A mansion in the Scottish landscape which was built for the son of a servant who went on to become a mining tycoon has gone on the market for £1.5M.
Tillycorthie Mansion House is just half an hour away from the city of Aberdeen and comes with a glass-roofed courtyard, a lavishly-appointed dining suite, and the nine-acre grounds which surround it.
The 11-bedroom property, near the village of Udny just 11 miles north of Aberdeen, is currently on the market with Savills estate agency for £1,500,000.
Tillycorthie Mansion House is pictured above with its glass-roofed courtyard seen to the right. The mansion was built for James Rollo Duncan, who went to Latin America during the mining boom of the late 1880s to try and make his fortune
Tillycorthie Mansion was built for James Rollo Duncan, an entrepreneur who spent his life between Bolivia and Aberdeenshire.
Born as the unwanted son of a servant, Duncan became a shepherd at the age of 10, then a herring fisherman, and later served his apprenticeship as a stonemason.
He raised enough money to travel to Bolivia to try and make his fortune in Latin America in the 1880s. He worked for a spell as a miner before moving up the ranks to open his own mine and cash in on the height of the tin mine boom.
Duncan bought adjoining mines and soon became one of the country’s leading mine owners, and stayed in the country for 30 years.
Entrepreneur James Rollo Duncan became a shepherd at the age of 10, then a herring fisherman, and later served his apprenticeship as a stonemason before moving to Latin America. One of the spacious living area rooms is pictured above
A red room with a large pool table is seen above. Other rooms include the Purple Room and the Chinese Room, and the house also has its very own Christmas Room
The mine mogul visited Scotland on several occasions, but it wasn’t until 1911 that he returned to take up permanent residence, joined by his new wife Isabella. One of the 11 bedrooms in the home is seen above
James Rollo Duncan spent his life between Bolivia and Aberdeenshire. Born as the unwanted son of a servant, he went to Bolivia and worked as a miner before becoming a mining tycoon himself
The 11 bedrooms are each singularly characterful, as are the various drawing-rooms. One of the double bedrooms is pictured above
The mine mogul visited Scotland on several occasions, but it wasn’t until 1911 that he returned to take up permanent residence, joined by his new wife Isabella, an Aberdeenshire woman who had also travelled to South America in hopes of a better life.
Looking for a home which reflected their South American story, they built Tillycorthie Mansion House – one of the very first Scottish homes to be built using reinforced concrete.
The wealthy couple lived the rest of their lives in the magnificent house, with Duncan taking a keen interest in local agriculture.
He passed away in 1938 and was survived by his wife of 15 years. Following Isabella’s passing, the house was abandoned nearly 30 years before it was bought and immaculately refurbished by the current owners to its present condition.
‘From the period paints and wallcoverings to the silk window drapes and waxed parquet floors, Tillycorthie Mansion House is a supreme example of a property that has been fortunate enough to have been rescued and restored to its former glory,’ said Fiona Gormley of Savills.
‘The opportunity to acquire a period mansion house which has been fully refurbished with such meticulous attention to detail is rare indeed. Since acquiring the property the current owners have lavished much energy, passion and expense to ensure that Tillycorthie has been reinstated to its former glory.
‘The many ornate fireplaces all have open chimneys and are fully functional. Moulded ceilings, cornice work and ceiling roses are in abundance. Grooved door frames, deep skirting boards, panelled doors and original oak parquet flooring have been lovingly waxed and polished.’
From the initial ‘wow’ of the palm courtyard, as seen above filled with light and greenery, the house has been designed to impress. Owner James Rollo Duncan became one of Bolivia’s leading mine owners, and stayed in the country for 30 years
The inside of the glass-housed courtyard is pictured above, which looks on to its surroundings. Owner James Rollo Duncan took a keen interest in local agriculture
The heart of the home is the generous dining sized presentation kitchen fitted with an extensive and comprehensive range of luxury bespoke handmade cabinets, complemented by granite work surfaces
‘The many ornate fireplaces all have open chimneys and are fully functional. Moulded ceilings, cornice work and ceiling roses are in abundance. Grooved door frames, deep skirting boards, panelled doors and original oak parquet flooring have been lovingly waxed and polished’, says Fiona Gormley of Savills
From the initial ‘wow’ of the palm courtyard, filled with light and greenery, the house has been designed to impress.
The heart of the home is the generous dining sized presentation kitchen fitted with an extensive and comprehensive range of luxury bespoke handmade cabinets, complemented by granite work surfaces.
The 11 bedrooms are each singularly characterful, as are the various drawing-rooms. There is a cocktail bar, with a gleaming black and white porcelain-tiled floor, as well as a Christmas Room, where you can warm up in front of the fire on chilly winter days.
James Rollo Duncan passed away in 1938 and was survived by his wife of 15 years. Following Isabella’s passing, the house was abandoned nearly 30 years before it was bought and immaculately refurbished by the current owners to its present condition. A cosy living room is pictured above
Looking for a home which reflected their South American story as Spanish style architecture, as seen above, they built Tillycorthie Mansion House – one of the very first Scottish homes to be built using reinforced concrete. The wealthy couple lived the rest of their lives in the magnificent house
The tree-lined road is pictured leading up to the house. Tillycorthie Mansion House is half an hour away from the city of Aberdeen and comes with a glass-roofed courtyard, a lavishly-appointed dining suite, and the nine-acre grounds which surround it
A lake is seen on the property’s nine acres. The 11-bedroom property, near the village of Udny just 11 miles north of Aberdeen, is currently on the market with Savills estate agency for £1,500,000