Injecting urban chic into the rural landscape

Heather McLeod goes flat out looking for the ideal apartment It appears that the word "flat" has been deleted from estate agent speak and replaced with the more exotic "apartment" with all its connotations of concierges and cultivated cool. Your one-bedroom tenement with its close and communal backcourt may seem a few steps removed from a laminate floored loft, but trust me, you are now living in an apartment.

As a new generation of homebuyers hanker after an ultra-hip home, the appeal of apartment living is more about a super chic lifestyle than convenient location or pared down maintenance. Proof that this is a lifestyle issue and not a conscious decision to live in a high amenity city is the ribbon of loft style apartments threading through Dollar in rural Stirlingshire, the new town of Livingstone, and Clydebank, which is following in the footsteps of Newark in New Jersey, as a city centre alternative.

Redrow Homes is easing the rush for city limits property by building 30 two-bedroom apartments at their Oldwood Mews development in Eilburn, Livingstone. Affordably priced at (pounds) 57,750, the array of flats includes a combined lounge/dining area with French doors providing a dual purpose living space and fitted kitchen with built-in oven, hob and washer-dryer.

For further information, you can contact 01506 41364 or visit www.redrow.co.uk.

Dollar is hardly an urban jungle but more than half the upscale apartments from Richmond Homes are already sold. Launched earlier this year, apartments are Priced from (pounds) 89,995 All dwellings come with living home technology; as a minimum, each will be internet and homeworker ready.

Managing director, Garry Stewart says: "We know from our research that the market includes people who spend considerable time out of the country who find the ease of maintenance of a flat particularly attractive."

Stewart is finding that buyers do not want to live in high- density apartments when there is an opportunity to live in a country apartment where they can enjoy the local surroundings and facilities. Dollar is less than an hour from Edinburgh and Glasgow, with the motorway network and Stirling close by. The town enjoys first-rate transport links, magnet schools and one-of-a-kind shopping outlets. For more information, contact 01259 752862.

Almost back to urban reality, the new development of high specification, two-bedroom flats in the heart of Clydebank being built by Turnberry Homes, is playing well with local people wanting to buy a brand new property in the their hometown. Potential buyers can sample apartment living when they visit the new show and view flats at Queen Elizabeth Court.

Turnberry Homes sales director Pat Houston says: "There is a real community spirit in Clydebank and generations of families choose to stay in the town, creating a demand for new types of housing."

Two designs are available, the showflat Moy and the Rossdhu view flat with its corner location majoring on floor space. Each apartment has oceans of storage, including a walk-in hallway cupboard. Both designs have a lounge which features bay window and balcony rail, fitted dining kitchen, en suite shower room to the master bedroom and a further double bedroom.

The la carte dining kitchen is a combination of warmth and functionality with high quality flooring, matching mosaic wall tiles, and pear wood units with marble effect grey work surfaces. Contemporary interior design features include strong accents of blue against natural cream walls, providing the sleek sophisticated look that is synonymous with apartment living. Prices for the two-bedroom apartments range form (pounds) 62,000 to (pounds) 70,000. Showflats are open Thursday to Monday 11am to 5pm.

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