1.5m pounds sporting life dampened by Scottish rainy season
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.MARK DIKS, a wealthy Dutchman, likes the Highlands so much that three weeks ago he bought a sporting estate near Dalwhinnie for pounds 1.5m.
His enthusiasm has, however, been dampened by three weeks of rain and he has put it on the market again.
Mr Diks, 36, who owns a bed manufacturing firm, is a lifelong visitor to Scotland and a keen hunter. He bought the 23,000-acre (9,308 hectares) Ben Alder estate on the spur of the moment. Valued at pounds 2.5m last year, but advertised at over pounds 1.75m in August, the Dutchman must have thought he had bagged a bargain.
His wife, Sandy, had seen the place only briefly before her husband completed the sale.
Mr and Mrs Diks and their two young children moved into the lodge on the shores on Loch Ericht in the middle of last month.
It rained non-stop, day and night for a fortnight. Mrs Diks spent a lot of time indoors, eventually threatening her husband that either the estate went or she did.
'We were there for a fortnight. It rained all the time . . . from morning to night. It just never stopped,' Mr Diks said. 'My wife hated it. She told me I had a choice between the estate or her.'
Most of Scotland had rain one and a half to double its normal August levels. Edinburgh had its wettest month in nearly 30 years, Glasgow its wettest month since 1910. Records for Loch Ericht, encircled by mountains of up to 3,765 feet, show it to have an annual average of 1,600mm (63in). Even Glasgow normally escapes with a mere 1,000mm a year.
Guy Galbraith, of Savills in Edinburgh, who will be handling the sale once more, said Mr Diks was heartbroken. 'He loves the place, but the truth is his family don't'
Now the property, described by the agents as the 'most spectacular of sporting estates', with a 12- roomed house, eight cottages, deer forest, grouse moors and fishing, is up for sale - for pounds 1.4m.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments