A prominent Scottish farm comprising more than 1,500 acres of diverse farmland is set to change hands for the first time in 60 years.
Evidence suggests farming activity has taken place on land at Archbank, Moffat, for at least 4,000 years and it remains a large-scale livestock operation with a holding of 900 ewes and 40 hill cows.
Archbank and the associated Alton Hill, which extends to 412 acres, will go up for auction on July 8 after being marketed by land and estates specialists C&D Rural.
Archbank Farm is listed for auction.
The farms have been owned by the well-known Thomson family, of Dumfriesshire, since John Thomson snr purchased the land in 1964, ending the famed Johnstone family’s association with the area after 350 years.
Archbank is steeped in interesting local history and was the subject of a book written by Mr Thomson himself in 2016.
The land is the site of Archbank Well which brought visitors from far and wide in the early 18th century as they sought healing water at a time when Moffat became important as a spa town, while its fields used to surround the Gallows Hill where local justice was administered until 1747.
Archbank continues to be a significant farm today, with the 1,522 acres comprising around 250 acres of enclosed fields and pasture alongside more than 1,250 acres of hill ground. The in-bye land includes productive silage ground and permanent pasture, supporting a traditional livestock operation.
At the heart of the farm is the attractive detached two-bedroom Gill Cottage which offers comfortable living accommodation in a peaceful rural setting. Featuring a spacious log burner, a modern kitchen and generous garden grounds, the cottage provides an ideal base for owner-occupiers or farm staff.
Alton Hill, stretching to 412 acres, provides further flexibility as an additional parcel of adjoining land, offered as a separate lot.
The land is a well-established hill sheep farm with regular aged flock and is divided into nine land parcels. The land is situated in an elevated position with far-reaching views towards the Solway Firth and across the Moffat hills.
Both Archbank and Alton Hill will be sold at auction at Dumfries Auction Mart on Wednesday, July 8.
For more details, contact C&D Rural on 01228 792299 or landagency@cdrural.co.uk
