ACCORDING to Bank of Scotland’s annual rural housing review, the rural-urban price gap has narrowed over the last five years, however, it reveals Scots still pay, on average, an 11 per cent premium (equal to £17,231) to live in the countryside. This can be a small price to pay when you tot up all the advantages of rural living – especially as many country houses often have land and unexpected extras. Here are three properties newly on the market that fit that bill…

IN Renfrewshire, St Bryde’s Cottage is an exceptional modern detached villa in a delightful rural setting yet only a mile from three villages – Lochwinnoch, Howwood and Kilbarchan and just minutes from the A737/M8 motorway to Glasgow and nearby railway station.

Bordered by open countryside and close to Castle Semple Loch, the house stands in half an acre of enclosed garden grounds that include a detached garage with kennels and dog exercise area – the re is also another 25ft outbuilding currently used as a gym, plus a chicken coup.

The two-storey house has a cloakroom, double bedroom, 25ft living room and adjoining dining room, which continues into a spacious kitchen downstairs. Upstairs are three double bedrooms, storeroom and a large family bathroom.

Notable touches include a log-burner in the dining room, feature fireplace in the living room and ceramic flooring. St Bryde’s Cottage is for sale with Slater Hogg & Howison’s Bridge of Weir office at offers over £399,950.

IN Renfrewshire, St Bryde’s Cottage is an exceptional modern detached villa in a delightful rural setting yet only a mile from three villages – Lochwinnoch, Howwood and Kilbarchan and just minutes from the A737/M8 motorway to Glasgow and nearby railway station.

Bordered by open countryside and close to Castle Semple Loch, the house stands in half an acre of enclosed garden grounds that include a detached garage with kennels and dog exercise area – the re is also another 25ft outbuilding currently used as a gym, plus a chicken coup.

The two-storey house has a cloakroom, double bedroom, 25ft living room and adjoining dining room, which continues into a spacious kitchen downstairs. Upstairs are three double bedrooms, storeroom and a large family bathroom.

Notable touches include a log-burner in the dining room, feature fireplace in the living room and ceramic flooring. St Bryde’s Cottage is for sale with Slater Hogg & Howison’s Bridge of Weir office at offers over £399,950.

The Herald:

EVERYTHING about Cedar House is unique, from its setting adjacent to Rannoch railway station in the heart of Rannoch Moor – which combines rural tranquility with the accessibility of having the West Highland Railway Line on the doorstep – to its contemporary design, constructed primarily of cedar wood with a predominately glass south-facing gable.

Constructed in 2006 by the present owners, the house has an internal area of 1,125 square feet, configured as a 22ft open-plan living/dining/kitchen accessed by double doors from a covered raised deck at the front of the house. Off the living space is a useful boot room/utility with an external door to the side garden, cloakroom, two double bedrooms and a staircase leading up to a mezzanine gallery, off which is a spacious master bedroom and adjoining bathroom.

Interior detailing includes wood flooring and finishes and exposed roof trusses in the double-height living space offset by neutral décor. The kitchen work area is well equipped, while the living area’s focal feature is a contemporary wood-burning stove on a slate plinth.

This Highland hideaway’s unexpected extra is a sizeable detached timber cabin in the garden, which houses a sauna and has plumbing for a shower.

The garden is level and mainly lawn with a hardcore parking area, log stores and garden shed – the raised entrance deck also has store rooms off at either end.

Rannoch is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts and the house is only a short walk from the Moor of Rannoch Hotel – and when the city lights beckon, the train journey from Rannoch to Glasgow Queen Street is one of the most scenic routes in Scotland. Offers over £290,000 are invited by CKD Galbraith’s Perth office.

The Herald:

THE Old Cornmill is an intriguing B-listed stone-built former mill house in an idyllic setting on the banks of the Melgam Water in the village of Bridgend of Lintrathen near Kirriemuir in Angus.

Converted into two properties in 1990 and linked to form one substantial four bedroomed house in 2002, the accommodation over three floors includes a living/dining room with multi-fuel stove and patio doors to the terrace, kitchen and split-level dining room incorporating a glass wall to display original mill workings. Upstairs is a master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and a further double bedroom and adjoining bathroom; on the upper level, a charming L-shaped living room with access to a balcony overlooking the river, two bedrooms and a third bathroom.

It has many eye-catching details such as exposed beams, wood floors, combed ceilings, painted stone walls, low-level windows and Velux roof lights.

Extending to over half-an-acre, the garden leads down to the river at the rear and includes a wooded bank. There is also a stone-paved terrace adjacent to the house, pretty front garden, parking areas and stores. Savills’ Brechin office invites offers over £280,000.