Video: Laurachlea, Burnhead of Blairs, Blairs
City place with rural appeal
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THE Mallard family cherished their home so much they named it after their beloved daughters.
John and Heather combined the names of Laura, 26, and Rachael, 12, to christen their family home Laurachlea.
Now they are selling the lovely five-bedroom house, which sits in a third of an acre of land.
Chasing the best education for their girls has meant several moves for the family.
Laura and Rachael are both deaf and the couple wanted them to have the best schooling possible.
“Their education was paramount so we moved around to get the best available at the time.”
IT consultant John, 50, added: “When Laura was nine months old we moved from Aberdeen to Kent for my work.
“We then went to Maidstone where there was a special deaf primary unit for Laura.
“In 1988 we moved to Manchester where there was better schooling.”
Fed up with his long commute to and from work, John, Heather and Laura returned to Aberdeen in 1995.
Heather, 50, was born in Aberdeen but John, originally from London, moved to the North-east when he was eight as his father had been offered a professorship at Aberdeen University.
John’s late father, also called John Mallard, was famous for his pioneering work in medical physics.
During the 1980s, the acclaimed scientist was credited with inventing the MRI scanner, which changed the world of medicine by revolutionising the diagnosis of potentially terminal ailments.
In 1998, the John Mallard Scottish PET Centre was opened in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary by the Minister for Health, Sam Galbraith, and in 2004 he was honoured with the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen.
When the family returned north they lived for a time in a rented flat in Port Elphinstone.
But with the birth of Rachael in April 1996 another move was on the cards as they realised they needed a bigger place.
They rented a three-bedroom house in Portlethen, before building a home of their own at Ardallie, near Stuartfield, Mintlaw. As Laura, now a lab technician in Oakham, had attended Albyn School for girls, John and Heather wanted Rachael to go there too.
However, the travelling proved too much for their young daughter so in February 2005 they sold up and moved into a caravan park while they looked for a new home.
They moved into Laurachlea in May the same year.
John said: “We wanted to be close to the city but still semi-rural.
“Once you have lived out in the country it’s difficult to move back into town.
“We didn’t actually come to look at this particular house, it was another one down the lane.
“However, we came back for a look and it was so spacious and airy it suited all our requirements.
“Like all houses I knew somehow that it was the right place. It just felt right.
“Also it was only 10 minutes from the Bridge of Dee so was a quick commute into town but still had the feeling of being in the country.”
After moving in, John and Heather fitted double doors between the kitchen and lounge, added extra units and worktop space, and installed a new fireplace and chimney flue in the lounge.
Laurachlea is a big, bright and airy family home with a large garden for children to run around in.
In the elegant lounge there are two panoramic windows, which ensure the room feels bright and cheery and offer stunning views over Royal Deeside.
The dining room can easily take large furniture, it even houses Rachael’s piano.
The large dining kitchen has an extensive range of base and wall units. Three large windows overlook the garden.
The lovely master bedroom boasts two built-in double wardrobes and an en-suite shower room.
Also on this floor is a utility room, laundry room and a bedroom/study.
On the upper floor are three extremely spacious bedrooms, two with built-in cupboards.
The shower room is fitted with a white three-piece suite..
And the front garden is fully enclosed, with a grass lawn that is maintained easily.
The family have enjoyed living in their home over the past four years but now it’s too big for just John and Heather.
“We don’t need five bedrooms for mostly the two of us.” said John.
Laura has flown the nest and Rachael is boarding at the Mary Hare School for the Deaf in Newbury, where she is excelling in the performing arts.
