For sale: a converted lifeboat station in Dumfries and Galloway offers an idyllic coastal retreat

A unique property has been launched on to the market in the South West of Scotland. The converted boat house is in a breathtaking location with its own slipway, direct access to the sea and panoramic views of Auchencairn Bay on the Solway Firth.

The Old Lifeboat Station is set in six acres of garden and woodland, ten miles from Castle Douglas.

A view of the Old Lifeboat Station, Dumfries and Galloway

Established in 1884, B listed property was converted and extended by the current owners in the late 1990s to create an award-winning four bedroom house with comfortable family accommodation including a master suite and two reception rooms.

The house has its own slipway

The heart of the home is the sitting room with its floor to ceiling window and glazed doors leading out to decking, ideal for enjoying the breathtaking sea views.

The sitting room

Known as Balcary Lifeboat Station during its time in service, it was commissioned and built in 1884 by the RNLI, and described as "A commodious building of solid granite to the chapel design, roughly 50ft by 20ft with 2ft walls." The foundations were built directly onto solid rock and huge boulders, above an outcrop of particularly hard stone which runs in a seam from Ireland under The Irish Sea .

The  inauguration of the first lifeboat took place on December 18th 1884 and various rowing boats protected the coast from here until a motorised vessel was introduced at nearby Kirkcudbright, causing Balcary Lifeboat station to close in 1931. 

The house and its outlook

Marion Currie, who is handling the sale for Galbraith, says: “This property offers an extraordinary seaside getaway, combining the beautiful privacy and seclusion of its own woodland, as well as the ability to launch a boat and enjoy water sports or swimming from the doorstep.

“Converted with the attention to detail and sympathy a property such as this deserves, the Old Lifeboat Station offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire a unique property in a stunning, unspoilt location.”

The slipway, which was cut out from the rocks for the lifeboat, looks out towards Hestan Island, with Kippford and Rockliffe visible on the Colvend Coast beyond Auchencairn Bay.

The accommodation on the ground floor includes an entrance porch, dining hall, sitting room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. On the first floor are three bedrooms, the master bedroom has an en-suite shower room.

The interior

The contents will be included in the sale, with the exception of personal items.

The Old Lifeboat Station is approached via a track which leads from the main driveway of Balcary Tower. The property has six acres of woodland, as well as a sloping lawn with an abundance of spring flowers, which also carpet the wood and garden with bluebells in May, and mature shrubs and trees.

The deck and garden

Rhododendron banks provide a blaze of colour in the summer. A gravelled area in front of the decking leads down to the slipway. There is ample room to launch small boats, and space within the grounds to store a boat out of the water.

Wildlife abounds within the garden and grounds, with many seabirds and garden birds. A family of red squirrels live in the surrounding trees and are regular visitors to the feeders on the deck.

An aerial shot of the The Old Lifeboat Station

A recently constructed double garage with loft sits above the house up on the hill.

The Old Lifeboat Station sits on the coast in the National Scenic Area of the East Stewartry Coast. It is also within a Dumfries & Galloway Regional Scenic Area.

The region is noted for its unspoilt beauty, abundant flora and fauna and mild climate due to the Gulf Stream.

The Old Lifeboat Station is for sale through Galbraith for Offers Over £850,000.