Newhouse of Auchengree, Crossroads, Dalry, KA24 4JF

Property Description Newhouse of Auchengree is an award-winning, architect-designed family home of rare distinction, set on an elevated plateau between Dalry and Beith in the heart of the Garnock Valley.

Designed by acclaimed architect Ann Nisbet, it is a bold piece of modern Scottish architecture with no precedent of its kind in the area, yet remains a deeply practical home built for everyday family living.

Taking its form from the agricultural steadings of the surrounding North Ayrshire countryside, it comprises a two-storey principal house, a single-storey linear wing and a separate outbuilding arranged around a three-sided internal courtyard.

The zinc cladding weathers magnificently against the Ayrshire sky and nods to the valley's industrial heritage, while symmetrical, traditionally pitched rooflines ground the building firmly in its landscape.

The quality and ambition of the home has been recognised at the very highest levels of architectural achievement, with an RIBA National Award, an RIAS Architecture Award, a Saltire Housing Design Award, the GIA Supreme Award and a Scottish Design Award for Best Residential Building amongst its honours.

It was longlisted for the RIBA House of the Year and shortlisted for the Andrew Doolan Award for Best Building in Scotland, the country's most prestigious architectural prize.

The approach is an experience in itself, passing directly through the building into a protected courtyard where large barn doors can be drawn closed for privacy and shelter, creating a remarkable indoor-outdoor space.

Enjoying both morning and afternoon light, the courtyard is the social heart of the home, connecting all three buildings, with a dedicated plant room housing the property's ground source heat pump.

At the centre of the house sits a magnificent open-plan kitchen and living space, generous in scale and anchored by a feature log burner, with panoramic windows framing the gardens and the Garnock Valley beyond.

The ground floor also offers a private principal suite with floor-to-ceiling windows and a high-quality en suite, along with a home office, utility room and WC.

A striking staircase rises beneath skylights, past one of the most beautiful bookcases you are likely to find in a private home, to two further bedrooms, a family bathroom and a dual-aspect lounge.

A self-contained two-bedroom annex, accessed directly from the courtyard, provides outstanding flexible accommodation for extended family, guests or potential income, and a substantial garage completes the building group.

The grounds extend to approximately three quarters of an acre, landscaped with an undulating flow that mirrors the rolling countryside so that the gardens feel like a natural continuation of the landscape, while the elevated position keeps views across the Garnock Valley a constant presence.

Local Area Newhouse of Auchengree occupies an elevated position in the Garnock Valley, between the North Ayrshire towns of Dalry and Beith, yet remains remarkably close to Glasgow.

Dalry railway station provides direct services into Glasgow Central in around 27 minutes, while the A737 leads north-east to Glasgow Airport and the M8 motorway towards both Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Both towns offer local shops, cafés and everyday amenities, with primary schools in Dalry and secondary education at Garnock Academy in Kilbirnie and St Matthew's Academy in Saltcoats.

For all its rural seclusion, the home is equally well placed for the coast and the countryside.

The west coast and its sandy beaches are around 20 minutes' drive away, and golfers are spoilt for choice, with Beith Golf Club nearby and the championship links of the Ayrshire coast, including Royal Troon, Prestwick and Turnberry, all within easy reach.