Beautiful family house set in a spectacular garden

A large house set within a beautiful walled garden. Nestled in rolling countryside, with stunning views, it's a wonderful place to enjoy a peaceful retreat or a family holiday. It has a variety of different-sized rooms, with traditional decor, toys for kids and open fireplaces.
The Manse is the perfect base from which to explore sandy beaches of the Northeast Scottish coastline, drive inland towards the Caingorm Mountains, or follow the whisky and castle trails of Aberdeenshire.

The Old Manse is a historic, grade II listed house set within 3 acres of beautiful walled gardens with wonderful views of the hills. It was originally built as the residence of the Minister of the Kirk of Forgue, a hamlet of a few hundred residents 7 miles drive from Huntly, the nearest market town. It lies close to the River Deveron, which is famous for its trout fishing, and the Gordon Estate which offers beautiful hillside walks and pheasant/grouse shooting. The area is famous for its excellent food, particularly local meat and fish.

The house has been in our family since the 1960s. It has traditional furniture and decor. The interior is full of character as well as being comfortable and easy to live in. Two large reception rooms have open fires and are the perfect place to relax and socialise. The main reception room is very large and has a grand piano, while the smaller reception room has an elegant dining table and chairs. A library/study is packed with fascinating books including local history and novels. There is a large dolls house and plenty of board games and lego. A grand staircase leads upstairs to four very spacious bedrooms each with a different character, and a fifth single room enjoying a spectacular view towards the mountains.
A traditional farmhouse kitchen is the social heart of the house. With a gas-fired aga and large table, families and friends can gather here to enjoy a meal after a day outside. The Manse enjoys its own supply of spring water, plentiful supply of logs for the fire, as well as central heating in most of the rooms. The house has wi-fi, a TV with plentiful DVDs, Bose sound system and a huge supply of classical CDs. Well behaved pets will be considered.

The Garden
A private gateway leads into a drive up to the house where there is parking for at least four cars. A large, secluded garden entirely surrounds the house, planted with beautiful, mature trees, wide borders of perennials and lawns. Children will be amused for hours with outdoor activities including a swing, croquet and games, or simply playing hide and seek.

Other things to note
It is an old house, and can be chilly in the winter. There is central heating in half of the house, but some of the rooms must be heated using electric fires.
The decor is a little old-fashioned and shabby. Bathrooms function perfectly well, but have not been updated for several years.
Wi-fi functions in the living room and kitchen but is weak on one side of the house.