Scotland's Home of the Year: 'Granny-chic' Colonel's house beats Highland 'mansion' and 'distinctive Mackintoch' inspired home by wowing judges Kate Spiers, Anna Campbell-Jones and Michael Angus

The judges headed to the Scottish Highlands this week in their search for Scotland’s Home of the Year.

Another three gorgeous homes featured in the eighth episode of Scotland’s Home of the Year – which aired on BBC Scotland on Wednesday evening.

The judges Anna Campbell-Jones, Michael Angus and Kate Spiers were wowed by all three properties but only one was crowned the Highland champion and will go through to the final.

Colonel’s House

This Inverness property was built in 1897 to house the Colonel of the Cameron Barracks and is now home to Gaelle, Simon and their son Luc. The family originally bought it as a bed and breakfast in 2011 and have since converted it back into a three-storey family home.

Mr Angus was blown-away as soon as they entered the property, and things only went up from there.

A traditional “granny-chic” drawing room on the ground floor was followed by a wacky tropical jungle themed family bathroom on the top floor.

Mr Angus noticed that despite the vast difference in themes, subtle black and gold touches ran through every room tying the whole house together.

SHOTY: Judges Kate Spiers, Anna Campbell-Jones and Michael Angus were fascinated by the eclectic Highland homes on display on the BBC series. Pictures: BBC

They were in no doubt about how well the homeowners pulled off this renovation when awarding their marks, with all three judges scoring the Colonel’s House nine points which saw it top this week's leaderboard.

Mansion Apartment

Dating back to 1866, Mansion Apartment is a basement flat in a gorgeous building on the Beauly Firth, home to John and Tanya.

The judges were suitably wowed when they approached the impressive “mansion” and likened the entrance hall to Alice in Wonderland, giggling away to themselves as they descended to basement level using the lift.

Colonel House is home to Gaelle and Simon who bought the property in 2011 and converted into a family home with their son, Luc. (Credit: IWC Media)

The kitchen was described as “rich and atmospheric”, with an impressive wall mural reminding visitors of what the house would have once been like.

Ms Campbell-Jones noticed an obsession running through the home, describing it as a crossover between “Victoriana, gothic drama and retro-future visions”, categorising the overall style as “steampunk”.

Despite the judges admiring the spirit of the home, it only scored a 25 which saw it finish in second place in the Highland battle.

Colonel House, Inverness. (Credit: Thomas Skinner)

Saltire House

Home to Ian and Myra, this distinctive new-build lies in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park but its design has echoes of Glasgow’s most-famous architect – Charles Rennie Mackintoch.

Ian said that the couple were big fans of Mackintoch’s work and while he inspired their home, they were keen to avoid creating a “Mockintoch” effect.

The impressive three story home is topped with a tower and has been designed with ease in mind, complete with a lift that the judges noted was good “future-proofing”.

The judges did sense the Mackintoch vibes as soon as they approached the property, but mentioned that the entrance hall may have been trying too hard to replicate his work.

Ms Spiers said that she felt a lot of energy in the upstairs of the house and could tell the owners had just “gone for what they wanted and enjoyed it”.

Homeowners John and Tanya outside The Mansion Apartment on the Beauly Firth. (Credit: Rory Dunning)

Despite praising the bravery of the homeowners, the judges weren’t convinced by how the various styles meshed together in Saltire House, scoring it 21 out of 30.

Next week judges visit Glasgow and the Clyde Valley as they continue their search for Scotland's Home of the Year.

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