you source all the wood yourself,

but do you do any other parts of making the bagpipes?

Oh, yes, I do.

I sew up the bags by hand,

and I make the reeds out of plastic yoghurt pots.

I like to do everything myself.

Clearly Colin's come to the right place to get some expert advice.

So Julian, these are my small pipes that I purchased over the internet.

I noticed there's a number of differences between mine and yours.

So this is a set of border pipes.

The basic difference is this is an indoor instrument. This is an outdoor instrument.

And you would have been, if you had lived in Peebles several hundred years ago, or any border town,

you would have been woken up by the town piper playing something like this,

and also, in the evening, told to go to bed.

I'll give it a blast.

Throughout his career, Julian has made over 800 sets of pipes,

ranging in price from hundreds to a few thousand pounds.

So loud. That should wake you up in the morning.

I don't know about putting you to bed in the evening!

So after an expert demonstration,

it's Colin's turn to practise his piping skills.

HE STRUGGLES TO PIPE

PLAYS A TUNE

Julian has a waiting list of over a year,

so if Colin would like a new set of pipes, he'd better get his order in.

It takes a lot more air, doesn't it?

So while he catches his breath,

it's time to find out where our Scottish Borders property search is taking us next.

We're heading towards the coast, to the hamlet of Auchencrow.

The area boasts some of the most traffic-free roads in Scotland.

The quiet hamlet is made up of around 20 properties

and a well-regarded pub and restaurant.

The nearest shops are a five-minute drive away in Reston,

and it's less than 15 minutes to the coast.

The house we're seeing stands proud in an elevated position at the end

of a long driveway.

Well, the sun didn't last as we thought.

But hey, let's hope it doesn't put you off this one.

There you are. Property number two.

-What do you think?

-Another very pretty house.

Very pretty, very handsome.

We'll start with that, Colin, a very well-developed home office,

which I am thinking is probably for you.

Could be.

Could be. And as you can see behind us, that is your acreage.

All in all it's just under five acres,

and the whole lot overlooking that swathe of the borders.

It's a little bit formal-looking.

I really did like the first property, it was a little bit...

-Quirky.

-Yes.

-This is a very much more traditional layout, to be fair.

Shall we have a look? Yes. Come on.

This Georgian farmhouse has a Scottish grade C listing and was renovated

in the late '80s, but has retained many of its period features.

Right. Let's start in here, then.

I think you get the idea this is a much more traditional kind of set-up.

Is it for you? Is it for Colin?

I really like this.

Look, you see, don't be so surprised.

I like the big windows, they're light and bright,

they let all the light in.

I suppose the obvious thing with this one is it was always designed to be a home,

and the nice thing about it is it retains many of those original

fixtures and fittings that were put in.

I just find it a little, just feels average.

-Ooh.

-Not special.

That's interesting.

That's not how I would have described it.

And probably not how you would have described it.

It's not jumping out at me just yet.

Right, then, let's see if it can give you a fright.

Come with me.

After her positive response to the character of our last property,

I thought Sarah would love this.

-What about this then?

-This is better.

Ah. You see.

-Yes.

-I'm not a big fan of the ceiling.

I don't like the ceiling but you can take that off.

Sure. I like the window there because you can look out right across the field.

Yes. That's a beautiful view out there.

And of course as you go upstairs, the views get better.

Look at it. The needle of like is nudging upwards.

-It's coming.

-Good.

Come with me.

Next door is the kitchen, with a separate utility room.

I suspect I know what you're going to say about this one, Sarah.

Colin, what is Sarah going to say about it?

I've never been right when it comes to guessing what Sarah's going to say.

But I would take a guess and say the size.

The obvious thing about size and space, I suppose, is you could,

if you were really adventurous,

open up that wall and do something quite funky with it.

You also have a utility room next door and also a sauna.

Really, there is a sauna through there, too.

-Right. OK.

-Nice in the winter.

Yes.

You know, that's perhaps the only radical idea I'd introduce to this house

and that would be to potentially sort of open that up.

If I was going to live here, that would be what I would do.

But that we would have to factor into the whole equation because that's not going to be cheap.

No, no, no. Absolutely, you know, and again it doesn't have to be done straightaway, either.

As the property is listed,

Colin and Sarah would of course need the right permissions before

undertaking any works.

Upstairs, of the three well-appointed double bedrooms,

two are at the front of the house and enjoy superb views of the

surrounding farmland.

There's also a shower room and en suite bathroom for the master.

So we've just come through this little dressing area,

with another lovely window,

and we step down into what I'm going to broker as the master bedroom.

Now the current owners use one of the bedrooms at the front because

of the views, but I'm selling this one to you as the master for the very obvious reason

it has this enormous en suite complete with Jacuzzi bath.

-OK.

-Makes sense.

-What do you think?

-I like the feel of this bedroom because it's

quite cosy, and obviously the en-suite's useful,

as is the little dressing room at the front.

I think that's really nice. It's a nice approach to it.

Let's finish up outside, because obviously the land is the key thing,

-and of course the joy of this one is that the land is outside your front door.

-OK.

Right, then. After you. Go on, lead on, Colin.

Outside, the current owners have created some really useful spaces

in the wrap-around garden.

There's a seating area to the front,

making the most of the views,

a purpose-built office for when Colin's working or wanting some time alone to relax,

and in the garden he'd also have a polytunnel and vegetable patch to keep him busy.

For Sarah and the horses, there's a three-and-a-half acre paddock.

I think in terms of stabling, you would probably want to start again with

something a bit more like we saw at property one.

-Yes.

-But nonetheless, there is room to do it.

The other thing I love about this place is the current owner is a keen

golfer like yourself, and he has tricked it up

with his own little green over there, to practise his golf swing.

That's fabulous.

So, that's the package.

For me, there's a lot more about the outside of this house that I really

like, compared to the first one.

Good. So, let's think about the price.

What do you think property two is on the market for?

395.

I'm going to say 410.

Well, the good news is, it is under budget.

The bad news is you're both a bit cheap.

This is on the market for offers in excess of 425.

-OK.

-Right, then, off you go.

I'll come and find you a little bit later.

Under budget, this three-bedroomed Georgian farmhouse comes

with a purpose-built office in the garden.

There is three and a half acres of land for the horses,

and although Sarah and Colin would need to build equestrian facilities,

they would have enough left over to do so.

There's an awful lot to recommend about this house.

Who wouldn't like a house that has its own par three with a water hazard?

In terms of the layout of the house, I'm really taken by it.

It's a lovely house, but I feel there is so much to do to it

that it would take us a long time and a lot of money

to bring it up to what we'd like.

Out you come. Look what I've found.

-There you are, madam.

-That's better.

-That's for you.

-Thank you.

-Perfect timing.

-Perfect timing.

Well, I don't know about the weather.

-Time for a beer though.

-Yes.

-Sound like a plan.

Sarah and Colin are selling their cottage in Cambridgeshire and

embarking on a new life in the Scottish Borders where Colin grew up.

For their £450,000 budget, they are looking for a property on a rural plot

with enough space for them, their three dogs and Sarah's horse Benito.

Coming up, could the Mystery House be the dark horse of our search?

Fantastic. What else could you need?

It works. There's everything here.

And I return to the ruins of what was once considered one of Scotland's

most beautiful buildings.

I mean, the workmanship is second to none,

there's barely a paper's width between the joints.

Extraordinary, yes.

Well, as we head into our final day of house-hunting here in Scotland

with Colin and Sarah, it's clear our final offering has got some competition,

in terms of their reaction to property number one.

Now, of course, their whole move is based upon not just their need for a new home,

but also the need for land,

upon which Sarah can create her prospective equestrian business,

but is it possible to have too much of a good thing?

Well, that is the question our Mystery House is going to pose them.

We are finishing up in Ashkirk,

just under four miles from where our search began.

The nearby town of Selkirk has a selection of shops and places to eat

and is famed for its traditional Selkirk Bannock fruitcake,

still made in bakeries across the Borders.

In its centre stands a statue of Scottish author and poet Sir Walter Scott

who served as the county's sheriff from 1800 until his death in 1832.

Just over ten minutes in the car takes us to our Mystery House set

in the beautiful Borders countryside.

Right then, the wait is over.

Here it is, our Mystery House.

-It is a big house.

-It is a big house, it is also pretty much brand-new.

It is not yet ten years old.

A new-build.

It is a new-build, indeed it is.

However, this search is predicated upon your need for land for your horses.

This has five acres,

it also has a beautiful outdoor school over there with stabling.

-Oh, wow.

-It also has a bit of woodland.

That is a bit of it you can see there.

The rest stretches for some 30 acres behind it.

-Fantastic.

-My goodness!

And beyond it is another ten acres of paddock.

-Incredible.

-Wow, that is a bit more than five.

Yeah, 45 acres in all and don't forget that woodland might offer you

quite an interesting outlook on the glamping idea.

-I am pretty much blown away.

-Come on, let's have a look.

Offering nearly ten times the amount of land Sarah and Colin asked for,

we are definitely taking a risk with this modern Mystery House but so far

they don't seemed daunted.

Inside, there is a kitchen-diner

and a family room to one side of the house

with a sitting room to the other

leading on to a study and a dining room.

We will start in here, then.

This is the main living room. A nice dual aspect.

This is fabulous. A super-big space.

-Nice log burner.

-It has been quite cleverly thought out because it all

flows through those double doors to the dining room,

which again comes back out into the central hallway,

and then through that door, bottom left,

you have a current study but you could use the other reception room

across the hallway as well.

The flow through from the lounge to the dining room is good when you are

entertaining, so it's fantastic.

And that overlooks the more modestly sized back garden when you have

finished walking around your 45 acres at the front.

Come on.

So, this is the other door into the dining room.

Conveniently next to the kitchen.

It is fabulous.

It is an L-shape, so there are different areas, plenty of storage space.

-I really like this.

-This will work really well.

All smiles, I'm feeling the love here. This is all good.

Is it because you can see it being a very easy thing to move into?

Yes, when you are moving so far away, you've got work to set up,

businesses to set up,

you don't really want to be doing a huge amount of the house.

Yes, later on down the line but having somewhere you can move into that is fine straightaway.

I think you will be busy enough outside.

-I think so!

-Let's have a look upstairs and see what we can find you.

Well, our Mystery House is certainly working its magic.

They're already picturing themselves living here.

On the first floor, there are four bedrooms including three well-presented doubles

and a single, sharing the use of a modern family bathroom.

And then this is the master, with loads of storage, as you can see.

It also comes with a shower en suite.

Fantastic - what else could you need?

-There is everything here.

-Perfect. Very happy.

I still can't believe what you have found.

-This is brilliant.

-I don't know what to say at the minute.

You're getting emotional,

that means it's working.

Yeah, it is.

It is now time to take in what the outside has to offer.

To the side of the property is a decked area for entertaining and a number of outbuildings.

There are some lovely landscaped gardens surrounding it

but I want to show them the extent of the land.

This point will give us a glimpse of just some of these 45 acres.

This paddock, with the ponies in it and the horses - just setting the scene for you -

goes right down to that little copse of new conifers at the bottom

and then away off beyond the trees to reveal the other ten acres of paddock

and the whole thing encompassing 30-odd acres of woodland.

-It's incredible.

-It is an absolutely stunning view.

-Amazing.

-I don't know what to say.

I really don't.

-Shall we talk about the price, then?

-We can.

Our final guess of the week for, I think we all agree,

a pretty substantial property.

-I would say this is over budget, I would say around 475.

-475.

-Sarah?

-I will be a little more optimistic and hope for 465.

It is on the market for offers in excess of £450,000.

You're joking.

I will get my cheque book.

I can't believe it is that price for all this land.

And the house, don't forget!

Good, go and have an explore.

Check out the outdoor school, there is stabling, of course, for Benito.

Off you go. Take your time.

Built less than ten years ago,

our modern Mystery House offers Sarah and Colin far more

than they ever expected to get for their money.

There are four bedrooms and a study for Colin in the house and outside

the land extends to an incredible 45 acres,

plenty of space for horses as well as any future business ventures.

There is just the one stable at the moment but that is OK for Benito to

start off with.

But there is so much possibility here for how we could redesign it.

-I agree.

-It is brilliant.

Of the three properties we have seen, it has more facilities,

already in place, the house is fantastic,

it has the woods which I am really interested in.

I love house number one but I think this is really special.

I could see myself living here tomorrow.

-Happy?

-Very happy.

I am delighted. Because now is the time you get to consider all that we

have shown you and, I hope, come up with a decision for the future.

Come on, cup of tea time.

Founded in 1136 by King David,

Melrose Abbey was the first Cistercian abbey in Scotland.

Its proximity to the English border meant it was frequently attacked by

invading English armies.

In 1322, Edward II burnt it down but it was rebuilt a few years later

by King Robert the Bruce -

only to be destroyed again by Richard II's army in 1385.

I have come to meet historian Adrian Cox

to explore the surviving 15th-century remains.

Adrian, these surroundings are absolutely magnificent.

But an area that has been so troubled over the centuries with war

and conflict, you wonder how it survives.

It has, right on the border it was a target straightaway for attacks for

any invading army.

The original community was Cistercian - who were they and where did they come from?

The Cistercians came from Citeaux near Dijon in Burgundy

and they were an order who believed in getting back to the austere principles of the Benedictine order.

Their austerity meant they were focused on prayer and hard labour,

encouraged by David I to settle in the area.

The turbulent Borders doesn't seem like the place to come.

One of the reasons David founded it here was to make a statement as

it's looking across the border to England and making a statement saying

the Scottish monarchy is strong, the Scottish church is strong,

here is the abbey to prove it and it is magnificent, as you say.

David I was a pious king.

In his lifetime,

he founded 20 monastic establishments right across Scotland.

Today, the Abbey's impressive remains are best viewed from what was once the cloister.

In the centre where we're standing would have been gardens

and it would have been surrounded by a covered walkway.

The workmanship is second to none,

you can barely get a paper between these joints.

And that is all down to the expertise of the lay brothers.

It is exquisite, really, the effort that has gone into the building and

the carvings is extraordinary, yes.

You are now charged with the job of keeping it going for, hopefully,

several centuries more, Adrian.

-Where do you start?

-We have to make interventions occasionally,

checking the condition of the stonework,

sometimes doing some re-pointing or stone replacement, very carefully.

Every little part of the building is assessed for its condition and its

needs in terms of conservation.

A constant process.

The abbey brought change to the local landscape.

The educated monks made a centre of learning and the lay brothers

introduced farming skills to the area.

From sheep farming, Melrose became wealthy for exporting high-quality wool

from ports around Scotland.

But perhaps its greatest claim to fame is it is said to hold the heart

of Robert the Bruce here in the abbey's chapterhouse.

So, silly question, is there a heart underneath this stone?

There is, yes. In 1921, it was discovered archaeologically

that there is a heart burial here in alleged casket,

it is of the right sort of date for Robert the Bruce's time.

Begging the question, where is the rest of Robert the Bruce?

On Robert the Bruce's death in 1329,

his heart was removed from his chest and embalmed and taken on crusade

and only later brought back here and interred at Melrose Abbey

but his body is buried at Dunfermline Abbey,

which was a favoured burial spot for the royal family.

How common was it to bury just a heart?

Heart burial wasn't uncommon in the medieval period for wealthy people

and we are here in the chapterhouse where abbots would have been buried

and wealthy patrons as well, so it is not impossible this heart might belong to

one of them, for example.

So, is that the controversy?

Yes, cos you would expect the heart of the King of Scots to be buried

in the church rather than in the chapterhouse.

But is this the only heart you have found at Melrose?

It is, yes, the only one to have been discovered.

So, in fairness, we could give Robert the Bruce the benefit of the doubt.

-We could, perhaps, yes.

-We will leave you to it, Your Majesty.

Well, it is now decision time for Colin and Sarah.

This week, I think we have given three really strong options

but my sense is it has now come down to a choice of simply two

but, of course, they can buy only one.

So, what is the answer going to be? Let's go and ask them.

Well, Colin, Sarah, a chance for you to move back home, Colin,

a chance for you to, hopefully, realise your hopes of an equestrian business in the Borders.

Are we any nearer to finding you a solution?

I think we have two fairly strong options at the moment.

But we have a lot of talking to do.

-A lot.

-Property one is a neat package,

it would be easier to jump straight in but it doesn't offer the long-term opportunities

the Mystery House does.

In the long term, the Mystery Property...

has more scope for our projects.

So, I think we can all agree, two very interesting options -

but the burning question is, what happens next?

We are really going to have to do a lot of thinking about this.

It was good to see one property that matched what we wanted,

amazing to see two - both of which we didn't think you'd find properties like that.

-Have we given you too much to think about?

-Yes, I think so!

We will have an interesting drive back south.

Well, guys, it's been a great deal of fun this week.

I'm delighted we have been able to find you not one, but two really exciting options

but we look forward to hearing how you get on in due course.

-Best of luck.

-Thank you.

-It has been a pleasure, thank you very much.

You may recall that I said when we started this show

that I have always had a certain romance for Scotland

and that is a view that hasn't changed this week.

The rather warm and shared sense of purpose that Colin and Sarah

have brought to this search has been palpable.

They came up here looking for a home in which they could horse around on

the Borders and, hopefully, that is exactly what we have been able to find them.

They may, at this point, be feeling slightly spoiled for choice

but I think they are a couple worth spoiling. I will see you next time.

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