Aros Rhu, By Helensburgh
Aros Rhu, By Helensburgh Helensburgh, 3.1 miles Glasgow Airport, 22.7 miles Glasgow city centre, 25.2 miles Striking Leiper designed family home in breathtaking elevated setting providing superb waterside views. Accommodation Entrance vestibule Entrance hall / study Reception hall Drawing room Dining room Kitchen/breakfast room Sitting room Utility/WC 4 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms Coach House with 3 car garage, living room, kitchen area, bedroom and wet room Spectacular landscaped gardens with manicured lawns, beautiful terraces and an open sea view. About 1 acre in all
Location Aros is set amidst resplendent formal gardens extending to approximately 1 acre. The elevated position offers clear sight over the Gare Loch and the mountains beyond. Whilst unquestionably the physical presence of a William Leiper house is a noteworthy sight, the views from the house over the beautifully landscaped gardens and the open views across the loch are very much part of the appeal at Aros. Rhu is a pleasant Conservation Village on the east side of the Gare Loch where many lovely homes and gardens are found along a belt of low shore. Its friendly community is centred around its church, primary school and yachting life, as Rhu is the home of the famous Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club and Rhu Marina houses many fine craft. There is testing sailing on offer on the Firth of Clyde with quick access to the waters of the west coast of Scotland, acclaimed as some of the finest racing and cruising grounds in the world. The neighbouring town of Helensburgh (3.1 miles) has been regarded as one of the west of Scotland s most desirable towns for well over a century since wealthy Glasgow merchants first began to build houses here. It offers excellent amenities including golf, bowling, specialist shopping, supermarkets, a swimming pool and local secondary schooling. Lomond School provides private schooling for day pupils and boarders. Further private schooling is easily accessible in Glasgow which can be reached by rail with a journey time of around forty-five minutes. Aros has good access to Glasgow with the A814, A82 and M8 allowing a daily commute by car of under an hour in normal driving conditions. Glasgow Airport is within 22.7 miles and offers a variety of regular domestic and international flights. Some of Britain s most spectacular scenery is around the Loch Lomond area. The loch is crossed by the Highland boundary fault and the physical characteristics of lowland and highland Scotland can be seen within a few miles of each other. Fronting the loch is the Cameron House Hotel and the Carrick Golf Club which have excellent health club facilities, and the Loch Lomond Golf Club which boasts an international membership and is a former host to the Scottish Open Championship. Historical note Aros was designed by William Leiper in 1881 for the Reverend McCloud and is one of the finest examples of an early Scottish Arts & Crafts villa. William Leiper (1839-1916) lived in Helensburgh from the early 1870s and became the town s most prolific and influential architect. With the coming of the railway to Helensburgh, fashionable money poured into the town and Leiper was well placed to design art villas for his wealthy clients. From his offices in Glasgow he continued to work on major projects in Glasgow and beyond. His achievements include the Gothic Dowanhill Church, Camphill Queens Park Church, the banqueting hall of the Glasgow City Chambers, the exuberant Sun Life building in West George Street and the magnificent Templeton Carpet Factory which is one of Glasgow s most iconic buildings due to Leiper s extraordinary use of polychrome brick, glazed ceramic and mosaic as external decoration. Description Aros is a two storey villa built of whinstone rubble with polished red sandstone ashlar dressings and half timbered details with barge boarded porch and tall, full height wall head chimney stacks. Internally the property retains many of its original features including leaded windows, fireplaces, coving, waxed wood banister, balustrade and panelling. It is however worth highlighting the efforts of the current owners to not simply inhabit and enjoy this historic property, but to add elements of quality and comfort as well as highlighting the key components of a Leiper house. An example of this would be the magnificent wood flooring in the drawing room and dining room. The beautiful staircase on display today was previously painted and has been lovingly stripped back. The exceptionally fine open fireplaces in the hallway, dining room and the fireplace in the drawing room were restored to the original sandstone, with wood burning stoves installed in the hall and dining room. The drawing room has a matching remote controlled gas version of the wood burning stoves. The accommodation flows very well with a lovely sense of arrival through the arched inner front door to a wonderful reception hall with the prominent wooden staircase in full view. The opening between the dining room and drawing room creates an impressive entertaining space with deep bay windows at either end allowing fantastic levels of natural light but more importantly showcasing the panoramic views across the Gare Loch. The dining kitchen is another example of the quality and attention to detail. A stylish blend of oak wooden work surfaces and polished granite combine with a hand painted high quality wood kitchen. A centre island with bevelled edges, a Smeg range cooker and plentiful storage in the sub surface units, wall cabinets and wine rack along with a separate larder and china cupboards complete this fabulously well equipped kitchen. On a functional level the property has a spacious utility room with Belfast sink, fitted units, and has plumbing for a washing machine and tumble drier. The first floor sees four double bedrooms flow neatly from a central galleried landing, three of which have beautiful bay windows. The master bedroom also benefits from a raised platform making the most of the superb views. The bathrooms are exquisitely finished with the family bathroom displaying a wonderful bath inset within a marble surround all of which carries a strong Art Deco influence. Aros truly is a home for all. Spacious yet comfortable reception rooms, a subtle yet unquestionable grandeur to the property and one of the ultimate names in Scottish architecture attached to the design. It has been finished with an appreciative attention to detail by the current owners, all of which makes Aros one of the finest examples of a family home to have come to the local market in recent years. The Coach House Built in 2000 (and subsequently nominated for an architectural award), The Coach House comprises a three car garage on the lower floor with remote control up-and-over doors. There is a workshop area and the garage also houses a separate central heating boiler and has separate gas and electricity supplies. The upper floor comprises a stunning apartment with cathedral-style vaulted ceilings, open plan living room, kitchen area and bedroom. There is a separate wet room with an unusual glass ceiling. There is also a wood burning stove in the centre of the room. Perhaps the nicest thing about the Coach House is that the quality is commensurate with the principal house and while it would make for an exceptional home office it is perhaps better suited as guest accommodation due to the distraction of what is arguably one of the best views from the site. The grounds surrounding Aros and the Coach House are mainly immaculately kept lawns with low maintenance shrubbery and a wide variety of mature trees. The gardens take full advantage of the views to the Gare Loch and beyond. Outbuildings Timber hut with store and lean to for logs etc.
Gardens The expertly planted gardens are a credit to the current owners. The sweeping driveway leads to the entrance porch and Coach House with ample space for parking. There is a large terrace to the front which takes full advantage of the wonderful views of the Gare Loch. The lawns are surrounded by beds which are full of colour throughout the spring and summer with an abundance of mature shrubs, camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons. The gardens to the rear are sloping, mainly lawned with various trees and a carpet of bluebells in season. General remarks Services: Mains electricity, water, drainage and gas in main house and independently in the Coach House. There is an outside water supply for garden use. Local Authority: Argyll & Bute Council Council Tax: Band G EPC Rating: Band D Building Plot: Potential buyers should be aware of a piece of land of approximately 0.17 acres bordering Aros Road that is owned but excluded from the sale. Planning permission has been granted for a small cottage. This land may be available by separate negotiation. Servitude rights, burdens and wayleaves: The property is sold subject to and with the benefit of all servitude rights, burdens, reservations and wayleaves, including rights of access and rights of way, whether public or private, light, support, drainage, water and wayleaves for masts, pylons, stays, cable, drains and water, gas and other pipes, whether contained in the Title Deeds or informally constituted and whether referred to in the General Remarks and Stipulations or not. The Purchaser(s) will be held to have satisfied himself as to the nature of all such servitude rights and others. Possession: Vacant possession and entry will be given on completion. Offers: Offers must be submitted in Scottish legal terms to the Selling Agents. A closing date for offers may be fixed and prospective purchasers are advised to register their interest with the Selling Agents following inspection. Viewing: Strictly by appointment with Savills 0141 222 5875 Purchase price: Within 7 days of the conclusion of Missives a deposit of 10% of the purchase price shall be paid. The deposit will be nonreturnable in the event of the Purchaser(s) failing to complete the sale for reasons not attributable to the Seller or his agents.
Floorplans Total area: 406.7 sq m (4376.5 sq ft) For identification only. Not to scale. Copyright JPI ltd. NOTE - Published for the purposes of identification only and although believed to be correct its accuracy is not guaranteed. Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey Map with the permission of the Controller of H.M. Stationery Office Crown copyright licence number 100022432 Savills (L&P) Limited.
Savills Glasgow glasgow@savills.com 0141 222 5875 savills.co.uk IMPORTANT NOTICE Savills, their clients and any joint agents give notice that: 1.They are not authorised to make or give any representations or warranties in relation to the property either here or elsewhere, either on their own behalf or on behalf of their client or otherwise. They assume no responsibility for any statement that may be made in these particulars. These particulars do not form part of any offer or contract and must not be relied upon as statements or representations of fact. 2. Any areas, measurements or distances are approximate. The text, photographs and plans are for guidance only and are not necessarily comprehensive. It should not be assumed that the property has all necessary planning, building regulation or other consents and Savills have not tested any services, equipment or facilities. Purchasers must satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise. 180205CE.