Restored Inverness house judged best by TV judges
When Simon and Galle Patton bought their home 10 years ago it still had showers in every bedroom and fire notices on the doors from when it served as a guest house.
Since then, the couple have painstakingly transformed The Colonel’s House in Inverness into a stunning family home with an eclectic style.
It has now been judged the winner in Highland heat of the BBC TV programme, Scotland’s Home of the Year.
The couple, both pupil support assistants at Culloden Academy, opened their doors of the three-storey property – built in 1897 to house the Colonel of Cameron Barracks – to judges Anna Campbell-Jones, Michael Angus and Kate Spiers.
They are delighted their efforts have been recognised but also stress it is a family home for son Luc, who still lives there, and their daughters, Marie-Louise and Charlotte.
Mrs Patton said: "It was a great experience to do. It is quite a compliment that what we have done over 10 years is OK to be on TV.
"It really gives you a little boost to carry on."
Mr Patton said: "If other people don’t like it, fair enough. It is still our home and we were happy to share it with other people."
One of the biggest undertakings was stripping back the years of paint on the double set of cast iron spindles on the 39 stairs which took Mr Patton three years.
The Highland heat, which can be seen on BBC iPlayer, also featured The Mansion Apartment, part of Lentran House which dates back to 1866 and was formerly the Inverness Provost’s residence and an RAF building, before being split to create six separate dwellings.
The third contender was Saltire House in Aviemore. Although it is new-build in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, its design was inspired by Glasgow's famous architect, Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
