A SUNNY OUTLOOK
house and in the build process demolished part of the village of Carsethorn for its stone. Her efforts were worth it. Its unusual butter- fly design makes the interior feel intimate but it’s actually decidedly spacious – apart from the kitchen, as Sheri recalls: ‘We did knock down a few walls when we moved in as the kitchen was incredibly small and pokey. Our aim was to make it function as a family home which allowed us some privacy but also as a bed- and-breakfast. It’s a top-heavy house – lots of bedrooms – so it made perfect sense.’ An idyllic location on the foreshore, an
elegant period drawing room, a pretty court- yard garden and a lovely relaxed ambience certainly don’t diminish the appeal either. ‘It is a lovely house to live in – and after ten
years in army quarters it’s almost therapeutic,’ says Sheri. ‘We did move seven times in ten years. However, we also did a barn conversion in Yorkshire and that was good preparation for a lot of the work we’ve done here.’
A full diary The Blacketts are nothing if not hands-on. Sheri is now tackling the walled garden and green- house to grow as much of her own produce as possible, and Jamie spends his days managing the estate, which can include anything from
advising holiday guests how to spend their day to jumping on a tractor to feed the stock. And did I mention the three projects the
couple have on the back-burner? Jamie explains: ‘In previous centuries, three of the most impor- tant aspects of the estate were the mussel beds, the walled garden and the harbour. We’re trying to reinstate all three – a shellfish farm and the regeneration of the harbour and the garden. That said, as we haven’t really stopped for the past four years, we might just pause first and consolidate.’ Having seen the result of this couple’s efforts, it’s not an unreasonable idea.
FIELD
bed and breakfast at The
House on the Shore and have six holiday cottages to let. Arbigland Estate, Tel: 01387 880717,
www.arbigland
estate.co.uk
WWW.SCOTTISHFIELD.CO.UK 71
FACTS The Blacketts offer
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