Balcairn, 434 Blackness Road in Dundee, is a magnificent ground floor apartment, within a prestigious house built between 1898 and 1900, which was designed in the Italianate Renaissance style, for the city benefactor William Rettie, a well known grocer and merchant. It remained his family home until his death in 1922. The house, which is attractively built of dressed stone with a slate roof, occupies a prime elevated south facing site. In the 1930s the property was cleverly divided into two, and Balcairn comprises the entire ground floor of this three storey property. It retains the original name, and being the ground floor, it includes many of the original fine principal rooms, and with large windows to the front, has fabulous views across the River Tay to Fife. The C Listed building sits within a Conservation Area and is an exceptional example of the fine townhouses that were built in Dundee during the late 19th century.

The apartment is well presented and still retains many fine architectural features, both externally and internally, and has stunning plasterwork in the main rooms, together with period panelled doors and door furniture, along with some cornicings and high level skirtings. With its own house number, Balcairn has a private gated entrance leading directly down to the original front door. Sitting within its own garden, and with all the accommodation arranged on one floor, Balcairn is a most imposing property of great character, occupying one of the finer sites in Dundee. With good sized accommodation it is both a wonderful home and ideal for entertaining. The sellers, who have owned the property since 1994, have continued to improve and enhance the apartment, while being careful to retain its authenticity.

Stone gate piers and gates open to a gravelled drive leading down to parking adjacent to the house. A covered entrance has a front door to a porch with a mosaic tiled floor and inner glazed door to an impressive hall with an ornamental fireplace, six wall lights, shelved cupboard and cloak cupboard. Off this is a cloakroom with wood panelling to dado level, and door to a shower room with shower, wash basin and WC. The south facing rooms on the other side of the hall all have lovely views. The magnificent double aspect dining room has an ornate ceiling, period wallpaper to three walls, two wall lights, and a fireplace with gas fire and wooden overmantel. The principal bedroom (originally another reception room) has a stunning plaster ceiling and walls, with an inbuilt cupboard, fireplace with gas fire, display alcove, window seat and two wall lights. The splendid double aspect sitting room also has magnificent plasterwork to the ceiling and walls, and a fireplace with gas fire. A vestibule, which used to lead out to a former conservatory, is used for intimate dining, but was previously a study. Bedroom 2 has a tiled former fireplace, while a partially tiled bathroom has a period bath, washbasin and WC, along with a shower cubicle and tiled floor. An inner hallway has a display alcove and a walk in shelved cupboard housing an Ideal Standard Concord boiler. Bedroom 3 has a connecting door to the shower room off the cloakroom. A cosy living room has a picture rail, two alcoves and a fireplace with a gas fire. This leads to the fitted kitchen with a tiled floor. Appliances include a Whirlpool microwave , oven/grill and four ring gas hob with extractor, along with a sink and plumbing for a washing machine. Beyond is a utility room with a sink and back door.

At the back of the house is an attached garage with a storage area, along with a drying green and wooden garden shed. In front of the house is a lovely paved terrace, overlooking the garden which is mainly lawn and enclosed by shrubs and hedges. To the side of the house is another paved seating area, being the site of the former conservatory, which is ideal for evening sun.

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