“My partner Jenny owned a home in Kingswells and myself in Grantown-on-Spey when we decided to buy our first home together. We were initially quite interested in some other local house builders in Countesswells and Kingswells and were very drawn to the townhouse look.

“That is when ‘The Balmoral’ townhouse at Countesswells really caught our eye but we were cautious not to buy anything too large as it will soon just be the two of us - and the pets of course! We then realised that Kirkwood also had a development just outside of Stonehaven called Ury Estate, which seemed like fate as I had the fondest memories of living on the coast previously.”

“It really is the perfect fit! There is a great amount of space for socialising when Katharine’s boyfriend visits or we host friends, and plenty of room for a second living area in the open-plan kitchen / diner - we have incorporated another sofa and TV in here, in addition to the formal lounge.

“Having a spare third bedroom was quite important to us at the time, as my partner Jenny had started working from home and still is - this made the perfect spot for a home office, where the cats have loved observing her hard at work.”

“Everything. On first impressions we thought it was a very attractive development which also has the perfect combination of being on the edge of town but still having a real country feel. We are only a 20 minute walk from the centre of Stonehaven, where there is such a great selection of restaurants, bars and cafés.

“Even if we fancy popping into the city, it isn’t a hassle at all, as the train station is very close and is only around £7 for a 15 minute journey to Union Square. People often think you are not well connected out here, but if I am setting off to meet a friend for a few drinks in Aberdeen, I’m in the pub before him and he only stays in Kingswells!”

“There is no shortage of incredible walking routes and trails to explore. Luckily I am retired and have a trusty labrador, Lola, to accompany me everyday!

“Whether that means a trip to the beach or the lovely Dunnottar woods, the castle itself or toward the old Ury House at the back of the development, there are so many beautiful walks which can be accessed straight from our house. This means I don’t need to mess around with parking or deal with a muddy dog on my clean car seats after a long walk in the woods!

“The views here are absolutely stunning and a south facing garden was also an important reason for buying this house - we love spending time in the garden with the dog and admiring the views. If you were standing on your tiptoes you’d even manage to see the sea! You really have the best of everything the countryside has to offer!”

“Not a problem at all. Michelle, our sales advisor, was great - extremely helpful and explained everything so well, even helping us choose a few design features throughout the house.

“I was having a chat with some tradesmen a few weeks ago and when I mentioned I had bought a Kirkwood home they told me this was by far the best housebuilder we could have bought with in the North East, and having lived here a few months, I couldn’t agree with them more!”