Old Mayen is a stunning 17th century fortified laird’s house with a later 19th century wing, which sits in an elevated position above the Deveron Valley. There are coats of arms over a doorway and a dormer window, both dated 1680. It is utterly charming and still retains many of its original features with crowstepped gables, spyholes, stone loops, garderobes and a circular stair tower with a distinctive fish scale turreted roof. Thoughtfully restored, both inside and out, the older wing still retains its sense of history, while the later wing provides good sized and well lit rooms, looking out over its gardens.

The house is stone built and harled. The older wing has a stone slate roof, believed to have come from the Glens of Foundland, while the 19th century wing has a slate roof. It is built in an L shape, with the approach on one side, the garden on another and a charming courtyard on the other. The reception rooms in the tower wing, together with most of the bedrooms have cornices. It was acquired by the sellers family in 2003, who have continued to maintain and improve the house. A new boiler was fitted in 2020. The house sits within its own gardens and grounds, providing shelter.It is approached by a drive from the road leading to a gravelled sweep at the front door.

A wooden front door opens to a porch with an inner glazed door to a hallway with recessed display shelves and a wooden floor. The fine drawing room has a fireplace with carved wooden mantel, window shutters, French doors to garden and a wooden floor. Adjacent is the library which also has a wooden floor, together with a fireplace with marble mantel, window shutters, four wall lights and fitted bookshelves. There is a useful downstairs WC with washbasin. The dining room, in the earlier part of the building, has a large stone fireplace housing a wood burning stove, four wall lights, stairs to the first floor and a wooden floor. A cosy sitting room has five wall lights, stone fireplace with a Morso wood burning stove, fitted shelves and a garderobe in the corner. The spacious kitchen has wooden units and shelves, tiled splashbacks, Bosch dishwasher, two Armitage Shanks sinks and a four oven AGA. It also has two wall lights, stone flag floor and an entrance door to the courtyard. A useful pantry has an Armitage Shanks sink and fitted shelves.

The stone spiral stairs lead up to a landing. Bedroom one has two wall lights and a fireplace with carved wooden mantel, while bedroom two has a fireplace with a raised grate, wooden mantel and another garderobe. The family bathroom has a freestanding bath, washbasin, WC and two wall lights. Bedroom three has two wall lights, while a WC has a washbasin. A side landing has three wall lights. A shower room has a washbasin and WC, while bedroom four has a fireplace with mantel and window shutters and an en suite with freestanding bath, pedestal washbasin and WC. Bedroom five also has window shutters, while a further shower room has a pedestal washbasin, WC and window shutters.

Stairs lead up to the second floor with an attic room/workroom with three wall lights and a wall hatch to partially floored roof space.

At the kitchen door is a charming paved courtyard with box hedges, a cheese press and a former bothy, stone built with a slate roof, and currently used as a store with concrete floor and a laundry with two Belfast sinks, Hotpoint washing machine, Grant boiler, Zanussi dryer, two chest freezers and a clothes pulley. Adjacent is a greenhouse with a productive vine as well as water and a stone flag floor. On the other side of the farm road is a block built and harled garage/shed with a corrugated roof, with power, concrete floor and an inner store again with power. Below the courtyard is a kitchen/vegetable garden and a former hen run.

A stone paved terrace links the drawing room to the garden and is a delightful place to sit. Beyond and below the garden was laid out in terraced compartments, providing shelter with interlinking lawns and paths. Hedges and trees have been planted to ensure that the gardens are sheltered. There is a small pond, together with many shrubs and rhododendrons, and the garden leads down to a viewing spot, overlooking the valley below, with a rustic summerhouse. Adjacent to the entrance is a stone built log store.

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