Three beautiful locations – two close to the west coast and one overlooking a country park, within easy reach of Glasgow

Words by Val Chapman

Laird Estates – as the name would suggest – has a strong emphasis on Scotland in its portfolio of residential parks; Laird, by definition, means ‘owner of estates in Scotland’. It’s a family-run company and the Laird family is proud of its Scottish heritage.

Laird Estates is also proud of its three parks in Scotland, all with amazing views – and with plots and show homes now available.

Cunninghamhead Estate is close to the Ayrshire coast and Heatherbank Park is in East Renfrewshire, half an hour from Glasgow. Heatherbank is elevated, with views over Gleniffer Braes Country Park.

Cunninghamhead has an air of magnificence to greet you as you arrive; there’s a long driveway and, at the top, a life-sized metal sculpture of a stag, sets a tone of grandeur here.

The two parks are 30 minutes apart so, if you’re considering a move to this area, it’s well worth visiting both. And, shortly, there will be a new park to consider. Bluebell Park is taking shape, close to Cunninghamhead.

Cunninghamhead Estate

Cunninghamhead has a long history. The name dates back to the early 1400s. There was once a castle here, then a manor house (only the gatehouse remains). Today it’s home to an established and growing park home estate. You can choose your own plot, or you can go for one of the show homes already on plots.

An Omar Image 40ft by 20ft home is arriving early in 2020; this is a beautiful new model and very modern in style; truly a home to convince you that park home living is a very exciting proposition.

Its price will be £125,000. The estate is immaculate, enhanced by trees and shrubs. Homes have neat grass frontages and gardens created with quite a lot of imagination. All of this comes together to give the estate a pleasant character – helped by the sculpture of the stag at the entrance, looking out over the fields that surround the park.

Cunninghamhead is just three miles from the coast. The nearest small town is Irvine, a quiet, ancient port. It’s home to the main site of the Scottish Maritime Museum, located in a former shipyard, a fascinating place that will tempt you to visit again and again.

You can explore Scotland’s ‘Cathedral of Engineering’ (a vast, former shipyard building), discover historic vessels such as Scotland’s last puffer (a small coal-fired cargo ship of a design specific to Scotland), a historic harbour tug and a steam yacht built in 1898. All this maritime history is on your doorstep!

Irvine keeps its old-world charm. Its large harbour is a great place for a stroll – and then, perhaps, a visit to the cafes and eateries.

Fishing still takes place here; crab pots sit up against the harbour wall and a few fishing boats are in the harbour. It’s a serene scene.

There’s much more to the Ayrshire coast, too. Sandy beaches stretch both to the north and south from Irvine. The resort town of Ayr – the Royal Burgh of Ayr, to give it its full name – sits on the Firth of Clyde.

It’s 16 miles from Cunninghamhead. Eight miles north of Ayr is Troon, overlooking the Isle of Arran and Ailsa Craig and with a promenade that’s ideal for a walk anytime. It’s a small resort with a marina, fish market and several restaurants including a renowned oyster bar.

Bluebell Park

For all the reasons we outline, Cunninghamhead Estate is a brilliant location to choose for your forever home. And there’s more. A path along one edge of the park makes for a delightful walk. The land slopes away from the park down to a stream. This land will soon be a new Laird estate, called Bluebell Park. Homes will be in three areas, on several levels tiered down towards the stream, to take advantage of the views.

Bases are being laid this year and Laird Estates is now taking reservations for the plots. The company has planning consent for 61 plots but is designing the park for 40-45 plots, so that each one is spacious.

Heatherbank Park

Heatherbank Park is in the delightfully named Shillford Hamlet, in East Renfrewshire, next to Gleniffer Braes Country Park.

A 50ft by 20ft Stately-Albion Woburn show home, finished in cedar cladding, is now on the park. The price is £149,000. Views of Gleniffer Braes and distant mountains are all around this park – and you can see roe deer close to the park at dusk and dawn.Gleniffer Braes is an expanse of moorland, pasture, streams and waterfalls, criss-crossed by walks and picnic areas and birdwatching sites.

It’s also known for its rare species of plants including heath-spotted orchid and wild pansy. Brae is the Scottish language word for the slope or brow of a hill – and, from Heatherbank Park, that’s exactly what you see: the country minutes away – and every supermarket delivers to the park. And when you fancy a drive out to the coast, Irvine is just half an hour away. It’s also only 25 minutes from the shopping, cultural and eating enticements of Glasgow.

Other Laird Estates locations

Laird Estates also has park home estates in Cheshire, Derbyshire, Powys and Shropshire

Part-exchange Scheme

Laird Estates has its own part-exchange scheme. The Scottish home purchasing system involves getting a Home Buyer’s Report; it’s the equivalent of a survey and valuation in England. Laird Estates takes care of that and also, when setting the completion date, can give purchasers an extra week in the property they are selling, to make the moving process super easy.

Contact
Laird Estates
W lairdestates.co.uk