Mary Dickson, 72, from Castle Douglas, has won a £4m four-bedroom mansion in Coverack, Cornwall, through Omaze. The beach-style property is 514 miles from her home in south-west Scotland, which is fitting because Mary loves the music of Scottish duo The Proclaimers, whose biggest hit is I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles).
She said: "Funnily enough, The Proclaimers popped up on the telly promoting their new album the morning we went to see the house for the first time – fitting really, as we gladly went 500 miles to arrive at this door!"
Mary won the home with a £15 ticket. She said she plans to enjoy the new home, which comes with panoramic sea views, a swimming pool and direct access to Porthbeer Cove, before deciding on its future.
Her husband John, 76, was driving her home from work when the Omaze team first got in touch. But Mary nearly missed the call because she had no signal and never answers calls from unknown numbers.
She added: "I ignored Omaze's calls at first. But they texted me, so I checked them out online, they looked like the real deal, so I thought I'd better call back. Thank goodness I did!
"All the family came to see the reveal, I was gobsmacked when they told me it was the house. We headed to the pub to celebrate, but I didn't have anything stronger than a coffee. Although I'm looking forward to a glass of wine by my new pool."
The home comes mortgage-free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered, plus £250,000 in cash and £200,000 of furnishings. Mary said they are in no rush to decide what to do with it.
She added: "We're going to keep it for a while and just enjoy it and we can't wait to host Christmas here with all the family".
Mary, who has worked in the public sector for 34 years, bought her winning entry for £15 as part of her Omaze subscription. She only started entering after a colleague won an Omaze house in the Lake District in 2023.
She said: "When I saw that he'd won, it made me realise real people really do win these houses – I did wonder if he'd used up all the luck around here, but it must've rubbed off on me.
"There must be something in the water up here. I texted him after I found out – as he was the only person I knew who could possibly know how I was feeling."
The property in Cornwall is a world away from the terrace house in Castle Douglas the couple have called home since 2000. They last visited Cornwall 20 years ago, travelling up and down the coast staying in hotels.
On her new house she said: "We never imagined that when we next came back to Cornwall, it would be to see our very own £4million mansion. It's absolutely stunning, we just can't believe it's all ours.
"Our house in Scotland could probably fit on the turning circle on our new driveway. This win is fantastic for all our family, we'll enjoy it together for now, and owning such a valuable property is life-changing for all of us."
John spent 27 years as a draughtsman at a Motherwell steelworks before an IT role with the fire and rescue service, retiring in 2011.
The couple have been together since 1996 and married in 2017. Mary has two daughters, one of whom sadly passed away. They are very close to her late daughter's two grandsons, aged 17 and 22, and say the win is "something that has changed our family's future".
Their new home was designed to make the most of its coastal setting, with floor-to-ceiling windows to take in the views. The ground floor features four double bedrooms, three with dressing rooms, all with en suite bathrooms. The first floor offers a spacious open-plan kitchen, dining room and living room, along with a study, conservatory, boot room and utility room.
Scots Granny Wins £4m Coastal Cornwall Mansion