Article posted on 29/10/2021

Article posted on 29/10/2021

If you are spiritually inclined, Inverliever Lodge has a natural healing ambience

After 16 blissful years running the internationally renowned Yoga retreat Ecoyoga at Inverliever Lodge near Lochgilphead, Nick and Rachel Loening are embarking on a new chapter. They’re selling up and moving back to the big city.

What’s clear though is that a piece of their hearts will always remain at this hidden gem where they embarked on an incredible journey in 2004.

“Back in the early noughties I used to run a busy city centre yoga studio in Edinburgh,” explains Nick. “When Rachel and I began a family, we loved the idea of running a retreat centre. We’d visited centres all over the world and there wasn’t anything like it in Scotland, so decided we wanted to start our own one.”

The first time they saw Inverliever Lodge they knew they’d found the perfect place for their business and to build a family home. Since then, the Loening family have welcomed visitors from all over the world, from California to China.

Today, the retreat, on the market with Bell Ingram, has 27 bedrooms with options to expand, private three-bedroom owner’s accommodation as well as a fully equipped yoga studio with massage room and renewable energy to power the place.

“Many of our visitors come to Ecoyoga, then go touring Scotland,” says Nick. “The incredible location is just so special and makes visiting all the more memorable for people. If you’re spiritually inclined, there’s a natural healing ambience to the place which people often comment on when they visit.”

Nature is at the heart of Inverliever. It’s an incredibly pure natural environment. The water is freshly sprung from the mountains nearby and the air is fresh. There are hot baths next to a spectacular waterfall which many repeat visitors come back for year-upon-year. With the rise in popularity of wild swimming, guests like to enjoy the hot baths before plunging into the cold fresh water beneath the waterfall, then back into the hot baths.

“After visiting, it’s like emerging from a cocoon,” says Nick. “People genuinely look and feel better. People comment on this time and time again. A feeling of rejuvenation. We are very unique in that respect and it’s something people only fully appreciate when they come to visit.”

With serene natural surroundings that lend themselves to a retreat style of business, Nick believes the space could be used for all sorts of retreat-style businesses. “There are so many opportunities for expansion or introducing new activities to this special space. Group activities around mindfulness, meditation or perhaps arts, crafts or writing retreats. There’s so much potential here.”

In the time Nick and Rachel have developed Egoyoga, their babies have grown into teenagers, which has prompted their move back to Edinburgh, but the place will always be special to the Loenings. “Above all else, it has been a wonderful family home for us and we know it could be again for another family or couple looking perhaps looking for a lifestyle change. Living and working here is ideal for the kind of person who is up for living in the countryside. It’s 12 miles to the nearest shop so it really is exceptionally peaceful and remote here. A genuine retreat.”

• For more information or to arrange a viewing contact Andrew Fuller on 01631 566 122 or email andrew.fuller@bellingram.co.uk

Article posted on 06/10/2021

Bell Ingram: A special agent for your special property

When it comes to presenting your home for sale, a special property needs a special agent to navigate the market in these extraordinary times.

From market appraisal to conclusion of missives, Bell Ingram’s estate agents always go the extra mile to ensure your expectations are not just met but exceeded.

We have residential property teams in Perth, Beauly, Oban, Ayr, Aberdeen, Forfar, and Thirsk, covering Scotland and the North of England. Specialising in desirable rural properties, we also have extensive expertise selling farms, estates, crofts, commercial, lifestyle, plots and woodland.

So, whether it’s a grand Victorian shooting lodge or a high-end retirement apartment, a farmhouse with attached holiday cottage lets or an historic thatched island blackhouse, we are perfectly placed to find you the right buyer or the right property.

At Bell Ingram, our agents pride themselves on a highly personal approach, outstanding service and attention to detail. The high levels of staff retention also mean that our clients can be sure of dealing with highly qualified and experienced people at all times.

Drawing on over 100 years’ experience in the prime property market, we offer our clients an extensive database which provides relevant, comparable evidence for market appraisals when marketing properties and matching buyers to suitable homes.

And our in-depth understanding of regional and national markets enables our team to achieve the best possible result for your sale or purchase.

Head of Estate Agency Carl Warden says: “Bell Ingram’s estate agents have seen unprecedented housing market activity across Scotland during the last 18 months of the pandemic.

“High buyer demand coupled with a shortage of stock has driven up valuations with residential properties achieving anything between 5% to 30% over the asking price, and I expect this upward trend to continue.

“It’s 100% a sellers’ market at the moment with properties being snapped up within days of going live on the market, particularly if they are in desirable locations like Perth and Kinross, Highlands and Islands, or Argyll and Bute.”

The pandemic is also driving a race for space. Larger detached properties at the upper end of the market with plenty of outside space and spare room that could be used as an office are in high demand as hybrid and work-from-home changes mean buyers are no longer tied into city locations.

Carl Warden continues: “Lifestyle properties have also been attracting a lot of attention from buyers looking for a beautiful home with a business attached. Bell Ingram is currently marketing a number of such opportunities which tick all the boxes for purchasers wanting to quit the rat race for a new life in the country.

“The rise in house prices has meant buyers were able to pay off the LBTT due on properties above £400,000, with equity. And with interest rates expected to rise a little earlier than previously predicted, I’d advise buyers to take advantage of the current low rates,” he adds.

• Based in key locations across Scotland, Bell Ingram’s estate agents will provide a comprehensive marketing service. For a free market appraisal of your property, please contact our team on 01738 621 121 or email perth@bellingram.co.uk

Article posted on 06/10/2021