Historic Culross house goes up for sale for a cool £1.25m
3 August-
Balgownie House is up for sale for £1.25million
A historic Culross building has been put up for sale, with Balgownie House, formerly the location of Inchkeith School, going on the market for £1.25million.
The school property is described as having a "typically Georgian front facade and an offset pillared doorway", is a refurbished mansion and comes with 4.4 acres of walled ground.
Balgownie house has eight bedrooms and seven bathrooms, a library, 33ft games hall, a 36ft kitchen and a listed ruin. The views over the Firth of Forth are described as being "absolutely superb", particularly from the upper floors.
The house was the former seat of the Cunninghame and Erskine families. James Erskine, brother of the fifth Lord Erskine, received a grant from William Colville, commendator of Culross Abbey, in 1549.
Also on the estate are a hospital, founded in 1639 by George Bruce of Carnock, for the maintenance of women, although this was removed around 1765. There are also ruins of a 17th century building adjacent to the gates.
The house was also a hostel for Land Army girls during the war.
It became a school in 1959 when Flora Berends and her husband John moved Inchkeith School, which they started in 1952 in Dunfermline, there.
Many Royal Navy families sent their children to the school during the heyday of Rosyth naval base.
The school closed in 2003 due to financial problems and failing pupil numbers and was then bought by Terry Thomson, the former school board chairman. He upgraded the property and converted it back into a house.
Mr Thomson applied for planning permission last week to erect a quadruple garage to the side of the house. The house currently has three parking spaces.
You can find full details of Balgownie House here on the Savills property website.
Did you go to Inchkeith School? What are your memories of Balgownie House - and what would you like to see it used for today? Post your comments here on s1culross
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