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NEWS GOSSIP OPINION

Will Windyhill sell for

£5 million .f'or more?

Top of the property ladder

Mackintosh house set to become Scotland’s most expensive home. Words: Allan Radcliffe

house designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh

has been put on the market and looks liker to

become the country‘s most expensive home. Windyhill House in Kilmalcolm. Renfrewshire. 15 miles outside Glasgow. is the only remaining Mackintosh- designed. privately owned residential property and carries a suitably eye-catching price tag of £5111. Currently. the most expensive house in Scotland belongs to Rangers chairman David Murray. who paid £45m in October for his six bedroom Edinburgh home.

The characteristically l..-shaped house is one of only two that Mackintosh designed and realised during his lifetime. The grade ‘A~ listed building. constructed using natural stone from the surrounding area. boasts three public rooms. seven bedrooms. two bathrooms and a reception area. Windyhill has never been shown in public at any time since it was built in 1900 and has been expertly restored to integrate its original features with the demands of modern living. The interior shows many

of the design features. materials and colours that made the architect famous throughout the world. Of particular interest is the magnificent staircase and hallway. featuring coloured and leaded glass constructed by Mackintosh‘s wife. Margaret. Windyhill also features leafy private gardens. which look out onto the countryside from the main south facing rooms and integrate a lily pond with shrubs and ornamental trees.

Mackintosh originally designed the house for his friend and loyal patron William Davidson. who purchased Windyhill for the rather more modest price of £25()() and lived there until 1937. According to the entertaining property schedule. Mackintosh had to be thrown into the lily pond by his friend when his beard accidentally caught fire as he was laying presents around the tree while dressed as Father Christmas.

The full schedule for the house can be viewed at www.masondrydenmurray.com

THE LIST MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES NEW EDITOR

I The List is delighted to announce the appointment of Claire Prentice as its new editor, the 12th in the magazine’s 21-year history. Claire takes up her role at the end of January, replacing Nick Barley, who is leaving to become director of The Lighthouse, Scotland’s National Centre for Architecture, Design and the City. An award-winning journalist, Claire has filed stories from Spain, the Antarctic and Japan and covered the 2004 American election. She has written and edited for a diverse array of publications, from the Sunday 77mes to the Sydney Morning Herald. She says of her appointment: ‘I am delighted to be joining The List which I first wrote for a decade ago. This is a really exciting time for the magazine and the website. I look forward to working with The List's talented staff to make it a must-read.’ (AR)

Executive campaign set to sponsor Outsider Festival

Highland 2007. the year- long celebration of Highland culture, has announced that The Outsider Festival will be sponsored by the Scottish Executive's sustainable development campaign, lt's Our Future.

The latest innovative addition to the festivals calendar. which takes place over the midsummer weekend (Fri 22—Sun 24 Jun) aims to get people thinking about their relationship with the environment through a mix of entertainment and activities. including music. comedy, film and participation sports. The festival is set to attract thousands to its unique setting, Rochiemurchus Forest in the Cairngorm National Park. Festival-goers will be encouraged to leave the site in order to explore the immediate surroundings. with opportunities for kayaking on nearby Loch Morlich, mountain biking, badger and owl watching at night, participating in ranger- led walks.

Pete Irvine of organisers Unique Events said of the festival. “We believe that The Outsider will break the mould for festivals. The landscape of the Highlands will be the headline attraction but it will also be a great cultural feast "your absolute best weekend".'

The full programme is announced at the end of January. For details visit www.0utsiderfestival.co.uk (AR)

itr-l8 Jan 200/ THE LIST 7