A farmhouse near Dunkeld is decked out for Christmas and its owners have taken part in a BBC interior design show.
Scotland’s Christmas Home of the Year (SHOTY) was broadcast last night on BBC One Scotland and one of the homes looking its best was a stone conversion property, Easter Shian Farm, in deepest Highland Perthshire.
In the special festive programme for BBC One Scotland, three judges have a nose around some spectacular Scottish homes in a quest to find who has got it spot on for Christmas.
Anna Campbell-Jones, Michael Angus and new guest judge Banjo Beale - who was winner of Interior Design Masters - look upstairs and downstairs, seeking architectural merit and stylish interior design.
In the programme broadcast on Monday, December 19 at 8pm - easy to find on i-Player - they were marking the five finalists on festive flair and Christmas spirit.
This SHOTY special had the trio travel across Scotland visiting Perthshire, Bridge of Allan, Bonhill, Glenrothes and Cumbernauld on their Christmas quest.
At Easter Shian Farm, an 18th Century property in the middle of Glen Quaich, near Loch Freuchie, homeowners Debbie Halls-Evans and business coach Dave Evans have few neighbours.
The nearest village is Dunkeld – 15 miles away.
Debbie and Dave have a ‘blended family’ of five grown-up children between them, aged between 21 and 31 years old.
Their sixth ‘child’ is Monty – their eight year old Shoodle dog, a Poodle Shih Tzu cross.
The couple bought this ‘lifelong project’ back in 2020. Part of the allure was envisioning a big cosy family Christmas with roaring open fires and total seclusion in the beautiful glen.
This Christmas will be extra special as it will be the first they’ve hosted for the entire family.
Dave (originally from Moray) and Debbie (from Bolton) have made it their mission to transform the cottage into a cosy cottage wonderland. They show the judges what they have done to get ready in the hope of coming out top.
Before the cottage project, they lived in Mallorca so they started their new home from scratch finding furniture locally.
When it comes to décor, the inspiration comes from the surroundings: foraged materials, imposing fir trees and natural tones with a few less conventional, fun surprises thrown in like a wreath made of kitchen utensils.
Dave told the judges what he thought was the key to their take on Christmas décor. He said: “Not being shiny, blingy - having a level of balance and great trees.”
Debbie added:“Breaking as many rules as possible, making things, using items we already have in a different way, like making scraps and remnants of material and paper into garlands, using greenery.
“No tinsel unless it’s homemade. Details, surprises and less is more.
“We say no to baubles or glitter.”
They explained that this year’s theme was ‘wild, foraged and found’. Dave and Debbie took inspiration from outside in Glen Quaich and the wonders of nature.
“We moved here for the location first, the views and living in nature, so we tried to make sure we have that inside and out with a twist of our personalities too,” explained Dave.
The couple are having an Indian-style Christmas dinner with a twist – for instance, serving Bombay roasties in goose fat.
