Monaughty - Lots 1, 2 and 3, Forres, Moray, IV36

Monaughty, Toreduff and Dykeside Farms comprise three amalgamated farms which for many years have been farmed together as a single holding. Together, they comprise an outstanding and diverse farming unit with good quality, mainly arable farmland. In addition, there are two excellent traditional farmhouses and an excellent range of farm buildings divided between the three original farmsteads. In total, the farm extends to approximately 671 acres / 271.9 ha of good quality arable farmland and small pockets of mixed species woodland.The farms represent some of the best arable land across lowland Moray and the ‘laich’ and are capable of producing high quality cereal and fodder crops with vegetables on rotation. Currently, the farm a carries some 130 head of beef cattle with over wintering sheep. The fields are well-proportioned with a good provision of water and troughs. The farm has been well managed for generations and is in excellent heart.

See below for land type.

Arable
502.1 acres (203.2 ha)

Permanent Pasture
45.8 acres (18.5 ha)

Rough Grazing
46.3 acres (18.7 ha)

Woodland
61.5 acres (24.9 ha)

Other
15.3 acres (6.2 ha)

Total
671 acres (271.5 ha)

METHOD OF SALE
The farm is being offered to the market as a whole or in four separate lots as follows:

LOT 1 – MONAUGHTY FARMHOUSE, TRADITIONAL FARM BUILDINGS AND PADDOCK. ABOUT 7.45Ha (18.4 Ac)

Monaughty Farmhouse

Located at the heart of the farm and adjacent to the main farmstead, Monaughty Farmhouse is an attractive detached two storey traditional house constructed of stone under a pitched slate roof. It is an exceptional family home with considerable potential. Spacious and well-appointed accommodation is provided over two storeys and includes:

Ground Floor:
Kitchen. Dining room. Living Room. Sitting Room. Office. Boot Room. WC.

First Floor:
6 Bedrooms. Bathroom. Shower Room. Linen Cupboard.

The house is heated using oil central heating (including an AGA in the kitchen) and is connected to mains water and electricity. Whilst it would benefit from a degree of modernisation, it has many of the features one would hope to find in a house of this age and character including tall corniced ceilings and open fireplaces.

Surrounding the house is a generously sized garden with various useful outbuildings, a former tennis court and a recently re-instated walled garden located adjacent to the farm steading nearby.

Located adjacent are an extensive range of modern and traditional farm buildings, including:

Farm Buildings

Silage Pit and Store – About 14.6m x 36m – Steel portal frame, concrete block and corrugated clad walls, fibre cement sheet roof and concrete/stone floor.

Cattle Court – About 39m x 17m – Stone and concrete block walls, metal truss and part box profile sheet and part fibre cement sheet roof, central feed pass and a concrete floor.
Steading Complex – Unmeasured - Traditional stone and concrete block walls, mix of roof types and concrete floors. Includes various byres, workshop, washing facilities and old grain store stores and cattle court.

Traditional Shed – About 10.9m x 5.8m + 20.5m x 5.8m - Traditional stone walls, timber truss and slate roof and concrete floor. Originally included stabling and currently used as garage, tractor shed and general storage.

Land

Lot 1 also includes a superb field extending to about 6.4ha (15.8 acres) which in recent years has been arable cropped, however, it could be used as excellent quality grazing land for horses or other livestock.

In essence, Lot 1 which includes the house, garden, buildings and paddock is a fantastic smallholding or ‘lifestyle’ property that will appeal to residential, equestrian and small holder buyers.

LOT 2 - LAND AND FARM BUILDINGS AT MONAUGHTY, TOREDUFF AND DYKESIDE.
ABOUT 202.1 Ha (499.3 Ac)

Monaughty Farm Buildings

As the principal of the three separate units, the majority of the farm buildings are located at Monaughty where there is an excellent range of traditional and modern buildings. The buildings are served by mains water and 3-phase electricity and include:

1. General Purpose Shed & Former Dairy – About 20.9m x 48m – Steel portal frame on a concrete/hardcore floor with part concrete block walls and Yorkshire boarding, fibre cement cladding on gable end and a fibre cement sheet roof, 2 separate joined inside and outside holding pens/stabling. This building has been occupied in recent years through licence by a third party for straw and seed storage. The annual licence fee has been £1,500 per annum. Also includes former dairy premises.

2. Secure Grain Store – About 30m x 17m – Steel portal frame on a concrete floor with part concrete panel and box profile sheet cladding walls, roller door and a fibre cement sheet roof.

3. Grain Dryer – About 28m x 7.5m – Concrete block, steel and fibre cement sheet walls, fibre cement sheet roof and twelve drying bins.

4. Combine / Tractor / Implement Shed – About 7.8m x 12.7m – Concrete block and fibre cement sheet walls, metal truss and fibre cement sheet roof with transparent panels and a concrete floor.
In addition there is a sizeable area of useful hardstanding.

Toreduff Farm Buildings

A further range of buildings and cattle handling facilities are located to the west at Toreduff. These are easily accessible directly off the public road and served by private water and mains electricity. These include:

1. Cattle Court – About 26m x 38m – Divided between 4 cattle courts. Steel portal frame, concrete block walls, fibre cement sheet roof, two feed passes and a concrete floor.

2. Pole Barn – About 9.6m x 24.8m Timber pole barn, corrugated metal sheet roof and earth floor.

3. Traditional Shed – About 33m x 4.6m - Traditional stone walls, timber truss and slate roof and concrete floor.4. Silage Pit & Pole Barn – About 22m x 12m & 22m x 15m. Adjacent open silage pit.

Adjacent are excellent cattle handling facilities.

Dykeside Farm Buildings

1. Cattle Court – About 31.1m x 35.6m – Steel portal frame, concrete block and stone walls with Yorkshire boarding, fibre cement sheet roof, central feed pass and a concrete floor.

2. Traditional Cart Shed – About 22.3m x 4.7m – Traditional stone walls, timber truss and box profile sheet roof and a concrete floor.

3. Former Pig Shed – Unmeasured. Concrete block walls, fibre cement sheet roof, concrete floor. This building has been occupied in recent years through licence by a third party for vehicle storage. The annual licence fee has been £780 per annum.

4. Storage Shed – Unmeasured. Concrete block walls, fibre cement sheet roof, concrete floor. This building has been occupied in recent years through licence by a third party for vehicle storage. The annual licence fee has been £780 per annum.

5. Pole Barn - Unmeasured. Timber pole barn, part corrugated metal sheet part box profile sheet roof, earth floor.

The Land

The land included within Lot 2 extends to approximately 196.46 ha (485.4 acres) excluding tracks, roads, buildings etc. It is predominantly of arable quality and is principally classified as Grade 3.1 by the James Hutton Institute with pockets of Grades 3.2 and 4.1 respectively. It has a gentle northerly / flat aspect and is divided between 24 separate enclosures and has easy road access onto a single carriageway public road. The farm has operated on a rotational mix of cereals and grass over the generations and is in good heart. Lot 2 also comprises 3 parcels of woodland extending to about some 24.9 ha / 61.5 acres which comprises mixed species woodland of varying ages and likely dating from the 1980s in part. The largest parcel measures some 23.4ha (57.9 acres). A breakdown of the land use within Lot 2 is shown below:

Arable
134.26 ha (331.75 acres)

Permanent Pasture
18.54 ha (60.19 acres)

Rough Grazing
18.76 ha (46.36 acres)

Woodland
24.9 ha (61.52 acres)

Other
5.64 ha (13.93 acres)

Total
202.1 ha (499.3 acres)

LOT 3 – BARE LAND TOREDUFF

The land at Toreduff extends to approximately 61.8 ha (142.4 acres) and comprises excellent quality arable farmland divided between 6 separate enclosures. Each field is of a good workable size and has direct road access. The land here has been arable cropped in recent years, primarily with winter and spring cereals and is categorised as grade 3.1 by the James Hutton Institute (Land Capability for Agriculture). The land can be classified as follows:

Arable
152.75 acres (61.82 ha)

Total
152.75 acres (61.82 ha)

LOT 4 – DYKESIDE FARMHOUSE

Located on the western edge of the holding and accessed over a private farm track lies the attractive Dykeside farmhouse. This is a one and a half storey traditional farmhouse constructed of white rendered stone walls under a pitched slate roof. Having been let in recent years, the house is currently vacant and has been refurbished over the past 12 months to offer purchasers a wonderful opportunity to create a magnificent family home. The accommodation comprises:

Ground Floor:
Kitchen. 3 Reception rooms. Bathroom.

First Floor:
3 Bedrooms. Shower Room.

The house is heated using oil central heating and is connected to a private water supply and mains electricity. It has a mix of single and double glazing.

There is a part enclosed garden surrounding the property which is mainly laid to lawn with various mature trees and shrubs. Useful outbuildings include a workshop/garage and small traditional stone outbuilding whilst the property has ample parking space for several vehicles.

IACS
All the farmland is registered for IACS purposes. The farm reference code is 590/0016.

NITRATE VULNERABLE ZONE (NVZ)
The land at Monaughty, Toreduff and Dykeside is not included within a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone.

NATURAL CAPITAL
Although primarily a commercial unit, for those with an interest, the farm provides a blank canvas to increase the biodiversity on the holding. Notably, the Monaughty Burn, which runs west to east through the centre of the holding could potentially be enhanced as a wildlife corridor through the creation of water features and ponds combined with hedgerow and tree planting there and elsewhere on the farm.

BASIC PAYMENT SCHEME (BPS) 2024
Basic Payment Entitlement was established on 15th May 2015. The Basic Payment Entitlements will be available for sale by separate negotiation and if the farm sells in various lots will be divided pro rata. The current entitlements held are 239.08 Region 1.

Any payments relating to the 2024 scheme year will be retained by the Seller. If applicable, the purchaser(s) will be responsible upon occupation of the subjects of sale to comply fully with the Statutory Management requirements to maintain the farmland in Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) as laid down under the Cross Compliance rules of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2019 for the remainder of the scheme year.

LESS-FAVOURED AREA SUPPORT SCHEME (LFASS)
All of the land has been designated as being within a Non-Less Favoured Area.

EPC Rating = G