Mill Cottage, a five-bedroom house on one acre on the shores of Sligo Bay off Rosses Point Road, is going under the hammer on December 20th in what will probably be the last auction of the year. Local estate agent Sherry FitzGerald Draper has quoted a guide price of £280,000 and expects the house's scenic location to attract plenty of bidders, despite the distractions of the festive season. The 2,000 sq ft house was built around the late 1940s and extended in the 1970s. Money will need to be spent on some upgrading, with a new kitchen first on the list. The location is unbeatable, however, and very private. The acre of partly wooded gardens includes an old cut-stone mill, currently used by the owners for storage.

A river which serviced the mill runs through the grounds and the sea is just over a stone wall at the bottom of the garden. The high tide mark is literally 20 yards from the front door. Mill Cottage is two miles from Sligo town and 2.5 from Rosses Point, down a long, narrow laneway. The house is on two levels, partly timber-clad to the front. There is a cosy family room with exposed ceiling beams, a stone open fireplace and sliding doors to a paved terrace. The long sittingroom has a marble fireplace and decorative ceiling cornicing. Doors from here lead to a diningroom and separate study. One of the five bedrooms, a bathroom and television room are in the older, single-storey part of the house. The kitchen/breakfastroom is where much of the work is needed and a new owner will probably start from scratch here. The four upstairs bedrooms - all doubles - each have an en suite bathroom while three have fitted wardrobes.

The main attraction, the garden, has a small deciduous wood, a grassed parking area and the sea on two sides. The old mill is clad in ivy and there is also a large garage/shed. There are terrific views across the bay to Rosses Point, Coney Island and Knocknarea Mountain and a championship golf course at Rosses Point.