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 With the coming of the railway to Helensburgh, fashionable money The first floor sees four double bedrooms flow neatly from a central LOCATION poured into the town and Leiper was well placed to design ‘art’ villas for galleried landing, three of which have beautiful bay windows. The master Aros is set amidst resplendent formal gardens extending to approximately his wealthy clients. From his offices in Glasgow he continued to work on bedroom also benefits from a raised platform making the most of the 1 acre. The elevated position offers clear sight over the Gare Loch and major projects in Glasgow and beyond. His achievements include the superb views. The bathrooms are exquisitely finished with the family the mountains beyond. Whilst unquestionably the physical presence of a Gothic Dowanhill Church, Camphill Queens Park Church, the banqueting bathroom displaying a wonderful bath inset within a marble surround all of William Leiper house is a noteworthy sight, the views from the house over hall of the Glasgow City Chambers, the exuberant Sun Life building in which carries a strong Art Deco influence. the beautifully landscaped gardens and the open views across the loch are West George Street and the magnificent Templeton Carpet Factory which very much part of the appeal at Aros. is one of Glasgow’s most iconic buildings due to Leiper’s extraordinary Aros truly is a home for all. Spacious yet comfortable reception rooms, a use of polychrome brick, glazed ceramic and mosaic as external subtle yet unquestionable grandeur to the property and one of the ultimate Rhu is a pleasant Conservation Village on the east side of the Gare Loch decoration. names in Scottish architecture attached to the design. It has been finished where many lovely homes and gardens are found along a belt of low shore. with an appreciative attention to detail by the current owners, all of which Its friendly community is centred around its church, primary school and makes Aros one of the finest examples of a family home to have come to yachting life, as Rhu is the home of the famous Royal Northern and Clyde DESCRIPTION the local market in recent years. Yacht Club and Rhu Marina houses many fine craft. There is testing sailing Aros is a two storey villa built of whinstone rubble with polished red on offer on the Firth of Clyde with quick access to the waters of the west sandstone ashlar dressings and half timbered details with barge boarded coast of Scotland, acclaimed as some of the finest racing and cruising porch and tall, full height wall head chimney stacks. Internally the property THE COACH HOUSE grounds in the world. retains many of its original features including leaded windows, fireplaces, Built in 2000 (and subsequently nominated for an architectural award), The Coach House comprises a three car garage on the lower floor with remote The neighbouring town of Helensburgh (3.1 miles) has been regarded as coving, waxed wood banister, balustrade and panelling. It is however worth control up-and-over doors. There is a workshop area and the garage one of the west of Scotland’s most desirable towns for well over a century highlighting the efforts of the current owners to not simply inhabit and enjoy also houses a separate central heating boiler and has separate gas and since wealthy Glasgow merchants first began to build houses here. It this historic property, but to add elements of quality and comfort as well electricity supplies. offers excellent amenities including golf, bowling, specialist shopping, 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 supermarkets, a swimming pool and local secondary schooling. Lomond The upper floor comprises a stunning apartment with cathedral-style room. The beautiful staircase on display today was previously painted and School provides private schooling for day pupils and boarders. Further vaulted ceilings, open plan living room, kitchen area and bedroom. There has been lovingly stripped back. The exceptionally fine open fireplaces private schooling is easily accessible in Glasgow which can be reached by is a separate wet room with an unusual glass ceiling. There is also a wood in the hallway, dining room and the fireplace in the drawing room were rail with a journey time of around forty-five minutes. burning stove in the centre of the room. Perhaps the nicest thing about the restored to the original sandstone, with wood burning stoves installed in the Coach House is that the quality is commensurate with the principal house Aros has good access to Glasgow with the A814, A82 and M8 allowing hall and dining room. The drawing room has a matching remote controlled and while it would make for an exceptional home office it is perhaps better a daily commute by car of under an hour in normal driving conditions. gas version of the wood burning stoves. suited as guest accommodation due to the distraction of what is arguably Glasgow Airport is within 22.7 miles and offers a variety of regular domestic one of the best views from the site. and international flights. 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 The grounds surrounding Aros and the Coach House are mainly Some of Britain’s most spectacular scenery is around the Loch Lomond wooden staircase in full view. The opening between the dining room and immaculately kept lawns with low maintenance shrubbery and a wide area. The loch is crossed by the Highland boundary fault and the physical drawing room creates an impressive entertaining space with deep bay variety of mature trees. The gardens take full advantage of the views to the characteristics of lowland and highland Scotland can be seen within a few windows at either end allowing fantastic levels of natural light but more Gare Loch and beyond. miles of each other. Fronting the loch is the Cameron House Hotel and the importantly showcasing the panoramic views across the Gare Loch. Carrick Golf Club which have excellent health club facilities, and the Loch Lomond Golf Club which boasts an international membership and is a The dining kitchen is another example of the quality and attention to OUTBUILDINGS former host to the Scottish Open Championship. detail. A stylish blend of oak wooden work surfaces and polished granite Timber hut with store and lean to for logs etc. 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 HISTORICAL NOTE surface units, wall cabinets and wine rack along with a separate larder and Aros was designed by William Leiper in 1881 for the Reverend McCloud china cupboards complete this fabulously well equipped kitchen. and is one of the finest examples of an early Scottish Arts & Crafts villa. On a functional level the property has a spacious utility room with William Leiper (1839-1916) lived in Helensburgh from the early 1870s and Belfast sink, fitted units, and has plumbing for a washing machine and became the town’s most prolific and influential architect. tumble drier. 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.