St Cyrus Beach Stunning converSion of a former ice HouSe at St cyruS BeacH the ice house, kirkside, st cyrus, kincardineshire, dd10 0aq turn left onto the track by the wooden fencing for The Old Fishing Station. Stunning converSion of Continue on this track, signposted Kirkside Cemetery, and the turning a former ice HouSe at into The Ice House is on the right. If coming from the north on the A92 then proceed through St Cyrus. St cyruS BeacH After 0.5 miles, and immediately after passing the wrought iron gates surmounted by eagles, turn left onto the single track road and proceed the ice house, kirkside, st cyrus, as above. kincardineshire, dd10 0aq Situation A unique underground home or holiday let, situated on the edge of a Nature Reserve and a beautiful 3 mile beach The Ice House is situated at the southern end of St Cyrus beach. This part of the coastline comprises sandy beaches and red sandstone cliffs. Living room with gallery u open plan kitchen and dining room As well as St Cyrus, other popular local beaches are found at Lunan Bay utility room u bedroom with en suite and dressing room/ and Montrose. Away from the coast the range of outdoor pursuits is child’s bedroom u further en suite bedroom u bedroom u family impressive. Fishing can be taken on the North and South Esks, while golf bathroom courses are found at Montrose, Stonehaven and Edzell, together with the championship course at Carnoustie. There is a trout fishery at Mill of Paved terrace with outside shower and fire pit Criggie (St Cyrus) and sea fishing is available from Johnshaven. Wooden store St Cyrus, which is set above a dramatic cliff, with the coastline and the About 1 acre renowned sandy beach at its foot, has a primary school, together with a post office, hotel and general store. A range of shopping, business Further land extending to 3.55 acres may be available in addition. and leisure facilities can be found in Montrose. Mearns Academy in Laurencekirk provides secondary schooling. Lathallan School at EPC rating = E Johnshaven is a well known private school. The A90 provides fast access to Aberdeen as well as to Dundee and the St Cyrus 2 miles, Montrose 4 miles, Laurencekirk 7 miles south. The A92 coast road links Stonehaven to Dundee via Montrose Dundee 33 miles, Aberdeen 37 miles and Arbroath. Both Aberdeen and Dundee provide all the services expected of major cities. Aberdeen Airport has a range of domestic and Viewing European flights, and there are direct services from Dundee Airport to Strictly by appointment with Savills – 01356 628628. London Stansted and Amsterdam. Both Montrose and Laurencekirk are on the main east coast railway line, and there is a sleeper service to the Directions south, as well as regular services to Aberdeen. If coming from the south on the A92 (Dundee to Stonehaven) coast road, continue north from Montrose. Cross over the River North Esk, the Historical & Environmental Note county boundary between Angus and Kincardineshire (or Aberdeenshire). The Ice House was originally part of the former Kirkside Fishing Bothy Proceed for a further 1.4 miles, passing the turning for Mill of Criggie which used to be run as a salmon fishing station by the Tay Salmon Trout Fishery, and then turn right onto the single track road. Continue on Fishery Company. It originally sat at the mouth of the River North Esk this, passing Kirkside House and proceed down the hill. After 0.6 miles until the river diverted its course in 1879 to the south, forming what is the county boundary between Angus and the historical county of the engagement and married someone considered more suitable. George Kincardineshire, now part of Aberdeenshire. When it was run as a fishing Beattie shot himself at the graveyard, having first fired a few practice station it comprised a fish house, net room, skipper’s accommodation shots at the fishing station. In the churchyard a memorial was erected by and bothy, along with an ice house. Salmon from the local fishing his friends “who loved him in life and lamented him in death”. stations used to be shipped to markets in London but arrived in bad condition as they were pickled or boiled and packed in barrels, with salt St Cyrus Beach is now part of a Nature Reserve which includes sand only permitted for the export trade. In the 18th century a new method of dunes, lichen rich dune heathland, foreshore, river estuary, salt marsh packing fish was developed. Blocks of ice were cut from artificial ponds and cliffs. As a result it is a haven for a great variety of plants, insects and and stored in ice houses during the summer months. Duncan Fraser in A shrubs. The cliffs were described by the Nature Conservancy Council Portrait of a Parish (Standard Press, Montrose) describes how this was a for Scotland as “one of the richest and most important sites for wild phenomenal success, as “no one had ever tasted fresh salmon in London plants and animals on the coast of North East Scotland. St Cyrus beach before....”. consists of sand dunes and a flat raised beach backed by a cliff. The bay is sheltered from strong winds and has relatively long hours of sunshine. From Discovering Angus and the Mearns by I A N Henderson (John These factors have combined to produce a diverse flora with 393 different Donald Publishers Ltd) we learn that originally St Cyrus “was a scattered species of vascular plant recorded. the bird population is also of hamlet at the foot of the cliff on the shore. Until the 17th century the importance with about sixty regular breeding species.” whole area was called Eccesgreig and the remains of chapels built beside the old burying grounds are all that now remains of the lower settlement. Description The salmon fishers have always had bothies, along the shore, for salmon The Ice House is believed to date from the late 18th or 19th century. fishing was always the staple of St Cyrus.” Converted in 2000 it was initially used as a restaurant. It was acquired by the sellers in 2008, who completed the renovation works and have since Nigel Tranter in The Queen’s Scotland, The Eastern Counties (Hodder used the property as a holiday let and more latterly it has been used as a and Stoughton) states that “the church and hamlet . were down on home. the shore. the church removed to a higher site and called St Cyrus... while the old estate adopted the name of Kirkside... The River North It is a hugely impressive house, built into the ground, with a living grass Esk, which now enters the sea amongst low sand flats and dunes two roof, high vaulted ceilings and views out over the former river bed and miles north of Montrose, used to flow almost a couple of miles north- towards the dunes behind St Cyrus beach. It has access direct onto the eastwards, to reach the sea directly under the present St Cyrus. So that wooden bridge which was built by the Gurkhas and leads to the beach. the original Ecclesgreig was on the shore at its mouth. The Nether Kirk The vaulted ceilings, exposed stone walls, pine wooden floors and a . is much more interesting, within a walled enclosure down below the wood burning stove, all create a home of great character. Easy access cliffs on the raised beach at the former river mouth. There are two ruined to the A92 and the stunning beach location have made The Ice House a chapels or aisles, one older and more decayed. Also there is the very successful holiday let. (www.icehousestcyrus.co.uk) and in 2011 the locally renowned grave of the lawyer who died for love, by name George property featured in The Sunday Times 100 Best Holidays, The Scotsman Beattie. Nearby are the white washed cottages of the salmon fishing Saturday Magazine, (Interiors Section) and in Condé Naste Traveller station.” Magazine’s list of “10 luxury Scottish Retreats”. The house also makes a unique permanent home of great character. We learn much about the tragic but well liked poet, George Beattic, from his own words in The Life Letters and Poems of George Beattie published Since 2008 the property has been fully renovated, and is now completely in 1882 and from A Portrait of a Parish. He was a crofter and salmon tanked and has insulated walls and roof. The renovations, which won fisher’s son, who trained and practised as a lawyer in Montrose. He fell in an award for the architect, also included new windows and patio doors, love with a local heiress, much against her parents’ wishes. She broke off a new kitchen together with bathrooms and shower rooms, and stone paved patios to the front with a heated shower and fire pit. Solar panels General Remarks provide hot water, with an immersion back up, and the property is Outgoings fully double glazed. There is underfloor heating in the kitchen and the Aberdeenshire Council (south) council tax band E. bathroom. The Ice House has a stone and wooden finish to the front. From the living roof, which creates a lovely seating area, there are views Energy Performance Certificate over Montrose Bay to Scurdie Ness, and north to Rock Hall at the other EPC rating = E end of St Cyrus Beach. Solicitors A tarred path from the gravelled parking area leads to the house. Here Beckley Kenny & Co, 64a High Street, Laurencekirk, AB30 1BJ. wide patio doors lead to an open plan dining room and kitchen.