For anyone in search of a perfect 18th-century house of very manageable size, Skeldon has to be a prime contender. The owner, Stanley Brodie, 78, is moving to the South West to be closer to his grown-up children, so vacating a fine country house near Ayr that offers complete seclusion, 659 acres, a freestanding library and an Edwardian glasshouse where giant lemons grow.

There is also a good shoot. In light of this you will not be surprised that if the buyer of the Skeldon estate is not interested in the farm that comes with the house, Mr Brodie, 78, a hugely busy QC who specialises in commercial law, will continue in this role.

Skeldon, bought by Mr Brodie in 1986, is now for sale for £6.95 million. It is a miniature of nearby Dumfries house, the Palladian mansion acquired in a £45million deal last year by a consortium led by the Prince of Wales. The Edwardians gave Skeldon an added swagger: the entrance porch is in the form of a domed tempietto, and an immensely grand flight of 14 steps leads to the front door, which is 15ft wide. This opens into a staircase hall paved in black and white marble. The pretty cantilever stair and wrought-iron balustrade are typical of the 1770s, but throughout there is a slickness and finesse that makes one think that the Edwardian makeover was extensive.

The drawing room is of exquisite 18th-century proportions with windows at both ends and a characteristic three-sided bay window in the long wall. A neat curved glazed link leads from the corner of the room into a glorious Edwardian conservatory added on to the back of the house.Another curved link leads to the dining room; the kitchen is below, with a dumb waiter arriving in a small pantry at the top. For grand dinner parties, you will need a cook in the kitchen if you wish to avoid running up and down the spiral stairs all evening. However, the large kitchen opens into the garden, so much of the time you will be happy to eat here.

The bay windows rise the full height of the house and the main bedroom has five windows overlooking the garden. In all, there are three bedrooms on the first floor, and three more in the attic. A self-contained staff flat on the lower-ground floor has two bedrooms.

The big surprise is to descend to the river, which winds around the house in a grand half-circle. This is a gloriously sheltered spot, with a prize cedar of Lebanon. There is double-bank fishing for two and a half miles along the River Doon; expect to catch salmon, sea trout and the occasional brown trout. With racing seven miles away at Ayr, and the shoot only recently lapsed, this is the place for the elegant sporting life.

Knight Frank : 0131-222 9600

CKD Galbraith : 01292 268181

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