Finegand Estate: 2,000-acre ancient Glenshee property on market for £5,000,000

An ancient farming estate which has been in the same family for 300 years is expected to change hands for up to £5 million.

Finegand Estate, known as the Glen of the Faeries, lies within the Cairngorms National Park in what used to be eastern Glen Shee. It has been in the same family since 1712. The estate provides farming, forestry, sporting and conservation interests, centred on the original Finegand Farmhouse with a range of traditional farm buildings, six further traditional cottages and a further former steading at the north end of the estate. The property is for sale for offers over £5,000,000.

Described by experts as a ‘pocket estate’, extends to about 1,960 acres (793.87 hectares), with a mix of hill ground, productive and native woodland, diverse habitats for a range of native flora and fauna and permanent pasture. There is an abundance of native wildlife ranging from merlin, short-eared and long eared owls and occasional sightings of golden eagle to red grouse, teal, mountain hares, otters and red squirrel.

The estate offers a range of traditional sports including red, roe and fallow deer stalking together with walked-up grouse shooting currently. A former driven grouse moor is being refurbished and was was named by Country Life as the best small grouse moor in Scotland, with a member of the Roosevelt family enjoying a day’s shooting..

It has long been known as Fèith nan Ceann, meaning "the burn of the heads" after the Duke of Atholl’s tax-collectors were beheaded and their remains thrown into nearby water.

Glenshee has been used for centuries to access the Highlands and Deeside including by the Royal Family travelling to Balmoral. Queen Victoria's coach once got into difficulties on the 'Lair Brae' which was a notoriously steep and difficult part of the road near Finegand, and the Laird of Finegand came to her rescue and helped her on her way. The route was often used by Elizabeth II and her mother to travel between Glamis and Balmoral.

Emma Chalmers, a partner with Galbraith, who is handling the sale said: "Finegand Estate is a superb estate located in an iconic Scottish setting.

"With its expanse of in-bye and hill lands, diverse and highly varied wildlife and woodland, there are numerous opportunities for the purchaser, whether to create a sizeable upland livestock farm or for traditional country sports or conservation projects including potential further woodland creation and indeed given its setting, eco-tourism related enterprises. Finegand offers an excellent range of opportunities to the purchaser to pursue a variety of interests and priorities with the backdrop of its highly scenic Highland setting."

Finegand Estate is known as the Glen of the Faeries.

The farming enterprise is currently run in hand and with a shepherding contract arrangement for 500 ewes, which could be expanded. At the northern end of the estate is a delightful small lochan stocked with brown trout, offering a superb setting for fishing and picnics, with spectacular views over the estate and surrounding countryside.

Finegand Estate is for sale through Galbraith as a whole for Offers Over £5,000,000, or in two lots as follows: Lot 1 - extends to about 787.81 hectares (1946.73 acres) and comprises 6 cottages, a former steading range and land of permanent pasture, rough grazings, hill ground and productive and native woodlands; Offers Over £4,500,000. Lot 2 - Finegand Farmhouse with traditional farm buildings and about 6.06 hectares (14.97 acres); Offers over £500,000.