Accidentally obtained Scottish villa for rentals.

Four years and a staggering 300,000 Instagram followers later, Cal Hunter and Claire Segeren have completely transformed a dilapidated Dunoon house into a sought-after vacation destination. Witness the incredible result of their efforts.

Ever encountered a mix-up in buying a house by mistake? Cal Hunter certainly did, and it turned out to be a fortuitous turn in the life of the 31-year-old carpenter. In 2018, due to a hurried auctioneer and a mix-up in lot numbers, he and his partner, 29-year-old Claire Segeren, ended up owning a deteriorating Victorian villa, 35 miles away from the Glasgow apartment they intended to purchase.

In pursuit of a renovation project, they unwittingly acquired a property described as “on the verge of collapse,” much to the probable astonishment of their families. Undeterred by the challenge and bound by the rules of Scottish auctions, they embarked on what seemed like an overwhelming journey of restoration lasting four and a half years. Their remarkable efforts garnered global media attention, spawned a candid documentary, and drew in over 300,000 Instagram followers.

Sitting in the open-plan living room/kitchen of one of the newly crafted holiday rentals on the villa’s ground floor, called Jameswood, the couple radiate a subtle sense of disbelief. The fresh paint has barely dried, and we are their very first guests. It seems they still can’t fully fathom what they’ve achieved.

Even my young children are amazed; it’s not every day that your hosts are featured in a four-part BBC series about their journey to this place and then greet you at the doorstep. “Look – it’s the one who uses colorful language!” my youngest exclaimed, still unaware of the countless challenges of DIY projects.

As for the one renowned for colorful language, he appears relaxed after a morning of landscaping in the expansive 24-meter garden, soon to house a pizza oven where guests and hosts can mingle. “Despite all the challenges, I knew early on that this was the perfect home for us,” he remarks.

Our two-bedroom flat is accessible through what was once the main entrance, complete with a boot room, a bay window offering water views, and French doors leading to the garden. The adjacent flat, similar in size, has its own entrance via a side door. The home that Cal and Claire have designed for themselves upstairs also has its separate steps and entrance at the back.

All three flats are generously sized with lofty ceilings, seamlessly blending Victorian solidity with modern decor. The striking fire-engine red color of our living room door had us eagerly asking Claire about the paint manufacturer. In a room above, where chair legs once dangled from the ceiling, now hangs a retractable projector screen for movie nights. The flats are not just pristine but also sturdy, a relief for parents as Claire mentions, “Dogs, mud, sand, it’s all good!”

The most fortuitous aspect of their accidental house purchase was the location: a 120-year-old red-sandstone property on the outskirts of Dunoon, a charming coastal town on the southern fringes of the Highlands that was once a favored getaway for Glaswegians during the time of Clyde steamers.

While it might not possess the same lively vibe as portrayed in vintage posters by LNER train company for the Côte d’Azur, there’s an undeniable allure to this coastal town. Crossing the Firth of Clyde by ferry imparts a delightful island ambiance, bypassing a lengthy overland route. City pressures remain on one side of the water, while the other offers only lakes, mountains, streams, and valleys.

Claire and Cal have compiled a guidebook featuring their cherished finds from years of sanity-saving excursions. On our first day, following their recommendation, we take a leisurely half-hour drive along a winding forest road to the Kyles of Bute – a stretch of tumultuous water dividing the Cowal peninsula from the petite Bute island.

A couple of miles southwest lies one of Cal and Claire’s top suggestions: the wild Kilbride Bay, where oddly enough, engaged couples have been known to tie the knot. We park near a nearby farm and follow a 15-minute trail down to the windswept, sunlit dunes for a blissful hour of playing in the waves. The Isle of Arran, resembling a distant fortress, looms across the water.

Other recommendations are conveniently situated close to Jameswood. Puck’s Glen, a mere five-minute drive away, is a network of Victorian pathways weaving through a moss-covered gorge with waterfalls and towering Douglas firs. The glen lies near the southern end of Loch Eck, a seven-mile-long lake with a width perfect for swimming, and a road tracing its eastern shore, making it an ideal spot for families.