Faunoran House, a designer home near Balmoral, Ballater, Scotland

A Designer House near Balmoral in the Heart of Royal Deeside

Faunoran House stands among silver birch at Crathie, in the heart of Royal Deeside, and Balmoral is a half-mile walk away. The royal estate's grounds and exhibitions open in season, which means the King's Scottish home is your neighbors' house and your morning stroll.

This is the newest home on the Gairnshiel estate, designed by Maarten Van Meerbeeck. The register carries through from the estate's other houses. The ground floor is arranged around the evening: a lounge with a dining room looking onto the gardens, and a black-finished bar for after dinner.

The five bedrooms take up the two upper floors, every one a super king with its own bath. There are no singles and no twins here, which is why this house works so well as a gathering of couples.

The gardens wrap the house through the birches, and the main outdoor life happens on the large back terrace, with several seating areas and a barbecue. The open ground around the house is good for birdwatching.

Faunoran is also the easy one. Its siblings up in Glengairn make you work for the arrival. This house sits just off the Deeside road, across from the Tarmachan Cafe, with a private drive and parking for several cars. For wild swimming, take a short walk to the river under a Victorian suspended bridge.

The other homes on this estate (Gairnshiel Lodge, Laggan Cottage, The Old School, and Inverenzie Cottage) are all available to book via Boutique.

Layout

This vacation home for rent in Crathie sleeps up to 10 guests over three floors. The ground floor holds a private lounge with a black-finished bar, a dining room with views over the gardens, a state-of-the-art kitchen, and a boot room, laundry and guest WC. The first floor has three en-suite bedrooms; the top floor has two more. Every bedroom has a super king bed that cannot be twinned, so the house suits five couples or a family that does not need singles.

• Bedroom 1 (first floor) — Super king, en suite

• Bedroom 2 (first floor) — Super king, en suite

• Bedroom 3 (first floor) — Super king, en suite

• Bedroom 4 (top floor) — Super king, en suite

• Bedroom 5 (top floor) — Super king, en suite

• 1 guest WC

All bedrooms have super king beds that cannot be twinned.

Good to know

Check-in is self-service by lockbox, with the code shared before you arrive. The house is just off the main road at Crathie, across from the Tarmachan Cafe and well signed, and travelling by car is recommended. Children over five years and babies in arms (no toddlers) are welcome, with a high chair and travel cot available. Shoes come off at the door. Pets and indoor smoking are not allowed.

Amenities & services

Heating, free wifi, smart TV, sound system, state-of-the-art kitchen with island, dishwasher, oven, stove, microwave, fridge and freezer, ice maker, kettle, toaster, coffee and tea maker, blender, wine glasses, dining room, washing machine and dryer, linens and towels, iron, room-darkening shades, private living room, black-finished bar, balcony, large terrace, uncovered deck, outdoor furniture and dining, barbecue grill, garden, private parking, high chair and travel cot, smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, self check-in by lockbox

Around

Faunoran sits at Crathie, on the main road through Royal Deeside, a short walk of about 0.8km from Balmoral, the royal family’s Scottish home. Its grounds and exhibitions open in season. The Tarmachan Cafe is across the road. Ballater is about eight miles east, with cafes, a butcher and the old royal station. Braemar is 10-15 minutes west, with the Fife Arms and its 16,000-piece art collection and the Highland Games each September. Hill walking, salmon fishing and cycling are on the doorstep, several golf courses lie within reach, and three of Scotland’s five ski resorts are close enough for a winter day.