“Life-changing” moment Scottish grandmother is told she has won £4M coastal mansion with panoramic sea views

Mary Dickson, 72, has scooped a stunning four-bedroom coastal beach-club style mansion.

She was contacted by Omaze to tell her she'd won a prize, but initially didn't answer the phone when she did not recognise the caller.

Mary, of Castle Douglas in south-west Scotland, was driving home from work with her husband John, 76, when the Omaze team first reached out. But Mary has revealed she nearly missed the call, as she didn’t have any 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.”

Mary won the home - situated outside the fishing village of Coverack in Cornwall - with a £15 ticket. She was taken to a win 'reveal' location by Omaze where the mystery prize house would be displayed on a big screen. But when she arrived the first thing she saw was a horse in a field - which she thought was what she'd won.

She said: ''The first thing I saw when I turned the corner was a horse.''

Mary now plans to enjoy the new home that comes with panoramic sea views, a swimming pool and direct access to Porthbeer Cove, before deciding on its future.

Their new home comes mortgage-free, with all stamp duty and legal fees covered, plus £250,000 in cash and £200,000 of furnishings.

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 £4 million winning entry for just £15 as part of her Omaze subscription, and 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.

The couple last visited Cornwall 20 years ago, where they travelled 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.”

"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!”

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 boys - grandsons aged 17 and 22 - and say the win is “something that has changed our family's future”.

Their breathtaking 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.

The expansive grounds feature a heated outdoor swimming pool, complete with a swim-up bar, sunken banquette seating and fire pit, set within beautifully landscaped gardens. An outdoor kitchen with BBQ and pizza oven sits on the north terrace, ready for John and Mary to entertain, while a private driveway leads to a three-car garage.

The property sits on the Lizard Peninsula, on the eastern side of the Cornwall National Landscape.

The sheltered, sandy crescent of Porthbeer Cove is a short stroll away along the South West Coast Path. Falmouth, with its harbourside restaurants and galleries, is around 30 minutes away, while Redruth offers the nearest mainline station, with direct services to London Paddington.

Omaze partnered with Wellbeing of Women in the draw to help fund vital research into women's health.

Alongside the guaranteed £1,000,000 raised through the draw, Omaze has also committed a further £3,500,000 through a separate multi-year grant.

Matt Pohlson, Founder and CEO of Omaze, said: "Everyone at Omaze is over the moon that Mary and John have won this spectacular home in Cornwall, whilst also supporting Wellbeing of Women.

"Omaze offers people the chance to win incredible prizes, whilst also introducing charities to new audiences that they wouldn't normally reach - it's a win-win for entrants and our charity partners. We're immensely proud that the Omaze Community has now raised over £150 million for good causes across the UK."

Draw entries for the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, London, are available now at omaze.co.uk.