TODAY'S trip into the Advertiser's archives has thrown up a remarkable tale from 15 years ago about a derelict cottage near Loch Long which sparked a remarkable level of interest from potential buyers.

Here's how we reported the story in the Advertiser on July 15, 2004...

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A 200-year-old derelict cottage in the middle of wilderness has sparked one of the biggest bidding wars in local history.

Creagdhu Cottage in Ardgartan went on the market at the end of May, with offers over £59,000 being invited.

The two bedroomed property is three and a half miles away from the nearest village, Arrochar, and was described as ‘in need of some modernisation.

But this did not deter hundreds of would-be buyers from as far away as Australia from getting in touch.

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Derek Bowman of Helensburgh estate agents McArthur Stanton said: “I have been in this business for 20 years and I have never known this kind of interest in a property ever - it has been absolutely astonishing.

“We must have had in excess of 500 inquiries for this property - the phone has been ringing all day, even today.

“We had well over 200 viewers to the property and we got 28 offers. I have never had 28 offers for any property, not even come close.

“It sold for well over the asking price.”

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Lying at the base of the glacier-carved valley of Glen Croe, which runs from Loch Long to the Rest and Be Thankful, and situated within the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, the house has one of the most scenic locations in Scotland, and attracts many passing admirers.

Mr Bowman said it was these features which far outweighed the poor condition of the interior, which will need thousands spent on it to make it inhabitable.

“There were lots of different types of viewers," he said. "There were first time buyers, lots of people looking for holiday homes, developers looking to demolish it and build something new on the site.

“People have been attracted by the fantastic location and the low asking price.

“The location is everything. That’s the one thing you can’t change about a property. And it’s only an hour’s drive from Glasgow.”

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Tarbet resident Marjorie Dunlop lived in the cottage with her family for 30 years until 1951.

She says she’s surprised by the amount of attention the house has attracted.

“It was just an old house in our day - we never thought anything of it,” said Marjorie.

“In our day it was entirely different, we were kids and we enjoyed it there, it was ideal for that.

“It’s nothing like what it was, it’s been lying empty for years now.”

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The highest bid is thought to have come from the Greenock area. And though Mr Bowman was unable to say exactly how much the house had sold for, he commented: “I have never had as high a percentage over the asking price.

“It’s liable to go to someone as a holiday home. Maybe they’ll do it up and move into it."

And he joked: “It would be a good idea for them to invest in a couple of midge magnets as well."