Whitebank FarmMethven, Perthshire PH1 3QU

bellingram.co.uk

An amenity farm extending to over 60 Ha (149 acres) with principal farmhouse, detached cottage, substantial office accommodation, a range of farm buildings and sporting rights

Perth 9 miles, Crieff 9 miles, Stirling 35 miles, Edinburgh 51miles, Glasgow 60 miles

For sale as a whole or in two lots

Lot 1: Traditional two storey farmhouse with four bedrooms, detached cottage with 2 bedrooms, steading with substantial independent office accommodation; range of farm buildings and large yard; Biomass heating system; sporting rights and 21.79 hectares (53.85 acres) of arable land currently down to grass

Lot 2: 38.61 hectares (95.41 acres), arable land currently down to grass

Viewing Strictly by appointment with Bell Ingram Perth office – 01738 621121

DirectionsTravelling west on the A85, having passed through the village of Methven, continue for a further mile and turn right clearly signposted “Whitebank Farm”.

SituationWhitebank Farm is close to the small village of Methven which has a number of local amenities for everyday requirements including a Post Office, newsagent, chemist, general stores, restaurants, hotels and garages. The very popular Gloagburn farm shop is also nearby.

Perth has a wide range of high street shops, supermarkets, transport links and professional services as well as a concert hall, theatre, cinema, museum and gallery. Crieff, with its Hydro and Community Campus, also has some excellent leisure facilities and plenty of independent shops, cafés and restaurants.

Gleneagles Hotel and Country Club is about 19 miles away, with three championship golf courses, an equestrian centre and a shooting school. The surrounding countryside provides for all tastes in outdoor activities, including hill walking, climbing, fishing, water sports at Loch Earn and skiing within easy driving distance at Glenshee and Glencoe.

Perth, Stirling and Edinburgh are all well within commuting distance. Whitebank Farm is exceptionally well placed for schooling with a primary school in the village of Methven, a choice of secondary schools in Perth and private schooling at Glenalmond, Morrisons Academy and Ardvreck Preparatory in Crieff and Strathallan, Kilgraston and Craigclowan schools on the outskirts of Perth.

Traditionally, Strathearn is known for its fertile land, capable of producing high yields of an extensive range of crops and is well suited to livestock.

The local area is served by a wide variety of agricultural contactors, merchants and suppliers, and there is a successful local machinery ring which can provide additional farming resources as required. Regular livestock sales are held at Stirling Agricultural Centre.

DescriptionWhitebank Farm is an attractive amenity unit which could be run either in hand or through arrangements with local farmers. The farmhouse and cottage are in very good condition and the current office accommodation could be maintained to provide an income stream, or alternatively converted into residential accommodation, subject to the necessary planning consents.

The biomass boiler system not only services the farmhouse, the cottage and the offices but also produces useful additional income.

For sale as a whole or in two lots.

Lot 1 (delineated and coloured pink on the sales plan): Traditional two storey farmhouse with four bedrooms, detached cottage with two bedrooms, steading with substantial independent office accommodation; range of farm buildings and large yard; Biomass heating system; sporting rights and fields 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16 and 17 extending to about 21.79 hectares (53.85 acres). Whilst field 9 is being offered as part of Lot 1, access rights over this track, for agricultural and forestry purposes, will be granted to the purchaser of Lot 2 if the property is sold in lots.

Lot 2 (delineated and coloured blue on the sales plan): Fields 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 12 extending to about 38.61 hectares (95.41 acres).

FarmhouseWhitebank Farm enjoys panoramic southerly views over Strathearn. It is of traditional, two storey, stone construction with a slate roof and is fully double glazed.

The front porch is an attractive recent addition. A glazed door opens into the porch which has a tiled floor, dwarf wall, surrounding windows and a pitched slate roof. A further glazed door opens to the reception hall/dining area which has a polished pine floor, an open fireplace and a recess providing space for an office, display shelving and a window to the rear.

The sitting room has a wood burning stove and there are windows both to the north and south. There is an additional family room or snug, with windows to the south. An original fireplace sits within a brick surround and there is a shelved press.

The kitchen has space for a table and chairs and is fitted with base and wall mounted units with woodblock worktops. There is an integrated dishwasher, tiled splashbacks, concealed lighting and a feature Esse range cooker, a built-in electric oven and ceramic hob

with over hood, tiled floor and an inset Belfast style sink. There are windows to the east and west and an additional cupboard housing a back-up oil fired boiler.

A glazed door leads to the rear boot room which provides a sink, hanging and storage space. It has a tiled floor, window and a timber door.

The inner hall (between kitchen and front reception) has a shower room with WC and wash basin. It has fully tiled floor and walls and window to the rear.

A staircase leads up to the first floor where there is a linen cupboard on the landing. A further door opens to another staircase to give access to the attic which is partly floored.

The family bathroom has a window, tiled floor, WC, wash basin, bath and a separate shower.

There are four double bedrooms each with a wash basin and most with built-in cupboards.

Externally, to the front is an attractive south facing enclosed garden with lawns and shrubs whilst to the north is an additional lawned area, a number of general stores and a parking area.

SteadingFrom the rear of the farmhouse there is covered access to the main steading building which incorporates a laundry room, tool store, garages and workshop areas. Above the laundry room is the private office with built in cupboard, Velux windows and access from external stone steps.

The laundry room has a concrete floor and space for larger appliances including plumbing for an automatic washing machine and heated rails for drying. An integral door leads through to a tool store which can also be accessed from the courtyard. There are two garage workshops which have power and sliding door access from the courtyard.

Also forming part of the original steading, a sliding double door gives access to a sunken fuel-store holding woodchips which fuel the biomass boiler.

OfficesThe separate offices form the first floor of the original granary with access which is independent from the farmhouse. A private driveway sweeps around to the west side of the house and

steading where there is ample parking and a car port. A timber door with a side screen opens to a reception hall with an office off, with windows to the south and west. An inner hall has an external door to the car park and a useful cupboard under the stairs. The stairs have a window at mid landing overlooking the biomass fuel store. There are two separate toilets with wash basins. All ground floor rooms have underfloor heating.

On the first floor is a kitchen with base units, inset stainless steel sink with mixer tap and a Velux window above. The spacious, open-plan main office has glazed doors and multiple Velux windows providing further natural light. A second office has Velux windows to the north and south and a door to an external staircase. There is a further independent office again with Velux windows to north and south. All office areas have power and light. Upstairs heating is by radiators. There is a fire alarm, sprinkler system and CAT 5 cabling with a large amount of data points throughout.

The area available for let is about 1,420 ft2 and this has been returning an annual rental of about £13,000.

Biomass Heating SystemAdjacent to the office accommodation are traditional stone farm buildings, part of which have been converted to house a 100kw biomass boiler with an adjacent fuel store and a drying floor in a further building to the north. This renewable energy facility is in receipt of non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payments with potential to achieve approximately £16,000 per annum, subject to heat use, with around eleven years of this payment remaining. The system heats the offices, farmhouse and the farm cottage. In order to continue to receive the RHI payments, the purchaser will be required to take on the legal obligations of the scheme, which include regular servicing of the boiler and using fuel from an approved supplier.

Farm buildingsThe range of farm buildings offer useful storage and flexible use, with easy access from the adjacent hardcore yard.

The brick-built tractor shed extending to 40 x 71.11 ft (12.19 x 21.93 m) has power and light. There is an additional workshop with internal access through to the 4-bay, portal framed cattle court extending to 59.11 x 67.10 ft (18.26 x 20.68 m) which has a concrete floor and a central feed passage. There is a Dutch barn/silage pit with sleeper walls and a drying floor for the biomass system. Finally, there is a timber clad open-ended hay shed, tall drying shed and a detached timber pole barn used as an implement shed.

Three phase electricity is connected to the farm buildings.

Farm CottageThe detached single storey cottage has a slate roof with an entrance vestibule opening into the hallway. The sitting room has an open fireplace and a window to the west. The kitchen has a central island, base units with an inset stainless-steel sink and mixer tap, external door to the garden and windows facing east and south. Cupboards within the kitchen provide additional storage and one accommodates the oil-fired boiler as a backup to the biomass heating system.

The bathroom has a WC, wash basin and a bath with an electric shower above, and a window. There are two double bedrooms.

The whole property is double glazed and sits within a small garden mainly laid to lawn but with an area of trees giving shelter from the north, with a parking area next to the farm drive.

The cottage is currently let under a Private Rented Tenancy at a monthly rental of £600 per month with an additional £70 monthly heating contribution.

LandThe house and buildings sit within a total of approximately 61 ha (153 acres) of ring-fenced land, the majority of which (about 135 acres) is down to grass with about 16 acres of woodland. Although the land has not been cropped for several years, it was previously in a full arable rotation with grass as a break crop. It is almost all Grade 3:2 under the James Hutton Institute land classification for agriculture system, although there is a small area of 4:1 north and east of the farmhouse and steading. The land may all be easily accessed from the main farm access track or the public road which forms the southern boundary of the farm.

The land is all registered with SGRPID under the IACS system and is eligible for Region 1 Basic Payment Scheme receipts. It is generally level or gently sloping and mains water is connected to the fields. Fencing is post and wire with hedges and field gates to both the internal track and the public roads.

Please note that the purchasers will be required to comply fully and maintain the land in line with the statutory management requirements and cross compliance rules of Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) for the remainder of the 2020 Basic Payment Scheme year.

Purchasers should note that Basic Payment Scheme entitlements are not included in the sale but are available by separate negotiation.

Hectares Acres Hectares Acres Hectares Acres Hectares Acres

Lot 1

6 0.45 1.11 0.45 1.117 1.09 2.69 1.09 2.699 0.76 1.88 0.76 1.88

10 3.76 9.29 3.76 9.2911 3.51 8.67 3.51 8.6713 0.92 2.27 0.92 2.2714 4.58 11.32 4.58 11.3216 0.17 0.42 0.17 0.4217 5.71 14.11 5.71 14.11

Farmhouse, Buildings, Yard and Track 0.84 2.08 0.84 2.08

Lot 1 Total 18.48 45.67 1.71 4.23 1.60 3.95 21.79 53.85

Lot 2

2 8.1 20.02 8.10 20.023 4.99 12.33 0.36 0.89 5.35 13.224 5.62 13.89 0.71 1.75 0.03 0.07 6.36 15.725 6.52 16.11 6.52 16.118 6.13 15.15 0.08 0.20 6.21 15.35

12 3.11 7.69 2.92 7.22 0.04 0.10 6.07 15.00

Lot 2 Total 34.47 85.18 3.99 9.86 0.15 0.37 38.61 95.41

TOTAL 52.95 130.84 5.70 14.09 1.75 4.32 60.40 149.25

TotalField Number Ploughable / Pasture Woodland Other

WoodlandThe farm benefits from many mature amenity trees along the field boundaries and in addition there are a number of small woodlands, largely of mixed broadleaves. There is also an area of poplar which may in future be harvested to fuel the biomass boiler and a felling licence is currently in place for this thinning, valid until 2023.

SportingSporting rights are in hand and there are deer and game on and crossing the property offering the opportunity for informal sport, although there are no detailed records available.

Health and SafetyThe property is a working farm with livestock and equipment present. Appropriate caution must always be exercised during viewings, especially when in the farm buildings or fields containing livestock.

Mortgage Finance Bell Ingram are approved agents for the Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (AMC) who provide loan funding for farms and rural businesses at competitive rates. We can provide assistance in securing finance for various purposes including purchase of land and property, restructuring existing debt, working capital, funds for diversification projects or farm building improvements. If you would like to find out more or discuss your proposals in confidence please call Malcolm Taylor on 01307 462 516 or email malcolm.taylor@bellingram.co.uk

ServicesThe Biomass heating system for the farmhouse also serves the detached cottage and the offices. Each property can be run on an independent oil-fired system if required. Mains electricity and water and private drainage systems are connected to all of the houses and offices.

Council Tax/ RatesThe Farmhouse is Council Tax Band E and the Cottage is Council Tax Band B. The offices have a current rateable value of £5,200 pa. The farmland is also liable for non-domestic rates for shooting rights, with a currently rateable value of £240 pa. Depending on individual circumstances, small business bonus relief may be available to offset non-domestic rates liabilities. Perth and Kinross Council is the local authority.

EPC rating – The Farmhouse - TBA The Cottage - TBA

Fixtures and fittingsThe integrated kitchen appliances in the main house and the Cottage are included in the sale. The Summer House, the curtains in the farmhouse and the free-standing appliances in the laundry are offered by separate negotiation.

Servitude rights, burdens and wayleavesThe property is sold subject to and with the benefit of all servitude rights, burdens, reservations and wayleaves, including rights of access and rights of way, whether public or private, light, support, drainage, water and wayleaves for masts, pylons, stays, cable, drains and water, gas and other pipes, whether contained in the Title Deeds or informally constituted and whether referred to in the General Remarks and Stipulations or not. The Purchaser(s) will be held to have satisfied himself as to the nature of all such servitude rights and others.

All fallen or standing timber and mineral rights, in so far as they are owned, will be included in the sale.

PossessionVacant possession of the farmhouse, offices, buildings and land will be given on completion. Please note that the detached cottage is currently let under a Private Rented Tenancy. The current grazing agreement runs month to month until October 2020.

OffersOffers must be submitted in Scottish legal terms to the Selling Agents. A closing date for offers may be fixed and prospective purchasers are advised to register their interest with the Selling Agents following inspection. Under the 5th Directive of the Money Laundering Regulations, effective from 10th December 2019, we are required to carry out anti-money laundering due diligence on the successful purchaser to allow completion of the sale.

Important NoticeBell Ingram, their clients and any joint agents give notice that:

1. They are not authorised to make or give any representations or warranties in relation to the property either here or elsewhere, either on their own behalf or on behalf of their client or otherwise. They assume no responsibility for any statement that may be made in these particulars. These particulars do not form part of any offer or contract and must not be relied upon as statements or representations of fact.

2. Any areas, measurements or distances are approximate. The text, photographs and plans are for guidance only and are not necessarily comprehensive. It should not be assumed that the property has all necessary planning, building regulation or other consents and Bell Ingram have not tested any services, equipment or facilities. Purchasers must satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise.

Durn, Isla Road, Perth, PH2 7HF

01738 621121

bellingram.co.uk

enquires@bellingram.co.uk

Distances scaled from this plan

may not match the distances

between the same points on the

ground.

Reproduced from Ordnance

Survey digital map data © Crown

copyright 2020.

All rights reserved.

Licence number 0100031673

Grid Ref. at

centre:

NO 000 254

Scale at A4

Drawn by: TJR

Date prepared:

22/06/2020

BI Ref: R9233-0101S (Rev.3)

Lot 1

Lot 2

Legend

Whitebank FarmMethven

PerthshirePH1 3QU

Sales ParticularsPlan

Durn, Isla Road, Perth PH2 7HF Tel: 01738 621 121 Fax: 01738 630 904www.bellingram.co.uk enquiries@bellingram.co.uk