Large family & pet friendly modern cottage with Hot Tub in Garden

About SUZANNE MCINTYRE

We both moved to Moray for work reasons originally in the early 1990s and then realised the beauty of living in the area. The people are very friendly and welcoming and there is a wide range of activities and facilities in the area. We originally lived in the historic fishing village of Burghead until we commenced building Birchbrae in 1999 ourselves. Work brought us back to Glasgow in 2004 and to ensure we could keep Birchbrae to return at a future date we decided to turn it in to a self catering holiday cottage. However we don't intend to let go of Birchbrae and very much miss living there full time. Along with my best friend we do the changeovers ourselves to ensure a high standard is maintained. We enjoy the outdoors especially cycling, canoeing, horse riding and plane spotting at RAF Lossiemouth !! We are both in our 50s with a 14 yr old daughter. Suzanne classes Birchbrae as her natural home despite being a Glaswegian girl. Dougie (a Paisley buddy) has lived in Moray much longer than Suzanne and enjoyed life working for many years in Elgin and for leisure was a player with Moray Rugby club for many years. We both have made great friends in Moray and our best buddies live just along the road from Pluscarden Abbey. Our favourite treats in Moray are eating cake & coffee at Boogie Woogie in Keith, pancakes at Baxters, ice cream from Fochabers, and fabulous food at the Kimberley Inn in Findhorn. When we get time between changeovers we take a nostalgic trip over to Burghead (our old village) walk along the beach, and over to either Lossiemouth for a bit of plane spotting or Findhorn for a nice pub meal. You'll often find us on our bikes at Spey Bay looking for dolphins & osprey and cycling inland up the Spey to Baxters for a pancake treat.

SUZANNE MCINTYRE purchased this Cottage in 1999

Why SUZANNE MCINTYRE chose Mulben

Within 30 minutes you can be walking along golden sands, lovely forests or do lunch and shop in the heart of Elgin. The cottage is built on a natural clearing in woodland which is slightly elevated from the main road. Originally the woodland was part of a large estate which was split up many years ago. We named the cottage "Birch" as it's surrounded by Silver Birch trees and Brae meaning a small hill. Birchbrae is ideal for commuting to the main towns ( 20 - 30 mins in most directions) whilst living in the peace and quiet on a farm on the edge of a woodland. Most fishing villages, towns and places of interest are within 20 - 60 mins drive from the cottage. The cottage itself is close to Ben Aigan, the monster mountain bike trails at Fochabers and the Speyside Way. The local town of Keith is less than 10 mins away by car (4.5 miles) with a small range of independant shops, Tesco, or for a treat from Boogie Woogie. The quiet single track roads and forest tracks nearby are great for cycling and walking.

What makes this Cottage unique

Our 1 acre garden is mostly forest with garden to the front. The cottage overlooks fields and to the forest covered hills towards Elgin. The sunsets are fantastic. The best thing to do on a sparkling clear frosty night is to sit in the toasty warm outdoor hot tub, watching the stars. Enjoy the rest of the evening at the log fire. After a day's site seeing relax with your favourite tipple at the kitchen table while someone else makes dinner or enjoy a summer's evening walk watching for deer and other wildlife on the farm track. The kids love playing in the garden building dens in the woods or checking out wildlife. Birchbrae is 100m from the nearest neighbour so within reason you can make as much noise as you wish or just enjoy the peace of the garden. It is ideal for two families who meet in the kitchen or lounge but can enjoy their own space in the bedrooms on different floors without getting on each others nerves !! We have a number of guests who return regularly to Birchbrae for the peace and quiet but the handiness of being able to choose beach or countryside, shops or historic ruins within 30 mins. We have had honeymooners, ramblers, mountain bikers, fishermen, whisky enthusiasts and golfers. We also have regular business guests who want to avoid the restrictions of bed & breakfast and instead be able to relax or work in the evening, eat when they choose and come and go at their own pace.