At Country Life, as you'd imagine, we come across a lot of property capable of eliciting 'ooohhs' and 'aahhhs'. It's like going to a fireworks display every day.

The ooohs and aaahs are almost always of the 'good' kind, when we write about the sort of house that Queen Victoria's chaplain might live in, or Alan Titchmarsh's lovely Hampshire home, which is on the market right now.

Sometimes, though, the 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' have a different tone: instead of 'OOH-ooh-OOH!' they become, 'OH-oh....'; and this is the sound produced when you come across a seemingly idyllic home that looks like it'll bring a few headaches with it.

What is very rare, though, is for the images attached to a property listing to alternate between the 'OOH-ooh-OOHs' and the 'OH-ohs...'. But that's exactly what we found in the case of Orchil Castle, a Perthshire pile just down the road from Gleneagles, which is for sale at £2.1 million via Fine & Country.

No doubt, like us, you've already OOH-ooh-OOHed at external view of the castle, the lake and the 56 acres of Perthshire that come with the sale. We'd expect you'll make a similar noise when appreciating the gorgeous entrance hall and the strikingly pretty, boldly-decorated reception rooms.

As we flicked through the images and headed upstairs, the smiles continued. The views! The room sizes! The beautiful bay windows! The thoughtfulness of the estate agent who ran a bubble bath before taking a photo!

And then we got to the rooms which are — well — in a pretty poor state; the good OOH-ooh-OOHs stopped, the worried OH-ohs began. As gorgeous as Orchil Castle is, it'll need someone with a strong constitution, deep pockets and the will to lead a project to bring this Category B-listed Scots baronial house back to its best.

If the house has a few rough edges, that's unsurprising. Two fires during the 20th century caused a large amount of damage; in 1917, the whole place was gutted, while a 1967 fire destroyed the roof. It's had spells as a foster home, a rehab centre and a bible study retreat — and even for a time to keep pigs, as The Scotsman reported back in 2016: 'The farmer chose to live in the castle’s former laundry, and allowed his pigs and sheep to roam amongst the marble fireplaces and carved oak panelling on the ground floor of the castle.' It's a far cry from the glory days of the 20s, when King George VI — then the Duke of York — his brother George, Duke of Kent, were said to be regular visitors.

So while it's not perfect, a huge amount has been done in recent decades and for the most part Orchil is in good shape, with most of the work to be done concentrated on the second floor. The prize at the end, for whoever finishes Orchil off, feels like it'll be well worth the effort: the floorplan is a veritable Cluedo board of rooms, with particularly grand dining and drawing rooms, a morning room — with french windows out onto the grounds — and extensive basements.

One corner of the ground floor is set up as a self-contained, three-bedroom apartment, ideal for multi-generation living, or perhaps as a place to live while you carry out any work needed on the rest of the castle.

On the first floor are four bedrooms — all with their own bathrooms — and a chapel. The second floor is marked out on the floorplan and offers huge potential; at over 17,000 sq ft, this is a huge property.

This house was commissioned in 1867 by Rev John McDougall, who engaged architect Andrew Heiton Junior. Heiton was a talented, ambitious and tireless man who served for a while as city architect of Perth, designing many of the most beautiful buildings in the area.

Beyond the main house, the estate also includes a two-bedroom cottage — which you'll be happy to know has already been restored, with underfloor heating and tasteful finishes.

And just as you'd expect of any castle worthy of the name, the grounds are wonderful. There's a series of terraced lawns, a four-acre loch (complete with boathouse), a walled garden and various outbuildings. What's more, the proximity to Gleneagles brings not just world class golf and leisure facilities, but also a railway station that links directly to London, via sleeper service should you want to come up or head down overnight. Does it go without saying that a location like this might make it a splendid boutique hotel, subject to the right permissions? Or should it stay as a grand, single residence? We'll look with interest at what happens next.

Orchil Castle is for sale via Fine & Country at £2.1 million — see more details.

'As the express train hurtles north from Berwick-upon-Tweed towards Edinburgh, many passengers must have glimpsed the imposing sulhouette of Ayton Castle on its wooded ridge above the River Eye and sighed "Scotland at last"'. So wrote the architecture critic Michael Hall in Country Life in 1993 when telling the tale of Ayton Castle.

Three decades on, its visual impact is just as great; this time, though, it appears in Country Life not as a 'masterpiece of the baronial revival' (as Hall called it), but as a grand country home. It came on to the market in 2025 with GSC Grays and Knight Frank at £3.25 million, and has now been bought by Alan Carr, the comedian, presenter and winner of Celebrity Traitors at a different Scottish castle, Ardross.

'Some men when they have a midlife crisis buy a Lamborghini or grow a ponytail, but me — I want my very own castle,' Carr told the BBC.

'Since I was a boy in Northampton, I've always dreamt big, and have always been enchanted with the history and romance of a stately home and as I turn 50, I feel it's my time.

'All I want is a turret to call my own — get me over that drawbridge.'

Ayton doesn't have a drawbridge — at least, not yet. Carr's transformation of the place is about to begin, and apparently will be filmed for a Disney+ programme with the working title Castle Man.

The house, six miles north of Berwick, was designed by James Gillespie Graham in 1845, and represents what can happen when a great architect, an ideal location and a patron with — to be blunt — deep pockets come together. It was the dream of a man named William Mitchell-Innes, who served as the First Cashier of the Royal Bank of Scotland, and later as a director.

The death of a cousin saw him inherit land to go with his wealth, and he wasn't shy about spending it: 'His means were ample, and his liberality in distributing them commensurature therewith,' ran his obituary in the Berwickshire Journal on his death in 1860. 'He maintained a princely establishment, and his generous hospitality was his most striking characteristic.'

Everyone needs a friend like that. And every architect needs a client like that, giving Gillespie Graham 'the advantage of an empty site' and 'an enthusiastic patron', as Hall put it.

The castle that was created is a symphony in sandstone, with turrets, parapets, gables and a grand hall, the very picture of the baronial revival of the 19th century, and its visual impact today is essentially the same as it was when first complete, as noted in its Category A listing with Historic Scotland.

That's not to say it hasn't been improved and updated over the years: it was enlarged in the 1860s by David Bryce and James Maitland Wardrop, and in 1873 the main corridor and hall were decorated by Scotland's leading interior designers of the day, Bonnar and Carfrae, who were so pleased with their work that they proudly signed it.

The house has not been changed since then but it has been preserved, not least over the past decade by the outgoing owners. They upgraded the house, undertaking some building work, carried out significant re-plumbing and re-wiring, created a new formal garden, and installed a miniature railway.

That's right: a miniature railway — complete with platforms, sheds and ticket office — that runs on a 10 1/4-inch gauge, snaking a 600m-long path through the grounds.

It's a shame that the railway doesn't also run through the house, because the place is so enormous it might be good to have some help getting around: there are 17 bedrooms and over 33,000 sq ft are on offer in the main house alone, with a dizzying array of spaces.

From chapels to offices, billiard rooms to ball rooms, libraries to laundries, the floorplan feels almost endless, with every room beautifully finished and full of original character features that have clearly been cherished and restored for many generations.

There is one original feature which is long-gone, however: the original mantelpiece in the dining room, which is now in a museum in Connecticut. The reason? 150 years ago Mark Twain came to visit Ayton Castle, and loved the mantel so much that he apparently 'insisted' on buying it and shipping it back home to the USA. It's there to this day in pride of place in the Mark Twain House & Museum in the city of Hartford.

The sale might not have included that mantel, but it did include 160 acres, plus a series of cottages, lodges, stables and more, some of which are let out and produce an income for the estate — as does the livery business run from the stables.

Like the main house, some of this is listed: the garden and parklands have a Category B designation, while the Dovecot — which was also thought to be designed by Gillespie Graham — is Category A listed. Alan Carr will walk in to a place that has been handsomely looked after, and deserves to be treated just as well in the future. After all, as the official listing says, it is 'not only is this the most significant building in the parish, but also, one of the most significant within the country as a whole.'

Ayton Castle was on for sale at £3.25 million in 2025.

Buying a property is often a battle between head and heart: do you go for a sensible, practical place to live, or a dramatic and beautiful property that sets your heart aflutter every time you come home?

For our money — and most likely yours, too, if you're reading this story — the pull of the romantic will always win. And property doesn't get any more romantic than the utterly gorgeous Shuna Island, which is currently for sale via Sotheby's International Realty and Knight Frank for £5.5m.

Three miles long and a mile and a half wide, Shuna is part of a group called the Slate Islands in the Inner Hebrides, a collection which also includes Seil, Easdale, Luing and Torsa. Confusingly, there's also another Shuna Island away off to the north beyond Oban; online maps will point you to the other one first, but the Shuna that's for sale is the one at Loch Shuna. And that's a very good thing too, because this is the sort of Scottish island that has everything you could dream of.

There are glorious sandy beaches fringed by rocky coves that look like ideal for18th century smugglers hauling their booty ashore. There is wild open land beneath huge skies where golden eagles soar, and rippling waves where you'll see the porpoises dart and leap. There are ancient burial sites, a shipwreck, a notorious whirlpool — Corryvreckan — in the seas not far away. And, of course, there is a castle.

We say 'of course', but actually the castle is, relatively speaking, a new addition to Shuna. It was build 115 years ago by an adventurer called George Alexander MacLean Buckley, a New Zealander by birth who'd made a fortune in Australia, went on expeditions with Ernest Shackleton and saw the island as an ancestral home in the making. There are turrets, crenellations and battlements — this is the sort of fantasy castle you'd find in Ivanhoe,. It's clear that Buckley was an incurable romantic, so of course he loved it here.

The castle apparently fell into disrepair in the 1980s and is in need of serious work — something which, subject to permissions, makes for an opportunity to turn the island into a unique tourist destination. There is already tourism here in any case, with a string of houses with names like 'The Garden House', 'Oakwood Cottage' and 'The Forge'.

In total there are 27 bedrooms-worth of accommodation able to sleep 52 people, of which Shuna Farmhouse has in recent years been the main residence of the island's owners, Viscountess Selby and her son Edward Gully, whose family have owned the place for eight decades.

Most of the island — over 600 acres — is made up of rough-grazing that sustains a large flock of 230 or so sheep, but there's also a good 300 acres of woodland and foreshore. It is, in other words, both island fantasy and going concern — and that's probably the best news of all about Shuna. Yes, it's dramatic and romantic and beautiful — but there's enough potential to suggest that this could be a place to buy with head as well as heart.

Shuna Island is for sale via Sotheby's International Realty and Knight Frank at £5.5 million.

Scottish Borders — £15 million

The Portmore Estate — all 3,459 acres of it — is on the market, and it's quite an amazing opportunity to buy a huge chunk of Scotland. There's farmland, hill grazing, stalking, forestry, a reservoir with fishing chalet and seven estate houses — plus, of course, the magnificent A-listed castle at the heart of it all.

All this plus a location in a charming village (with a decent pub) close to the lovely Borders town of Peebles.

For sale via Galbraith — see more details and pictures.

East Lothian — £4.2 million

Ormiston Castle is a classic Scots Baronial property dating to 1851 — with all the romatic and whimsical architecture you'd expect of the era, combined with the solidity of the Victorian builders. High ceilings, huge windows and a flowing floorplan, a recent refurbishment, 15 acres of grounds and an easy trip to either Edinburgh or Glasgow.

For sale via Alexander Millett International — see more details and pictures.

Stirlingshire — £1.95 million

A whopping 17,000sq ft of property within 11 acres of the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park; it's been for sale with a different agent, but has now been relaunched with a lower price.

Invertrossachs Country House has been run as a holiday let, but could be turned to almost any purpose, subject to the relevant permissions.

On top of all that it's under 40 miles from Glasgow, and just over 50 miles from Edinburgh, making it wonderfully easily accessible.

For sale via Savills — see more details and pictures.

Edinburgh — £1.8 million

Does this count as a castle? We think so, even though it's 'only' the tower for sale at the rather majestic New Craig, within the Craighouse Estate in Edinburgh.

There's epic grandeur in the architecture, huge rooms, expansive views and a roof terrace with battlements. What a place.

For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.

Angus – £1.7 million

A gorgeously pretty country house in a big-but-not-too-big estate of just under 70 acres, There's a trio of cottages as well as Keithock House, the mansion at the heart of it all, which has utterly charming architecture inside and out.

For sale via Savills — see more details and pictures.

Berwickshire — £3.25 million

The finest Scots baronial castle in Scotland? That's the reputation held by Ayton Castle, and it's not hard to agree. James Gillespie Graham's magnificent red sandstone monolith absolutely has to be seen — as do its Mediterranean-inspired gardens.

For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.

Dumfries & Galloway — £4.5 million

With almost 800 acres of land, a six-figure timber income, hydro-electric scheme, grazing for Highland cows and sporting opportunities, the Glenquicken Estate is a classic Scottish property.

The bad news? There's no castle. The good news is that there is a 19th-century Swedish-style timber farmhouse included, and it's absolutely beautiful.

The even better news — for those keen on the farmhouse but not quite so up for managing a large, busy estate — is that the house is available as a separate lot for £850,000, which includes 176 acres and three lochs.

For sale with Galbraith. See more pictures and details for this property.

Edinburgh — £15 million

13 bedrooms, stable block with nine stalls and a bell tower in this Georgian fantasy house just outside Scotland's beautiful capital city.

There is a remarkable Robert Adam mansion at the heart of the property, but with 764 acres and far too much to list here, the house is only the start. Incredible.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details for this property.

Clackmannanshire — £2.25 million

Technically a coachman's house rather than a castle (if this is his house, we'd love to see the coach he drove), this enormously spacious home of nearly 7,000sq ft is near Dollar, making it a fairly easy drive to Stirling, Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews.

Dating to the 1880s, it's been completely refitted in quite some style — think home gym, tennis court and Sonos sound system throughout. It's like Footballer's Wives with added turrets.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details for this property.

Fife — £1.9 million

The cutest and the most prettily-named castle on this list by quite some way, Pirwindy Keep is in the Fife countryside between Upper Largo and St Andrews.

It's a real mix of styles: a stone-heavy country kitchen with giant Aga sits alongside Japanese-style bedroom and a bathroom which would shame most five-star hotels.

For sale with Rettie. See more pictures and details for this property.

Kingussie, Highlands — £12,000,000

The Balavil Estate is almost 7,000 acres of the Highlands, centred on this classic country seat within the Cairngorms National Park.

While its wild and remote enough to fulfil anybody's fantasies, it's also surprisingly accessible: the main A9 is close by, giving excellent links to Inverness with its rail service and airport.

For sale with Landfor. See more pictures and details for this property.

Tranent, East Lothian — Offers over £1,300,000

Battlements, spiral staircases, stags' heads on the walls and a barrel-vaulted kitchen in the basement: while some castles are disguised stately homes, Fa’side Castle is the real deal.

Built in the 14th century, it offers fantastic views across East Lothian up to nearby Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth.

There are six bedrooms, a couple of acres of grounds and a 300-year-old barn that's been converted in to a pair of cottages.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures of this property.

Creetown, Dumfries & Galloway — £9,500,000

Far from your usual castle-buying opportunity, Castle Cary isn't just a ruined castle by the sea — although it is also that — since it comes with an entire holiday park as part of the deal.

The place has been in the same family for 166 years but now the whole thing is ip for sale, including the holiday park (opened in 1976) complete with its swimming pool, pub, nine-hole golf course and over 100 tent/caravan pitches, all set in 220 acres.

There is a fine six-bedroom main house, while the castle itself is a romantic ruin, dating back to the 15th century.

For sale with Galbraith. See more pictures of this property.

A spectacular 886-acre estate that puts rewilding at its heart is up for sale to the northeast of the Cairngorms National Park.

Beldorney Estate includes the striking 16th century Beldorney Castle, built by the Gordon family, one of the most influential clans in the region at the time. It is one of the earliest Z plan castles in the north east of Scotland and is bound to catch the eye of architecture buffs.

The Aberdeenshire estate is on the market for £5,000,000 via Strutt & Parker.

Beldorney Castle has been developed over the years, including the addition of two wings in 1679 and remodelling in 1713, when coved ceilings and bolection-moulded chimney pieces were introduced. It has also (thankfully) been restored and upgraded in more recent years too.

Still, it’s not lost its historic charm and there are ‘fragmentary remains’ of original wall and ceiling paintings, according to Strutt & Parker.

The castle boasts enormous and atmospheric reception rooms. The Grand Hall is quite a spectacle with pitch pine panelling, as is the Upper Hall, with a beamed, vaulted ceiling. In fact, there are quite a few vaulted rooms around here.

But there’s a (slightly) more low-key side to the castle too: a kitchen, dining room, two drawing rooms, cloak room, utility room and dressing room. Bold-painted walls are the order of the day in many of these rooms.

The castle has five bedrooms, with a further two in a self-contained apartment in the south wing.

Like most estates of this scale and stature, Beldorney Estate comes with an assortment of other buildings: two stone cottages, a farmhouse, and several outbuildings.

But what of the land itself? Well, it’s dominated by grassland. But there’s also woodland, wetland, and heathland and scrub.

Robert McCulloch, Head of Strutt & Parker’s Estates & Farm Agency Department in Scotland, says: ‘The chance to own a Scottish castle will carry an undeniable allure with buyers, offering a blend of history, prestige, and architectural beauty.

‘However, its diverse landscape and location on the River Deveron provide much more than just scenic value – they present a meaningful opportunity to contribute to nature recovery and support community development.’

If you're a serious buyer, it’s worth noting that Highlands Rewilding, the owner of Beldorney Estate, is on the lookout for a buyer or an investor who shares its vision.

McCulloch explains: ‘Although the sale is open to a broad range of potential buyers, preference will be given to those who align with Highlands Rewilding’s vision for the estate's future and are willing to enter into a long-term management agreement to allow Highlands Rewilding to continue to manage the land. It is a rare chance to invest in a property with both historical and ecological significance.’

Beldorney Estate is on the market for £5,000,000 via Strutt & Parker — see more details and pictures.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

3,000 pristine acres of Loch Lomond National Park, where red squirrels roam spectacular woodland, have come up for sale

There’s a certain responsibility when it comes to writing about houses for sale in Country Life. Someone, somewhere might be looking for their forever family home and their browsing (or, more likely, some hideous algorithm somewhere) will drag their eyes here, and they might see the property in which they raise a family and live happily ever after. You need to find a balance: practicality, space, location, amenities and so on.

However, sometimes I see a really cool castle in Scotland and decide to write about that instead. A castle like Glenborrodale, for example, which is for sale with Savills for offers over £2.35 million. 

Let’s get to it. Glenborrodale Castle is Listed A, dates from about 1902 and is a Scots Baronial mansion made of red Dumfriesshire sandstone. It sits on a lovely promontory on the shores of Loch Sunart, and comes with two islands, as well as two further detached properties known as The Coach House and the Gate House. There is also a separate gym. 

‘How many bedrooms?’, you might reasonably ask. The answer is that it is a castle, so plenty. 16, to be precise. You might also reasonably ask, looking at the pictures, ‘Was Glenborrodale Castle once a hotel’ and the answer is, ‘yes it was’. So it will need a bit of work to transform it into a family home. But what a family home it could be.

Set over five floors, the main house offers more than 16,600sq ft of living space providing plenty of space for friends, family, enemies, whoever really. The interiors are achingly period and Scottish, with plenty of wood, fine plasterwork and tartan.

Outside, the property stands in about 134.4 acres of gardens and grounds. To the north, the gardens are densely populated with rhododendrons and azaleas and mixed mature woodland, providing a glorious backdrop to the property.

To the south, the gardens are more formal, with a broad, castellated and elevated terrace from which to enjoy the views out towards Oronsay and across Loch Sunart, or to park your helicopter, with a helipad able to accommodate helicopters up to a ‘sea king in size’. I am not sure where you would find a Royal Navy anti-submarine warfare helicopter for sale, but at least you won’t have to worry if you could land it.

The rest of the gardens and grounds extend to about 48 acres of rough grazing, 72 acres of woodland and 12 acres of ‘gardens/buildings/rock/miscellaneous’. The two islands included in the sale are Risga and Eileam am Feidh, as well as 850 metres of shore frontage.

Amenities-wise, the town (or burgh) of Tobermory is 15 minutes away via rib, while on land, the villages of Salen and Acharacle are both within 10 miles, offering pubs, restaurants, shops and schools. 

More importantly, there is plenty to do in the beautiful part of the world. You can go seal spotting from your doorstep, as well as fishing, sailing, mountain biking and kayaking. You’ll be overwhelmed by wildlife, whether it's otters, porpoises, deer, golden and sea eagles.

Glenborrodale Castle is for sale with Savills for offers over £2.35 million. For more information and pictures, click here.

A Scottish island with beaches, castle and farmhouse that's for sale at the price of a two-bedroom London flat

There comes a time in a house buyer's life when they need to ask themselves a question: 839 sq ft

Credit: Knight Frank

A Scottish island for sale with seals, seven houses, a lighthouse and its own pub

Plans for world domination? Hiding from the in-laws? Fancy watching some puffins? You can do it all on Sanda Island

There’s a two-bedroom flat for sale in Holland Park at the moment.

It’s a nice-looking place, with all sorts of things people like in west London flats: high ceilings, big windows, and communal gardens. It even has a very long lease, which runs until almost the year 3,000AD, assuming that both the human race and our general respect for contract law lasts that long.

The problem is that it costs £1.5 million, despite being less than 850sq ft: it has two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen-reception room.

The island of Torsa, meanwhile, has the same £1.5m price tag attached, and has 11,796,048 sq ft.

That’s quite a lot more square foot, and such a big number that it’s just as well that the agents, Savills, quote it as 270.8 acres in the details.

It’s a magnificently beautiful spot just off the coast of Argyll, a little south of Oban on the west coast of Scotland. It’s almost but not quite attached to Luing, a larger island which features settlements named things like Tobernochy and Kilchattan. Torsa itself is a delight, with beaches and hills (maximum elevation: 62m).

It even has a wonderful name — which translates as ‘Thor's Island’ — and interesting history, with a prettily ruined castle called ‘Casteal nan Con’ (the Dogs' Castle), which has been occupied over its history by Clan Campbell, the MacDougalls and Clan MacLean.

We know what you’re probably thinking: what good is an island with a castle if it offers wild camping once you arrive? Well, that would be a good question, but as it happens Torsa has a lot more than just glorious nature and endless views. It has a gorgeous old farmhouse dating to the mid-19^th century, but much improved and modernised — it’s used as a holiday let as present — as well as a range of outbuildings which, while in a poor state, could easily be improved and used as further accommodation, subject to planning consent.

All that’s not enough? Torsa actually comes with a couple of spare islands thrown into the deal: Torsa Beag and Eilean na h-Eaglaise.

And if even that doesn’t sway you? Well, there’s a nice little flat in Holland Park I heard about recently. I’m sure I’ve still got the details somewhere.

Torsa Island is being sold by Savills for £1.5 million — see more pictures and details.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

As Strutt & Parker’s head of farms and estates for Scotland, Robert McCulloch is accustomed to keeping his ear to the ground. His latest analysis of the arcane workings of the Scottish estates scene identifies some significant recent trends in the market north of the Border.

A stellar year in 2022 saw 23 estates, with an average size of 5,133 acres, either sold or going under offer at an average guide price of £8.2 million. In 2023, the number of estates sold fell slightly to 22, despite a 33% increase in the number of estates for sale. The average acreage of estates sold in 2023 was 3,904, whereas the average sale price slipped to £7.2m, a 12% decline year on year.

Overall, the conversion rate of estates sold fell from 77% in 2022 (23 estates out of 30 for sale) to 55% in 2023 (22 estates out of 40 for sale), with Strutt & Parker claiming market leadership with seven out of 22 sales. At the same time, an increasingly jittery market saw the number of off-market transactions jump from 39% in 2022 to 55% in 2023.

It all made for a tough year for selling agents, a view confirmed by Evelyn Channing of Savills, who reveals that ‘demand for land suitable for commercial tree planting was re-calibrated, leading to a drop in upland farmland values by up to 25% from their peak in mid 2022’.

Of six major estate sales achieved by Savills in 2023, five were to private UK-based buyers, four of whom were buying for natural capital. Meanwhile, arable land and lowland pasture sales remained strong, as agricultural buyers sought to acquire additional acreage, especially in strong farming areas such as the Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, and Aberdeenshire.

For Strutt & Parker, 2023 kicked off in style with the sale of the remote, 3,380-acre Tayvallich estate near Lochgilphead in Argyll, which came to the market in September 2022 with a guide price of £10.465m for the whole. Another prime target for natural-capital buyers, the spectacular mixed-use coastal estate occupies a little-known, but picturesque and ecologically important peninsula between the Sound of Jura and Knapdale peninsula on Scotland’s west coast.

Tayvallich’s assets range from the 1,686-acre Drimnagall farming estate, several native woodland sites and various houses and buildings, to the scenic, 880-acre Danna Island, which comprises a boathouse, jetties, houses, small islands and more than five miles of coastline. It went under offer in November 2022 to Highlands Rewilding, one of a series of environmental enterprises founded by climate campaigner Jeremy Leggett; the sale was completed in spring 2023.

A further two remote and scenic coastal estates found buyers through Strutt & Parker in 2023. The first of these was the 2,396-acre Husabost estate near Dunvegan, on the north-west coast of the Isle of Skye, which came to the market in May with a guide price of ‘offers over £1.25m’ and sold in the autumn to ‘a British buyer with local roots’, Mr McCulloch reveals.

Once part of the land holdings of the MacLeod family, whose seat is the nearby Dunvegan Castle, Husabost comprises a main house in need of complete refurbishment, a home farm, tenanted crofts and some five miles of sea frontage, with magnificent views to the Cuillin Mountains and the Outer Hebrides.

The other was the 1,863-acre Grigadale estate on Argyll’s Ardnamurchan Peninsula, the most westerly point of the British mainland, known as ‘the headland of the great seas’. Launched in May with a guide price of ‘offers over £1.2m’, it was sold by the autumn, again to a British buyer.

Described by the agents as ‘a magnificent amenity estate in one of the most peaceful and unexplored parts of Scotland’, Grigadale comprises a three-bedroom farmhouse and farm buildings surrounded by pasture, rough grazings and open hill; sport includes deer stalking, rough shooting and trout fishing on three lochs.

With the Cheviot Hills to the south and the more open farmland of Berwickshire to the north, the central Scottish Borders not only offers some of the most beautiful countryside in the south of Scotland, but is a region renowned for its productive farmland, forestry and exciting country sports. Here, Savills handled the sale of Linton Burnfoot Farm, a ring-fenced 540-acre farm in an unspoilt and tranquil valley spanning Kale Water, seven miles from Kelso and 12 miles from Jedburgh.

Run in recent years as a stock farm producing fat lambs, it was also the setting for an excellent driven-pheasant and duck-flighting shoot. Launched onto the market in July 2022, as a whole for ‘offers over £3.1m’ or in three lots, the majority of the land was acquired in 2023 by the Foresight Sustainable Forestry Company, which plans to repurpose the hill ground for forestry. The handsome Georgian main house was sold separately with about 50 acres to a lifestyle buyer for ‘offers over £800,000’. Some 40 acres of arable land was bought by a neighbouring farmer.

There was strong interest from southern buyers in two well-run traditional farms in prime Border locations, which sold for 20% more than the asking price in the latter half of 2023, Mrs Channing reveals. The first of these was the 303-acre Old Graden Farm, which sits in a private and picturesque setting to the south-east of Kelso, overlooking rolling farmland with views towards the Cheviot Hills. Strategically planted woodlands and the varied topography produce challenging driven pheasants, with ponds providing excellent duck-flighting and walked-up snipe shooting also available. Launched in July for ‘offers over £2.1m’, Old Graden was sold by September. 

Howden Farm near Selkirk was a late entrant to the market in mid September at a guide price of ‘offers over £2.3m’. Following 29 viewings and five offers, an early November closing date resulted in a December sale, with entry in January 2024.

The immaculate, all-grass livestock farm comprises a late-Georgian farmhouse, two semi-detached cottages, traditional and modern farm buildings, 323 acres of grassland and 67 acres of amenity woodland and shelter belts. It sits amid peaceful rolling countryside on the southern lower banks of Ettrick Water, a tributary of the Tweed, two miles south-west of Selkirk in the heart of the Scottish Borders.

Owned by the same family for 300 years, the 1,962-acre Finegand estate at Glenshee in the Cairngorms National Park, 20 miles from Blairgowrie and 32 miles from Perth, was the pride of Galbraith’s farms and estates portfolio when it came to the market in September 2022 with an asking price of £5m. ‘The vendors were delighted when a UK buyer with traditional farming and sporting interests bought the estate in February 2023,’ says selling agent Emma Chalmers.

The impressively diverse Highland estate boasts farming, forestry, sporting and conservation interests, centred on the original Finegand Farmhouse, with a range of farm buildings, six cottages and a former steading at the north offering a potential development opportunity. The lands at Finegand comprise permanent pasture, rough grazings, heather hill and woodland, rising from about 310 metres (1,017ft) above sea level to some 794 metres (2,605ft) at its highest point.

The farming enterprise is currently run in conjunction with a shepherding contract for some 500 ewes. The estate offers a range of traditional sports that include red, roe and fallow deer stalking and walked-up grouse shooting.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

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An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

Scottish estates for sale

Whatever happens 'south of the border', the Scots tend to do things differently so it comes at no surprise that

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The greatest estates sold around Britain in the last 12 months

Farms and estates did not lose their appeal in 2023, with some local buyers and even a happy ending to

Castles needn’t be completely overwhelming, as Blairlogie Castle proves. The historic Scottish property near Stirling shows that you can have great drama and grandeur while also retaining the feel of a much-loved family home. This six-bedroom castle is on the market for £1,450,000 via Savills.

Blairlogie Castle was originally the seat of the Spittals, a family of merchants who served the Scottish kings, and clearly they were successful ones to be able to erect this 4,900 sq ft castle.

The castle dates back to the 16th century — it's Listed Category A — and has external features such as a castellated arch and crow-stepped gables.

Inside, though, it's a different matter: Blairlogie has it's performed the neat trick of evolving with the centuries, adding new touches and keeping what works. The net result is a delightful mix of centuries-old wood panelling, ancient stone fireplaces and charming newer touches from the original Aga to the tasteful fittings.

Aside from the grand fireplaces, the decorative panelled ceilings and carved wooden staircase are highlights, as is the original (and rather hefty) 16th-century oak door that’s stood the test of time. 

The layout of the three-storey castle harks back somewhat to a bygone era, with a main entrance on the ground floor opening into a vaulted hallway. To one side, there’s a wine cellar and to the other, a kitchen, utility room, and WC as well as a sitting room.

The first floor offers more formal space for entertaining as well as two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

There’s a dining room, pantry, and a drawing room with eye-catching spiral stairs up to the library, which boasts a vaulted ceiling made of ship’s timbers.

Those ship's timbers aren't the only nautical touch. On the top floor, along with three more bedrooms and a bathroom, is a home office-slash-studio space which... well, you'll need steady nerves to make the most of it since you'll need to walk the plank to reach it. As the video on the Savills website shows, it's one for those with sure feet and steady nerves.

Blairlogie Castle comes with various other buildings. There’s a 500 sq ft cottage, connected to the house by the castellated arch, former stables built of stone, and three garages.

The property’s 2.6-acres of south-facing gardens include lawns, mature trees, vegetable gardens and ‘many unusual plants and specimens’, and a graceful (and generously-sized) greenhouse. Plenty for gardeners to sink their teeth into, then.

Blairlogie Castle's setting is also a key selling point, dramatically-placed below the craggy mountain that is Dumyat, in the Ochil Hills. It's also on the edges of the village of Blairlogie, one of Scotland’s first conservation villages, which became famous as a health spa, with people coming to visit for the fresh air, water and goats’ milk. 

What Blairlogie does best, though, is blending the quirks and fun of a castle with a highly-liveable family home. It'll be a lucky family indeed who are the next to move here.

Blairlogie Castle is on the market via Savills for £1,450,000 — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details. 

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Fight your way through woods and undergrowth on the right remote, rural hill in Herefordshire, and you'll eventually find yourself at a ruined castle that's feels as if it's been standing here for centuries, waiting to be discovered. The light pours in and around ruined walls that have stood for almost a millennium, on a site that stands above the local area. This is Wigmore Castle, a ruined motte and bailey castle that dates back to 1067, and it's currently for sale at £500,000.

Wigmore Castle in Leominster is listed with Sunderlands, and there are more than just the ruins on the table: the property extends to 29 acres, and comes with planning permission to build a two-bedroom home in a secluded and private spot within those grounds. It was up for sale via formal tender earlier this year — a method which means any offer is legally binding, equivalent to exchanging contracts — but is now offered via private treaty, which will make things more flexible for any prospective buyer.

The down-side? This will be no private castle. Wigmore is a true piece of history, Grade I-listed and under the guardianship of the Secretary of State. As such, the new owner will have to keep the ruins themselves open to the public; on the plus side, the cost of maintaining the ruins is also born by the state.

All that makes perfect sense when you read the history of the place. Wigmore was built by William Fitz Osbern, Earl of Hereford, a friend and confidant of William the Conqueror. This castle was a major centre of power and hosted kings and queens for more than 500 years.

After Fitz Osbern’s death in 1071, the property was held by the Mortimer family from around 1075 to 1425. The inner part of the gatehouse and the D-shaped east tower are the main survivals from this period.

The castle was then passed to the Crown and later fell into ruin after the Civil War, and remained untouched until the 1990s, when English Heritage conserved it. The charity intentionally left the overgrown appearance — for the sake of the wildlife as well as its beauty — and describes the remains as 'among the most remarkable ruins in England'.

As the pictures show, this is a wonderful and romantic spot, both around the ruins themselves and in the surrounding land, which features a moat, woodland and even a former jousting field.

The elevated ruins enjoy splendid views across the countryside, Wigmore Moor and the Roman Watling Street that crosses it. The site is also home to rare species of wildlife and plants, including lesser horseshoe bats and ploughman’s spikenard wildflowers.

Planning permission has been granted to convert a workshop within the grounds into a detached two storey two-bedroom home. The building is adjacent to the ruins but not visible from them, and is sheltered by well-established trees in its vicinity.

Wigmore Castle, while remote, is also perfectly liveable: it's situated on the edge of Wigmore, a picturesque village with two pubs, a mobile post office, village hall, primary and secondary school.

Wigmore Castle in Herefordshire is listed with Sunderlands for £500,000.

Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale

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A magnificent castle dating back to William the Conqueror comes to the market

A thousand years of history come together at Otterburn Castle, a spectacular Northumberland castle that has come to the market.

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An elegant Highland castle and estate on the market for the first time in eight centuries

The 560-year-old Kilravock Castle and its estate have come to the market, a fabulous opportunity — but one which will require

Up in the Highlands, Rod Christie of Galbraith in Inverness is handling the sale of the storied Kilravock Castle estate in the scenic Nairn Valley, one mile from the village of Croy and six miles from Inverness airport. He seeks ‘offers over £4m’ for the enchanting, 481-acre Highland estate, which has been run by the current vendors — the Kilravock Christian Trust — as a retreat centre. As the pictures show, it's now in deed of renovation: this is not one for somebody who just expects a perfect place to move straight in.

The estate centres on the Category A-listed Kilravock Castle, the original seat of the Clan Rose, which dates from about 1460, when the 7th Baron built the original keep under licence from John, Lord of the Isles and Earl of Ross. The lands had been acquired in the 13th century by Hugh Rose of Geddes, and were held by the family for the best part of 800 years before being bequeathed in 1984 by Elizabeth Rose, 25th Baroness of Kilravock (pronounced ‘Kilrorke’) to the aforementioned Kilravock Christian Trust. As such, this is the first time that the castle and estate have been available on the market in eight centuries.

Various additions were built on over the years, including the main house in 1553. The main staircase, corridors and west wing were added in the 18th century. The last major alteration, the construction of an additional tower, took place in 1926.

The present castle comprises 13 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a banqueting hall, library, family museum and oubliette, or secret dungeon, plus two adjoining self-contained wings.

It comes with nine cottages and extensive gardens and grounds, including an arboretum, commercial and amenity woodland, farmland, and trout-fishing rights on the River Nairn.

Established in 2003, the Cairngorms National Park in north-east Scotland is the UK’s largest, covering an area of 1,748 square miles in Aberdeenshire, Moray, the Highlands, Angus and Perth and Kinross.

The source of three major rivers — the Spey, the Dee and the Don — the park provides a unique semi-tundra moorland habitat and is home to many rare plants, birds and animals. They include Britain’s only herd of semi-domesticated reindeer, introduced from Sweden in 1952, which roams the high Cairngorms.

Kilravock Castle estate is for sale via Galbraith at £4m — see more details and pictures.

Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale

A look at the finest castles, country houses and estates for sale in Scotland today.

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Best country houses for sale this week

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Beside the warm waters of Galloway, Eve Channing of Savills is overseeing the sale of the delightful, 1,637-acre Logan estate on the picturesque Rhins peninsula, 13 miles south of Stranraer, in Scotland’s south-west corner.

She seeks ‘offers over £9.5m’ for the historic coastal estate, the focal point of which is the Category A-listed Logan House, but which also includes everything from beaches and castles to an ancient Barony title.

The house is set in 17 acres of lovely woodland gardens established over time by members of the McDouall family, who have owned the estate in almost unbroken succession for more than 700 years. The McDouall's Barony title — granted in 1594 — is also up for sale alongside the estate.

All this history has left its mark across the estate, not least in the curious miniature castle-slash-cottage on the top of the cliffs.

Port Logan Bay, with its pier, lighthouse and more than two miles of craggy coastline and sandy beaches, forms the estate’s western boundary.

In 1970, the walled garden, containing the ruins of the medieval castle of Balzieland (the original seat of the McDoualls), was gifted to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland as an annexe to the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, now known as the Logan Botanic Garden.

The estate centres on Logan House, an exquisite Queen Anne mansion house, originally built in 1702. Bryce, again, remodelled it in 1784, enclosing it in an extensive Baronial sandstone ‘shell’.

In 1952, the house was stripped of its Victorian additions, leaving the Bryce service wing to the rear, and restored to its old Queen Anne proportions.

Logan House now offers more than 9,000sq ft of gracious living space over four floors, including three principal reception rooms, nine bedrooms and nine bathrooms, the whole linked by a splendid curved stone staircase that extends from the ground to the second floor.

Six further estate houses provide staff accommodation, shorthold lets or are presently vacant.

Logan is renowned for its high-quality pheasant and partridge shoot, which makes the most of the estate’s topography, and 270 acres of woodland. Duck-flighting and wildfowling are available on Logan Loch, with roe-buck stalking taking place between April and October.

Meanwhile, the 1,158 acres of productive farmland is farmed in-hand on a contract basis with three local contractors, the main crops being winter and spring cereals, maize, potatoes and silage, with 446 acres of permanent pasture providing grazing for dairy heifers.

An efficient base for the farming operation is provided by a range of traditional and modern farm buildings at Logan Mains.

The Logan Estate is for sale at £9.5m — see more details and pictures.

Few are the privately-owned residences which have the honour of starring on the cover of Country Life; even fewer are those which have had that honour multiple times. So when one of those properties comes up for sale, it’s worth celebrating: Dunbeath Castle is looking for a new owner.

Evelyn Channing of Savills seeks ‘offers over £25 million’ for the 28,500-acre Dunbeath estate in Caithness, the remote coastal county on Scotland’s north-eastern corner, fringed to the north and east by dramatic sea cliffs and long sandy beaches and to the south and west by the more rugged and mountainous county of Sutherland.

Caithness is a land of vast moorland, river valleys of gentle rolling farmland, and blanket peatland known as the Flow Country, the largest expanse of blanket bog in Europe.

The principal house on the Dunbeath estate is the aforementioned — and magnificently picturesque — Category A-listed Dunbeath Castle, a massive white building set high on a rocky promontory overlooking the sea. It sits on the east coast of Caithness, 21 miles south of the ancient Norse town of Wick and a two-hour drive north from Inverness. Although remote, it is far from inaccessible: private flights are available from Wick John O’Groats airport, and there is ample space for helicopters to land on the lawns of Dunbeath Castle itself.

The earliest-known building on the site dates from 1428, when the first recorded laird was Alexander Sutherland. It later passed by marriage to the Clan Sinclair, members of which, in 1620, replaced the medieval structure with a four-storey tower house that remained in the family for 325 years.

The castle was extensively remodelled by the Sinclairs in the 17th century and again in the 1860s, when the Scottish architect David Bryce rebuilt it in the Scots Baronial style and established the designed landscape in which it sits.

His masterstroke was to make the northern front of the castle symmetrical and lay out an approach down a three-quarter-mile-long, arrow-straight, tree-lined drive — the iconic view probably most familiar to readers of Country Life thanks to its numerous cover appearances, the most recent of which was in 2018.

Following Vice-Admiral Sir Edwyn Alexander-Sinclair’s death in 1945, his estates were broken up and sold, after which Dunbeath had four owners — two of them American — before being bought in 1997 by the late Stuart Murray Threipland and his wife, Claire.

Behind its grand exterior, Mr and Mrs Threipland created a much-cherished family home with ample space for entertaining. Guests can be accommodated in great comfort within the castle’s 13 bedrooms, all of which bear the names of historic naval battles, whereas the main reception rooms are located on the eastern side of the four-storey building to take advantage of the magnificent sea views.

The couple also created two memorable gardens that defy the elements: one, known affectionately as Mrs Threipland’s Garden, is a colourful ornamental and formal walled garden that contrasts with the more minimalist Mr Threipland’s Garden — the original kitchen garden, which is dominated by a smooth expanse of lawn, sculptural grasses and a series of water features.

Dunbeath estate, which is being sold as a whole, encapsulates the Scottish dream, comprising, as it does, a supremely comfortable castle in a glorious coastal setting; a wild and beautiful landscape that includes 12½ miles of river flowing from source to mouth, four hill lochs and lochans, and four miles of rugged coastline; and a variety of sport, including walked-up grouse shooting, red-deer stalking, a first-class pheasant and partridge shoot, and 12½ miles of salmon and sea-trout fishing on the lovely Dunbeath Water.

It also boasts a rich environmental and ecological habitat that supports an array of birdlife, wildlife and fauna, with enormous potential for a variety of conservation or peatland-restoration projects.

In addition to these natural assets, some 20 estate houses and cottages provide staff accommodation, holiday lets and long-term rentals, whereas fertile pasture along the coastline and extensive upland grazing enable Dunbeath’s 500-acre in-hand farm to hold a commercial herd of 70 suckler cattle and 800 breeding ewes.

Dunbeath Castle is for sale at £25m — see more pictures and details.

Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale

A look at the finest castles, country houses and estates for sale in Scotland today.

More than 500 years of mixed fortunes are encapsulated in a historic Irish estate that has come to the market: the picturesque, 448-acre Belle Isle estate overlooking Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh. James Butler of Savills in Dublin is handling the sale, quoting a guide price of £7.5 million.

The 15,524sq ft castle — listed Grade B+ — has been, for the last 25 years or so, set up as luxury holiday accommodation, comprising four well-proportioned reception rooms, two kitchens and 13 bedroom suites. The Victorian farmyard has been converted into eight courtyard apartments, while two semi-detached coach houses are used as short-term holiday rentals.

In total the let accommodation throughout the estate currently sleeps up to 65 guests, and the topography and woods form the basis of a renowned and exciting wild-bird shoot. The estate also boasts some 6½ miles of frontage on Lough Erne, with fishing and water sports available on the lake and four private islands.

Things weren't always so peaceful. Following the Flight of the Earls in September 1607, when the Gaelic Earls of Tyrone and Tyrconnell set sail from Donegal to seek Spanish support in their long-running conflict with the English Crown, James I declared the estates of the refugee earls forfeit and intensified the colonisation of Ulster with a new Protestant population drawn from England and Scotland.

One of many beneficiaries of this process was Paul Gore, an Elizabethan soldier of fortune, who, in 1611, in addition to the 29,000-acre Manor Gore estate in Co Donegal, was granted 1,000 acres in Co Fermanagh, including Ballymacmanus Island on Lough Erne, the home of the Macmanus clan since medieval times. Gore was created a Baronet in 1621.

In about 1718, the 4th Baronet, Sir Ralph Gore, built himself a relatively modest Georgian house as the centrepiece of an ambitious planned landscape, and renamed the island Belle Isle. His son, also Sir Ralph, built Belle Isle Castle around the original Georgian house and significantly expanded the estate.

In 1746, another Sir Ralph, 6th Baronet, inherited Belle Isle. Successful careers, both as a soldier and an Irish parliamentarian, saw him elevated through the Irish peerage as Baron Gore of Manor Gore, Viscount Belleisle, and, finally, 1st (and last) Earl of Ross. He spent lavishly on the estate, creating follies and walks around the island and indulging his passion for racehorses and taste for fast living.

By the time he died, probably in 1802, he had squandered his entire patrimony, leaving what remained with £14,000 of debt. Belle Isle then passed to his only surviving child, Lady Mary Hardinge.

She left Belle Isle to her nephew, the Revd Sir Charles Hardinge, who, in 1830, sold what remained of ‘the ruined seat of the Earl of Ross’ to the Revd John Grey Porter, after which it remained with successive generations of the Porter family.

They restored the house and land and built a new stable court. The design of the main house, with its tower and gabled gallery extension, is attributed to London-based architect Percy Richard Morley Horder.

The last of the Porter line to own Belle Isle was Miss Lavinia Baird, who, in 1991, sold it to the Duke of Abercorn. An extensive renovation programme began with the conversion of the Hamilton Wing in 1992.

Belle Isle Estate is for sale at £7.5 million — see more details and pictures.

Few architectural styles get the pulse racing quite like Scots Baronial and, in Borthwick Hall, I can feel my blood quickening as I type.

Here we have a magnificent Grace C-listed mansion designed by John Henderson, completed in 1852, offering 10 bedrooms and 12 acres, all within 20 miles of the capital Edinburgh.

The property is currently on the market via Strutt & Parker for offers over £1.8 million.

Inside the 19th-century exterior, adorned as it is by bartizan towers and turrets, you will find an elegant mix of modernity and tradition: grand vaulted reception rooms with decorative plasterwork, combined with contemporary kitchen and modern bathrooms.

For the eco-conscious among us, a biomass automatic-feed wood-pellet central-heating system has already been installed, along with an EV charging point in the garage. Further amenities include a home gym, cinema room, a spa with sauna and 900mbps internet.

Outside, the property stands in beautifully landscaped formal gardens amounting to 12 acres, which extend to open paddocks that surround the house from the north, north-east and south-east.

The small village of Heriot is situated in the county of Midlothian, close to the capital, Edinburgh. Although small, the village enjoys a thriving community and is home to Heriot Primary School, a village hall and church.

Edinburgh can be easily reached by either car or by train from the station in the neighbouring village of Gorebridge, which runs half-hourly services. Edinburgh is a thriving city, known for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival which takes place over the summer months, a highly-regarded university, striking architecture as well as excellent restaurants and shops.

This is a real-life fairy-tale property for those seeking the peace of rural life in a true one-of-a-kind home.

Borthwick Hall is currently on the market via Strutt & Parker for offers over £1.8 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details. 

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

One of few large Scottish estates seen on the open market in 2022, the illustrious, 1,528-acre Careston residential and farming estate near Brechin, Angus, reflected the changing face of the Scottish land market. Its sale saw the Category A-listed castle with 345 acres of land acquired by a European buyer, the bulk of the remaining farmland being purchased by expanding commercial farmers or those with rollover funds burning holes in their pockets.

Launched onto the market by Savills in autumn 2021 at a guide price of £11.3 million for the whole—or in eight lots—the sale of the Careston estate marked the end of an era for the Adamson family, whose home it had been for 150 years. Described by the writer Ochterlony in 1682 as ‘without debait the best gentleman’s house in the shyre’, Careston Castle was built in the late 16th century by Sir Henry Lindsay, later 13th Earl of Crawford, and revamped by his nephew, Lord Spynie, in the 1620s.

By 1721, the castle was owned by Maj George Skene and passed down through his family to his great-granddaughter, who married Alexander, 3rd Earl of Fife. An article in Country Life on March 1, 1913 notes the addition of a grand staircase hall at the rear, and the embellishment of the 16th-century turrets with crenellations in the Gothic style. Further additions were made for John Adamson, the son of a Dundee whaling captain and owner of the Erichtside linen works at Blairgowrie, who bought Careston from the Earl of Fife in 1872.

Evelyn Channing of Savills, who heads up the firm’s farms and estates operations north of the Border, reports a significant increase both in the number of estates offered for sale (27 in 2022, compared with 22 in 2021) and the total acreage marketed (246,496 acres in 2022, compared with 88,160 acres in 2021). She estimates the total value of the estates offered at £347.05m based on asking price, although most were offered privately, with no online listing and no advertising. She also reveals that 69% of sales was to an active pool of committed ‘natural-capital buyers’, the majority of whom were UK-based.

Among the estates sold by Savills to natural-capital and conservation buyers was the 11,000-acre Invergeldie estate in Perthshire, where a pre-emptive offer from the recently founded Oxygen Conservation, based in Exeter, was accepted within three weeks of launch. Currently under offer to conservation buyers are the 11,500-acre Blackburn and Hartsgarth estate in Dumfriesshire and the 18,000-acre Dalnacardoch estate in Perthshire.

"The wave of enthusiasm for investment in ‘natural capital’ has sent values soaring"

Even the Scottish Government climbed on the natural-capital bandwagon, funding the purchase by Forestry and Land Scotland of the 16,500-acre Glenprosen estate in the Angus Glens, for £17.6m. A significant part of the estate will now be planted for forestry, in pursuit of the Government’s stated aim of ‘managing these resources in such a way as to maximise environmental, biodiversity and community benefits while also increasing our net contribution to Scotland’s climate emergency mitigation effort’.

The current wave of enthusiasm for investment in ‘natural capital’, defined in simple terms by Rob McCulloch of Strutt & Parker as ‘the capitalisation of the natural environment’, has sent the value of hill-grazings or bare land soaring in the past two years, from less than £200 an acre to £2,000 an acre in some cases.

As a prime target for natural-capital buyers, he cites the example of the remote, 3,380-acre Tayvallich estate, near Lochgilphead, Argyll, a spectacular mixed-use coastal estate that occupies a little-known, but picturesque and ecologically important peninsula between the Sound of Jura and Knapdale peninsula on Scotland’s west coast.

Launched on the market through Strutt & Parker in September 2022 with a guide price of £10.465m for the whole, or in 13 lots, Tayvallich ranges from the 1,686-acre Drimnagall farming estate to a number of native woodland sites, plus various houses and buildings, to the scenic, 811-acre Danna Island, comprising a boathouse, jetties, redundant buildings, houses, five small islands and more than five miles of coastline.

By mid November, Tayvallich was under offer to Highlands Rewilding, the latest in a series of environmental and social-purpose enterprises founded by the writer and climate campaigner Jeremy Leggett, which already owns the Bunloit estate on the banks of Loch Ness and the Beldorney estate in the Highlands.

According to Mr Leggett’s Wikipedia entry, ‘the goals of the project are to increase the carbon sequestration and biodiversity of the land, to create sustainable nature-based employment in a rural version of the Green New Deal, and to generate sustainable and ethical profits to demonstrate a viable new way of land management’.

In the brave new world of natural capital, large estates are increasingly sought after by buyers looking for sizeable projects to deliver meaningful long-term outcomes. This was the case with the 9,941-acre Pennyghael estate (pictured top), an outstanding mixed coastal, residential, sporting and amenity estate on the Isle of Mull, the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides.

Once owned by the pop group Genesis, it came to the market through Knight Frank with a guide of ‘offers over £5m’, and sold privately to an environmental buyer who was drawn to Pennyghael by the potentially valuable carbon-capture opportunities of its substantial acreages of commercial and native woodland, rather than its established sporting credentials.

Although natural capital hit the headlines in 2022, traditional sporting and lifestyle buyers were still very much in evidence, says Tom Stewart-Moore of Knight Frank, who also handled the sale of what was probably the smallest ‘estate’ sold in Scotland last year.

This was The White House of Aros, a secluded 44-acre coastal estate on the east coast of Mull that boasts panoramic views across the Sound of Mull to the Movern and Ardnamurchan peninsulas. The White House of Aros was once part of the Aros Castle estate, owned successively by the MacDougalls, the Macdonalds, the Macleans of Duart and the Campbells, before the castle fell into disuse—it remains a romantic landmark overlooking Salen Bay.

The present estate, comprising the seven-bedroom White House, its three-bedroom gardener’s cottage, the newly-built Riverside House and the contemporary boathouse and cottage, together with 44 acres of pasture, woodland, roads and buildings, was launched on the open market in July 2022 with a guide of ‘offers over £2.9m’ and sold to a UK buyer in the face of competition from overseas.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

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Also this week is our annual Gentleman's Life supplement, which covers everything from skiing and watches to the Mini's dominance of the international rally circuit in the 1960s — as well as a piece on how to cook the perfect chips.

Here's what's in the issue itself:

HEDGES: Why we all need more hedges. Let’s get planting.

CARLA CARLISLE: Carla reflects on not being homesick for the South.

POPPIES: Common it may be, but the poppy has the power to uplift like few others.

BIRDS: Birds have long flown into the world’s cultural consciousness, from ancient Iran to modern laboratories, explains Alex Bond.

PARKIN: Bonfire Night wouldn’t taste the same without a slab of parkin, believes Debora Robertson.

MARSHMALLOWS: Katy Birchall on their unexpected gooey history.

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GILLING CASTLE: John Goodall examines little-known Gilling Castle, North Yorkshire.

INTERIORS: Fireplaces for cosy nights and why British stone is on the menu.

THE GOOD STUFF: Hetty Lintell on November’s birthstone, golden citrine.

GARDENS: The Italian home of Arabella Lennox-Boyd, Palazzo Parisi in Umbria, is a garden of delights.

FOOD: Kitchen garden cook Melanie Johnson serves swede.

And much more

It’s the end of an era for the illustrious 1,528-acre Careston residential and farming estate, near Brechin, Angus. The estate, which has been in the Adamson family for 149 years, has come to the market via Savills at a guide price of £11.3 million, with the family also willing to split the property up into as many as eight lots.

The last time Careston graced the pages of Country Life was on March 1, 1913, when the magazine’s then Architectural Editor, Lawrence Weaver, traced the history of the estate and its magnificent Category A-listed castle, built in the late 16th century by Sir Henry Lindsay of Kinfaines, later 13th Earl of Crawford. Sir Henry’s ‘new place of Carraldstone’ was a tall, L-shaped house, probably built around the 13th-century keep of one Keraldus, a high-ranking court officer to the Earls of Angus, from whom Careston takes its name.

Sir Henry is said to have sold the estate to Adam Rae, a merchant from Edinburgh, in 1612; soon after that, it was acquired by Sir Henry’s nephew, Lord Spynie, who revamped the castle’s interior in the course of the 1620s. The next owner was Sir Alexander Carnegie, who shared Lindsay’s passion for heraldic treatments, which may account for the elaborately carved pink-sandstone chimneypieces in the drawing room, dining room and principal bedroom.

In 1682, John Ochterlony, described Careston as a ‘great and most delicate house, well built, brave lights, and of a most excellent contrivance, without debait the best gentleman’s house in the shyre; extraordinaire much planting, delicate yards and gardens with stone walls, and excellent avenue with ane range of ash trees on every syde, ane excellent arbour, - for length and breadth, none in the countrey lyke it’ [sic].

In 1701, the castle was acquired by Sir John Stewart of Grandtully & Murthly, who added a wing to create a symmetrical, U-shaped, four-storey house of five bays with short projecting gables at each end; his coat-of-arms holds pride of place above the front door. By 1721, the castle was owned by Maj George Skene and passed down through his family to his great-granddaughter, who married Alexander, 3rd Earl of Fife.

In about 1790, a grandiose staircase hall was added at the rear and the 16th-century corner turrets were embellished with crenellations in the Gothic style. Further additions at the back and a loggia across the front were made for John Adamson, the son of a Dundee whaling captain and owner of the Erichtside linen works at Blairgowrie, who purchased Careston from the 5th Earl of Fife in 1872.

Set against the backdrop of the heather-clad Angus Glens to the north, Careston Castle sits in a magnificent parkland setting at the heart of the estate, surrounded by mature woodland with high-quality arable land beyond. An asking price of ‘offers over £2.9m’ is sought for Lot 1, comprising the imposing main mansion of red sandstone under a slate roof, three cottages, 143 acres of arable, 29 acres of pasture, 137 acres of woodland and a further 33 acres of amenity land — 345 acres in all.

Behind its grand exterior, the 15,700sq ft castle is a much-cherished, manageable and comfortable family home, with the principal accommodation — four fine reception rooms, a library, six main bedrooms and five bathrooms — laid out over the first and second floors.

Much of the ground floor is currently used for storage and five well-insulated rooms on the third floor could provide additional bedrooms.

The interior boasts many notable features including timber panelling in the reception rooms, stone and timber flooring and beautiful carved fireplaces, the stonework of which ranks among the finest in Scotland.

‘Offers over £850,000’ are invited for Lot 2, comprising four large arable fields and woodland adjoining the wooded south-west boundary of Lot 1 — a total of 119 acres in all, directly accessible off the main A90. A guide of ‘over £1.5m’ is quoted for Lot 3, the Mains of Careston — a farmstead with a substantial range of farm buildings and 195 acres to the east of Careston Castle, bounded on two sides by a minor public road that forms the estate’s eastern boundary.

Nether Careston, the hub of the estate’s farming operation, is Lot 4, with its 424-acre farm to the south of the A90, solid four-bedroom stone farmhouse, bungalow and a range of useful farm buildings — for ‘offers over £3.5m’. The Noran Water passes to the west of the steading and meanders through the farmland before joining the River South Esk on the eastern boundary.

The farm is bounded to the south by Lot 8, the Upper Careston Beat, comprising 1½ miles of salmon and sea-trout fishing on the South Esk, for which ‘offers over £250,000’ are invited.

To the east of Nether Careston are the adjoining lands of Balnabreich (pronounced ‘Bonnybreich’) which constitute Lot 5 — 152 acres of arable, 14 acres of pasture, two acres of woodland and 10 acres of additional land; ‘offers over £1.2m’ are sought. Lot 6 is North Wood, an outlying block of 147 acres of permanent pasture and woodland (recently felled and re-stocked with sitka spruce), which is available for ‘offers over £450,000’, whereas Lot 7, Careston North, comprises 89 acres of mainly arable, with permanent pasture and woodland — ‘offers over £650,000’.

Over the years, the estate has invested heavily in its residential housing stock, most of which is let on short or private tenancies. In addition to Careston Castle, six residential properties are included in the sale, ranging from two-bedroom cottages to the four-bedroom farmhouse at Nether Careston.

A further 13 residential properties within the boundaries of the various lots are also available for sale, advises selling agent Evelyn Channing, who is already fielding enquiries from farmers, investors and private individuals from throughout the UK and overseas.

Careston Estate is for sale at £11.3m, and can be broken down into eight lots — see more details and images.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale

A look at the finest castles, country houses and estates for sale in Scotland today.

If the dream is an active sporting lifestyle with total privacy, the Castleton estate on Loch Fyne, Argyll, on Scotland’s wild west coast, could be just the ticket at ‘offers over £1.95m’ through Knight Frank. The picturesque, 68-acre estate stands on the northern shore of Loch Fyne, 2½ miles from the coastal town of Lochgilphead and 39 miles south of Oban, the principal commercial centre for north Argyll and the Inner Hebrides.

Castleton offers walking, cycling, sailing, wild swimming, kayaking, horse riding and golf all on the doorstep, with boating on the estate itself, via its own private boat house and pier with 230 yards of foreshore frontage to Loch Fyne.

For serious sailors, nearby Crinan harbour offers sheltered yacht moorings.

The area is renowned for its rare and abundant wildlife, with whales, dolphins and basking sharks regular offshore visitors in the summer months, and the nearby Knapdale Forest has been home to beavers since 2009. Castleton itself is home to red squirrels, otters, deer and a wide variety of birdlife; sightings of sea eagles are always a source of wonder.

At the heart of the estate, surrounded by mature formal gardens and woodland, stands Category C-listed Castleton House, described by Historic Scotland as ‘a large, well-detailed mid-19th-century dwelling that has been extended in stages.

Built in about 1830, it incorporates an earlier, probably 18th-century building, possibly the home of one of the Duke of Argyll’s tacksmen. The two-storey gabled wing added in 1875 by renowned architects Dick Peddie and Kinnear is particularly fine [and] the distinguished Scots-Baronial wing of 2000 by Crerar and Partners utilises elements drawn from earlier parts of the house’.

The house was formerly part of the Graham-Campbell family’s Shirvan estate, where copper ore was mined between 1862 and 1910. The earliest part of the house, which incorporates a stone tablet initialled J. G. C. and dated 1875, was added by John Graham-Campbell.

Approached by two tree-lined driveways, the house provides 9,235sq ft of luxurious accommodation on three floors, including five reception rooms, nine bedrooms, six bathrooms and a swimming pool.

Worthy of special mention are the majestic drawing room (the former ballroom) with its trompe l’oeil ceiling, panelled billiards room, and oak-panelled library on the first floor. The principal bedroom suite has a terrace with views over the gardens to Loch Fyne.

The gardens at Castleton are an outstanding feature of the estate. To the front of the house, they include extensive lawns with herbaceous borders flanked by mixed mature woodland; to the north, a large walled garden conceals a kitchen garden, an orchard and a tennis court. To the north of the main driveway is a separate block of mainly sitka spruce planted in 1995 and some native woodland, some 28 acres in all.

The idyll that is Castleton is completed by its own 23-acre island, the majestic Eilean Mor, which sits opposite the foreshore of the estate between Glac Mhor Bay and Loch Fyne, with access at low tide on foot or via a short boat-ride from the slipway. In the 1800s, there was a working croft on the island and a thriving herring fishing community in Castleton Bay.

The remains of the croft buildings and the herring-boat piers can still be seen, although, for now, the only occupants of the island are the resident herons. But perhaps not forever, given that a site at the southern end of the island has rare planning consent for a single-storey, one-bedroom stone and slate house, the foundations for which were laid in 2015.

Not only is the consent still active, but a licence is also in place from the Crown Estate to reinstate the island’s pier and pontoon.

Castleton Estate is currently on the market via Knight Frank for offer over £1.95 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details.

Lochgilphead: What you need to know

Location: Lochgilphead is a town on the west coast of Scotland. Glasgow Airport is approximately 67 miles away.

Atmosphere: The town is well equipped with several shops, a golf course, hospital and school.

Things to do: We don't know why you would ever want to leave the estate — with all the is has to offer. So pack up a picnic and head out on the loch for the day where you can access your own private island. If sailing is more your cup of tea, head to Crinan for its sheltered harbour. With just about every outdoor sport available in the area and some incredible wildlife to spot, you'll be spoilt for choice.

Schools: Ardrishaig Primary School and Lochgilphead High School are the local primary and secondary options in the area.

See more property for sale in the area.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

'Kinloch Castle, a crumbling-but-iconic landmark on the Isle of Rum with a nominal value of £1 — but the buyer will need very deep pockets...'

So ran the headline of Country Life's article four years ago on the latest twist of fate for Kinloch Castle, on the Isle of Rum, a spectacular place which John Betjeman called ‘an undisturbed example of pre-1914 opulence’.

At the time it had been put on the market by NatureScot, seeking a benevolent buyer who'd be keen to take on this wonderfully beautiful but rather troubled pile.

As of this week it's now back on the market this more, with a new asking price of £750,000. Savills are handling the sale.

So what has changed?

Nothing in terms of Kinloch Castle itself, it must be said, which has now laid empty and decaying for years.

It was originally built by Lancastrian multimillionaire Sir George Bullough, who commissioned the turreted, red-sandstone house in 1897–1900 on the Inner Hebridean island, in order to host stalking, fishing, shooting and high-society decadence.

Rather wonderfully — and crucially for future plans — the rooms are almost entirely original, left as they were in its heyday, 'with a Steinway grand complete with scratches from dancing ladies’ heels, four-posters, a sprung-floor ballroom with gold-damask walls and even a vintage dental surgery,' as Country Life reported in 2021.

Intestine-like pipes of sophisticated Edwardian plumbing can be seen, together with decaying landscaped gardens with the remains of a palm house that was once full of hummingbirds, turtles and alligators.

One of the great curious is the world’s last functioning orchestrion, which remains in situ. It's a magnificent but complicated instrument that once belonged to Queen Victoria, and is capable of emulating a 40-piece orchestra. Yet it's in dire need of expert restoration, a job that would cost around £50,000 at the last estimate.

That's just the start. A vast amount of other work must be done, as you can see from the pictures on this page, some of which were taken for Country Life in 2009, others of which are the latest supplied by the agent. In 2021 the estimated total cost of restoration was 'at least £20 million'; given how costs have risen so steeply in recent years, that might prove to be an underestimate.

So who will take it on?

A buyer did step forward a few years ago — a city financier named Jeremy Hosking — but he pulled out of the sale, telling the BBC that his plans had been 'completely crushed'. The exact details of what happened and why are slightly hard to discern amid a string of claims and counter claims involving the politicians, local residents, NatureScot and Mr Hosking himself. So it's perhaps just as well a 'final report' was released by the Scottish government in May this year, laying out a list of conditions for the future sale and management of the castle.

Perhaps most important of all, the islanders have had their say — and this time around, most are convinced that a sale is the only true way forward. 'Many islanders feel that the sale, redevelopment and operational use of Kinloch Castle will have a positive impact on the Rum community,' the report reads.

It won't be plain sailing, however: some locals still strongly oppose sale and development: 'A small group of islanders is opposed to the sale,' the report adds. 'They would prefer to explore other options for the future of the castle, such as public ownership and use of the land and buildings or managed decline' — the latter meaning a steady decay into ruin.

Kinloch, set in seven acres, remained open as a museum until 2020 and its servants’ quarters were a hostel until 2013. Numerous fundraising efforts have hoped to tackle the leaks, dry rot and woodworm — including one by The Prince of Wales’s Regeneration Trust — but they failed to amass enough for restoration.

A previous report rejected an application from the Kinloch Castle Friends Association to take the castle, citing funding problems and and worries over the proposed business plan for turning the castle into a tourist destination. At the time that report listed the castle's value at a 'nominal figure of £1', but the new owner will have to prove that they have the resources to save this Category A landmark. The 2025 price of £750,000 is no doubt intended to make all the more certain that a buyer of suitable means is found.

What are the reservations? ‘The people of Rum don’t want it to be another millionaire’s playground, rather an asset for the community — they suggest a bistro and bar with accommodation,' explained Mary Miers, author of Highland Retreats and a former Country Life writer, back in 2021. At the same time, Prof Ewan Macdonald, chairman of the Kinloch Castle Friends Association and member of the Isle of Rum Community Trust spoke of his fear that the castle should fall into ‘inappropriate hands’, blaming ‘public-sector ineptitude. To take eight years to decide to sell it is breathtaking... The building has deteriorated’. For eight years you can now read 12.

‘The most important thing is the interior,’ added Miss Miers. ‘It’s not all necessarily in great taste, but this is an outstanding ensemble of turn-of-the-century furnishing and technology that has survived against all odds.

'It represents the golden age of that curious phenomenon, the Highland Season, when all of privileged and nouveau-riche society flocked north each summer to be entertained in luxurious palaces in the wilds. Few of these grandiose shooting lodges were more romantically situated than Kinloch, which stands at the head of Loch Scresort, backed by volcanic peaks.’

We're fascinated to see what comes next, but things look clearer and more positive than they have in years — and now, we'd suggest that any prospective buyer would be suitably forewarned about what they're getting in to. 'Through this study, islanders made it clear that the most important aspect of any sale is a long-term commitment to contribute to the community and nature on the island,' Chris Donald of NatureScot told the BBC.

'We are therefore asking prospective buyers to set out, alongside their offer, how they plan to use the castle and grounds and how they will support the nature, sustainability, culture and economy of the Isle of Rum.'

Kinloch Castle is for sale via Savills — see the listing, and read the Scottish government report on the sale.

Buyers hankering for a Scottish castle to make their own shouldn’t miss Carbisdale, five miles from Ardgay, in Sutherland. For sale through Strutt & Parker at offers over £1.5 million — essentially the price of a terraced house in a leafy London suburb — it is a grand affair with 19 bedrooms, five reception rooms and even a crenellated tower.

Or at least it will have them once renovation is completed. The castle had long been used as a youth hostel until the current owner bought it in 2006 and set out to re-convert it into a private home.

Much of the work has been done, but it needs to be finished, making the building ‘a superb blank canvas’ according to the building surveyor that inspected the property.

Many original features have survived in the 42,000sq ft interiors, including a magnificent wooden staircase, intricately decorated ceilings and fine fireplaces, so the fabric is there to create a magnificent home—as it originally was when it was built in the early 20th century for Mary Caroline, Duchess of Sutherland, the woman who may possibly have inspired Cinderella’s stepmother in the Disney version of the fairy tale.

The building’s colourful history is an attraction in its own right — it could be straight out of a book. The Duchess, the second wife of the 3rd Duke of Sutherland, wasn’t much liked by her husband’s family and when he died, the 4th Duke took her to court to contest the will.

Found guilty of having destroyed documents to help secure her inheritance, the Duchess was thrown into prison for six weeks. Eventually, however, she found a compromise with the Sutherland family, who agreed to build her a castle, but only as long as it was outside of their estate.

The crafty Duchess then found a piece of land on a hillside immediately beyond the estate’s confines, thus ensuring that she’d rub it in the family’s face for the rest of their days — and that’s how Carbisdale came to be. To top it all off, she had clocks put on all the faces of the castle’s tower bar one — the one that faced towards the Sutherland estate.

The Duchess might have picked her location out of spite, but she couldn’t have chosen better if she’d done it for the views — Carbisdale comes with 20 acres of land, including a natural loch brimming with brown trout, and looks out towards to the east over the Kyle of Sutherland to the Dornoch Firth and the to the west up towards Strathoykel.

And like every self-respecting Scottish castle, Carbisdale, which also played host to Norway's King Haakon during the Second World War, is even said to have a resident ghost.

Carbisdale is for sale at £1.5 million via Strutt & Parker — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

Ardgay: What you need to know

• Location: Ardgay is about 20 minutes' drive from Dornoch and 55 from Inverness
• Things to do: There are plenty of opportunities for salmon and trout fishing and red-deer stalking, Munros to brave and footpaths and woodland trails to explore. Golf is at Royal Dornoch; the Carnegie Links at Skibo Castle and Golspie Golf plus a 9-hole parkland course at nearby Bonar Bridge.The National Cycle Route 1 runs through Ardgay
• Schools: Gledfield Primary School is three miles away.Find more properties in the area.

Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale

A look at the finest castles, country houses and estates for sale in Scotland today.

Lockdown — in all its various guises — has been a real struggle for many of us, and the absurdities surrounding the new rules don't seem to be helping much. As of this Thursday, for example, I'd be allowed to take my children to a theatre packed with hundreds of strangers, or stand queuing in a crowded shop, but they're not allowed to have a playdate with a friend who they're already spending all week with at school.

For all that it's hard to deny that we shouldn't all do what we can to keep safe, and for those who are moving house at the moment the advent of the virtual tour has been a godsend.

It's not so much that you can now buy a house entirely remotely — though we've heard stories this year of exactly that, even in the £5 million-plus bracket. It's more that you can whittle your shortlist down more effectively, and only view in person those places which you're truly serious about buying.

The virtual tour tech — if you're not sure how it works, we have a piece here which explains more — has been around for a few years, but has become more important than ever, and property portal OnTheMarket have collected a list of the most-virtually-viewed houses on the market during these last few locked-down weeks. Top of the list is an idyllic Welsh cottage in need of a bit of TLC, but it was the third property down the list which caught our eye: the sumptuous and grand Auchendennan House in Alexandria, Dunbartonshire.

This four-storey, 15-bedroom castle — for sale with Strutt & Parker via OnTheMarket — is set in 55 acres of The Trossachs, a few hundred yards from the south-west bank of Loch Lomond, and it's a sandstone marvel that's as striking a home as you could hope to find.

The grand architecture on the outside is just the start of a place that's full of fascinating details within, starting with the main hallway. A huge, carved stone fireplace and black-and-white chessboard tiled floor greet you upon entry before you move through into a grand space full of carved wooden details on the walls and ceilings, with a galleried landing and a skylight above making a real statement.

There are turrets and oak panels, balconies and spiral staircases, original flooring, wallpaper and plasterwork, stained glass windows and archways... in short, it's not hard to see why people have been using the Strutt & Parker virtual tour.

The house was commissioned in 1866, built on the site of an earlier Italianate mansion, and designed by Jon Burnet from for a Glasgow-based merchant named George Martin.

A later owner, William Chrystal, made more changes in the early 20th century, with Alexander Nisbet Paterson designing the new areas — including the Porte Cochere — and no less a figure than Charles Rennie Mackintosh designing the library.

More recent years have also seen work done, with a full refurbishment having been carried out and modern touches added.

One of the ground floor reception rooms currently serves as a gym, for example, while there is also an office, workshops and an electric car charging point that is very much a 21st century touch.

The work that has been done is clearly something of a labour of love for the present owner, who's been here seven years.

Outside the grounds include gardens, parkland and woodland, including a field used to keep a small herd of Highland Cattle.

There are also the wonderful views of Ben Lomond and Loch Lomond itself, while the villages of Balloch and Luss — the latter the site of the famed Loch Lomond Golf Course — are three and five miles away respectively.

Glasgow itself is barely much further — the owners say that you can be in the city (or at the airport) in half an hour, opening up all manner of possibilities for those who want a base but still need easy access around the world.

Auchendennan House is for sale at offers over £3.75m with Strutt & Parker via OnTheMarket — see more details and pictures.

Perthshire — £1.75m

From its position just to the east of Callander — the 'gateway to the Highlands' — The Gart boasts views of Ben Ledi, and the Highlands themselves, beyond.

The Scots baronial country house, which dates from 1835, has been completely redecorated by the current owners. Keen entertainers will be delighted to learn that the 100ft long reception room has been preserved. There's also a well-stocked library, a cinema room in one of the turrets and a gin and whisky bar.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details about this property.

Argyll & Bute — £975,000

Right now, the idea of swapping city life for the wilds of Scotland sounds great — almost too much so. And when we see a property for sale along the lines of Glencruitten House, that feeling gets even stronger. Especially when you consider that Glencruitten’s price tag of £975,000 via Galbraith is less than you’d pay for a terraced townhouse in Henley.

The great highlight is the library — or the Lorimer Library, as its known, after its designer — which is accessed either from the main doorway or else, brilliantly, via a spiral staircase from the estate office below, from which you emerge half-way into the room, opposite a vast stone fireplace.

For sale with Galbraith. See more pictures and details about this property.

Fife — £875,000

The turrets clinging to the golden stone of this just-big-enough home near St Andrews

give it a delightful feel of a castle that you can live in — and a place where you can gaze out on the countryside from your castellated roof terrace.

There's no getting away from the fact that this is an 18th century house which has seen better days, and a bit of decorating will likely be needed to restore it to its full glory.

But any work will be well worthwhile for a nine-bedroom full of period charm — not least the grand entrance hall with columns and a sweeping staircase .

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details about this property.

Argyll & Bute — £650,000

This castle-in-miniature on the banks of Loch Long, in the upper reaches of the Firth of Clyde, is an eight-bedroom home full of charm and whimsy — there's even a flagpole.

The main house dates to 1860, while there's also a two-storey coach house and ornamental gardens of an acre and a half. You can see over the latter from the turret room (used as study and library) and the adjoining roof terrace, which seems a perfect spot for evening drinks watching the sun go down over the loch.

For sale with Corum. See more pictures and details about this property.

Moray — £2.65m

If you're leaning towards the 'estate' side of the 'castles and estates' brief of this article, then Cairnty looks perfect: there are 586 acres of land included with this residential and sporting estate, which enjoys a spectacular setting in the lower Spey valley.

That's not to say anything against the main house itself — far from it. This Georgian-style home was completed just eight years ago, and is a beautiful, modern family home described by the owners as 'the house built without compromise that keeps on giving'. The main house has eight bedrooms, high-speed broadband and ground-source heating.

There's a mix of farmland, woodland and meadows — and if you feel the need to take on a project, then a ruined cottage within the estate could be truly beautiful.

For sale with Strutt & Parker. See more pictures and details about this property.

Moray — £800,000

For the price of a small, two-bedroom flat in London, you could instead purchase this 14-bedroom castle on the eastern outskirts of Forres.

Though many of the fine, original features remain—including wooden panels, decorative fireplaces and tall corniced ceilings—Newbold House is a decorator's dream. There's the opportunity for favrious business ventures and the accomodation is adaptable.

The castle's real gem is the beautifully maintained, walled garden, where you'll find an abundant selection of fruit and vegetable plants.

For sale with Galbraith. See more pictures and details about this property.

Argyll & Bute — £495,000

If you are after a more manageable, but nonetheless impressive Scottish residence — complete with turrets and castellations — Kinlochaich House might just tick all the right boxes.

This Georgian, Gothic style property constructed in the 18th century, but having earlier origins, is a very attractive and imposing house set in mature grounds and accessed via a sweeping gravel driveway.

With the main accommodation providing five bedrooms, there are three separate apartments offering flexibility and the possibility for commercial use. And if you wish to put your own stamp on your home, Kinlochlaich provides the perfect canvas for a little artistic modernisation.

For sale with Bell Ingram. See more pictures and details about this property.

Stirlingshire — £1.495m

Originally commissioned by Robert Bruce in the 17th century as Lairds House, Auchenbowie House was substantially remodelled in 1768 and again in the 1900s and occupies a scenic parkland setting surrounded by 11 acres of formal gardens and paddocks.

The façade of this magnificent residence is a particular feature and it is studded with large windows allowing light to flood the spacious rooms including nine bedrooms, many with fine fireplaces. Staff accommodation is provided at the rear of the property.

Should you need to venture from this glorious property there are motorway connections, rail links and both Glasgow and Edinburgh airports are within easy reach.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details about this property.

East Lothian — £1.7m

A true 14th century landmark rising proudly from surrounding farmland, the magnificent Fa’side Castle commands spectacular views over the Forth Estuary and the Lothians. Despite its historic origins, it is well designed for modern life with practical kitchen, magnificent hall and five bedrooms in addition to unique B&B accommodation in a tower and two cottages.

For those with a head for heights, it features a glass walkway atop an old dungeon and a foof top walkway to take in the panoramic views, as well as many classic features of the era.

Excellent transport links mean Edinburgh is an easy commute. Excellent local schools are within easy reach and the locality boasts the oldest golf course in the world — Musselborough — in addition to famous walking and cycling trails and wonderful beaches.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details about this property.

East Lothian – £8,000,000

More than 800 years of turbulent Scottish history sit lightly on the castellated walls of majestic Seton Castle near Longniddry, on the Firth of Forth, some 10 miles from Edinburgh’s vibrant city centre.

Robert Adam’s last Scottish masterpiece, it sits in gracious splendour within 13½ acres of lush lawns and paddocks, surrounded by the rolling fields and woodland of East Lothian’s famous golf coast.

For sale with Rettie. See more pictures and details about this property.

Aberdeenshire — £130,000

No, the price isn't a typo. This really is a castle at less than the price of a Range Rover.

That said, you'd be a lot more comfortable living in the Range Rover — at least until the work is done, for Knockhall Castle has been a ruin for over a quarter of a millennium, ever since the former stronghold of Clan Udny burnt down in 1734.

For whoever takes it on, however, the potential here is quite incredible.

For sale with Savills at £130,000 — see more details and pictures.

Midlothian – £1,950,000

Easily reached from Edinburgh, this Baronial mansion comes with stables, fishing rights on Heriot Water and well-established gardens.

Aside from the verdant 12 acres of land, Borthwick Hall has 10 bedrooms and a multitude of handsome entertaining rooms.

Interesting, the master bedroom is on the ground floor, making it ideal for anyone who wishes to make Borthwick their forever home.

For sale with Rettie. See more pictures and details about this property.

Aberdeenshire — £9.5 million

Spread over 5,500 acres, the Kildrummy Estate has not one, but two principal houses, plus about 2,000 acres of farmland and 1,300 acres of commercial forestry and native woodlands.

Sporting opportunities include salmon and trout fishing on the River Don, grouse shooting and deer stalking on the higher ground, and roe-deer stalking on the woodland fringe, all of which allows for year-round sport.

For sale through Savills at £9.5m, click here for more details and pictures.

Angus – £3,000,000

Brechin Castle is big – very big. Eight reception rooms, 16 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms mean that this is a place big enough for pretty much anything that you could throw at it, an early 18th century place set in 40 acres.

The rolling grounds and situation on a bluff overlooking the River Esk are brilliantly dramatic, while the walled gardens are famous in their own right.

The castle itself is full of original detail, with carved wooden walls, fine ceilings and columns in the main entrance hall.

The drawing room is particularly noteworthy, full of detailed woodwork designed by John Keeble and created by local craftsmen. This is house from a time when things were done on a grand scale.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details about this property.

Highlands – £3.75 million

With 16 bedrooms, Glenborrodale Castle, on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula near Acharacle, is the quintessential castle in a breathtaking setting.

Built in 1902 in red Dumfriesshire sandstone, this Baronial mansion dominates a steep, south-facing hillside overlooking Loch Sunart, the Isles of Carna and Oronsay and the Morven Hills.

It could be a sprawling home, but there are facilities set up to run the place as a hotel, wedding venue or anything else. There is staff accommodation, a professional kitchen and a gate lodge all in place to help.

Beyond the house there are huge grounds of almost 133 acres, including a boathouse and jetty, a walled garden and two islands, the Isles of Risga and Eilean an Feidh.

Glenborrodale is for sale via Bell Ingram – see more details and pictures.

Dumfries & Galloway – £1.9 million

Six miles north of Gretna and just 15 from Carlisle, Robgill Tower was once an important strategic stronghold on the border between England and Scotland. Today, that location makes it ideal for those who want to retain easy access to London – fast trains from Carlisle reach Euston in three and a half hours.

The attractions of the house go far beyond that, however: this is a fine little castle that's been beautifully and sympathetically restored, with all sorts of original features retained – most notably this gorgeous and romantic dining room set up in the cellar.

There are also superb sporting facilities: stables, paddock, an indoor pool and gym, plus a snooker room for more sedate moments of leisure.

Gardeners will be just as delighted to find as fine a greenhouse as you could imagine in a private home.

Robgill Tower is for sale via Galbraith – see more details and pictures.

Aberdeenshire - £1,500,000

Set on over nine acres, Tillycorthie is simply magnificent. With Spanish influences evident in the beautiful palmed courtyard, the Mansion House has been used as a family home, an academic facility and is now looking for a new owner, with residential and commercial possibilities.

Renovated since it’s 1911 construction, Tillycorthie comes equipped with fully functional ornate fireplaces, moulded ceilings and a 3000 bottle capacity wine cellar, as well as the latest luxury kitchen appliances and a home gym. With a spiral staircase leading to a tower with a rooftop vista of the Scottish countryside, this period property really is straight out of a fairytale.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details about this property.

Ayrshire – £3.9 million

Dating to the 17th century, the strikingly pretty Cassillis Castle was the home of the Earls of Cassillis. Laid out over five floors, this is a labyrinthine building with huge rooms, magnificent ceilings, spiral staircases, sweeping hallways, breathtaking views and extraordinary grounds.

The Drawing Room is arguably the pick of the many rooms, built in the style of William Burn's work, though believed to be the work of David Bryce. Vast windows flood the room with natural light, and whilst the fireplace forms a centrepiece for the room, it is undoubtedly trumped by the fine ceiling plasterwork.

The Inner Hall and Dining Room also have grand fireplaces, with the hall's glazed roof bathing the space in natural light.

The spiral staircase is part of the original Keep of Cassillis, and is built clockwise – apparently the best way to make it easy to defend by a right-handed swordsman.

The Ballroom and adjacent Library were originally the bedroom and living quarters of the Earls of Cassillis. At almost 30' in length and 20' in width, the Ballroom is a superb room for entertaining, with windows overlooking the River Doon below.

There is even a secret staircase just off the entrace to the keep, which lead up to the East Chintz Room. At the top of the steps a faded, hand painted notice on the wall advises staff that this staircase was for the use of the Earl and his family only: the sign reads 'Step no further Master Porter!'.

Grand as it is, the castle is just the starting point – there is also an attendant gate lodge, garden cottage and walled garden, coach house and stable block, all within 310 acres of rolling South Ayrshire countryside that encompass a long stretch of the River Doon. The fishing rights are included as part of the sale.

The property is also only a short distance from the coast, with the famous Turnberry golf course within easy reach.

The Cassillis Estate is for sale via Savills – see more pictures and details.

Fife – Price on application

The lovely Earlshall Castle is a dream find for lovers of history or golf: it's just a few miles from St Andrews, was built by the descendants of Robert the Bruce, and once hosted Mary Queen of Scots.

The castle, as it stands today, is a 10-bedroom building with a great hall, dining room, gun room, library, study and 10 bedrooms, among other things.

Without doubt the most eye-catching of the interior spaces is the Long Gallery, whose painted ceiling is justly famous for its intricacy. It dates back to the 17^th century, and is a phenomenal and unusual work.

Earlshall Castle is on the market via Savills – read more about the wonderful history and see more pictures and details here.

Right now, the idea of swapping city life for the wilds of Scotland sounds great — almost too much so. And when we see a property for sale along the lines of Glencruitten House, that feeling gets even stronger. Especially when you consider that Glencruitten's price tag of £975,000 via Galbraith is less than you'd pay for a terraced townhouse in Henley.

Obviously, Henley is a little more convenient for getting to the capital than Glencruitten's location, just outside Oban, on the west coast of Scotland. But for those who are able to work from home with occasional forays to Britain's big cities will surely look at what's on offer here and wonder what more you could want.

This beautiful house, originally built in 1897 but with extra work done by the great Scots architect Robert Lorimer, has 13 bedrooms, enough reception rooms that its floorplan puts the Cluedo board to shame, and 16.5 acres of land which include lawns, woodland and a spectacularly pretty lake, complete with an irresistibly pretty boathouse.

Inside the turn-of-the-century feel of the place is unmistakable, with wood panelling, intricate ceiling details and plenty of natural light.

The hallway, with staircase turning up and around beneath a round arch, is a superb example, while the various sitting and dining rooms and kitchens — the house has previously been split into multiple dwellings — each have their own charm.

The great highlight, however, is the library — or the Lorimer Library, as its known, after its designer — which is accessed either from the main doorway or else, brilliantly, via a spiral staircase from the estate office below, from which you emerge half-way into the room, opposite a vast stone fireplace.

For the most part the pictures on this page speak for themselves: it's a truly stunning room, wood-panelled throughout and with a barrel-vaulted ceiling, and with fine views thanks to the fact that it occupies the upper floor of its own wing, which emerges at right angles from the rest of the house.

One particular feature is of special note: the organ at the end of the room, whose pipes sit atop the doorway.

It's not just any old organ, but rather an 'original grade A listed Ingram organ with Welte Philharmonic roleplay mechanism', according to the agents. It's included with the sale, but apparently needs some work to get it fully working again.

The 13 bedrooms (some currently used for other purposes), are mostly on the first floor, but two are on the second floor, and several — at each end of the building — are in parts of Glencruitten which can easily be used as self-contained accommodation.

One of these, known as the 'Turret Flat', features a huge room with the eponymous turret in one corner, from which there are magnificent views.

If you're looking for a spot for that desk for home working, you just found it.

Glencruitten House is for sale via Galbraith at £975,000 — see more details and pictures.

Owning a Scottish castle is a dream for millions of us. The idea of being laird of all you see, strolling the battlements and watching in satisfaction as an entire hog roasts in the giant stone fireplace are fantasies for anyone who's ever seen Ivanhoe.

Most of us would be prepared to do a bit of work to make it happen, too — a bit of decorating, and perhaps it wouldn't be the end of the world if you needed to call in a builder to check the roof or the doorways or some such.

The list of jobs at Knockhall Castle — in Newburgh, Aberdeenshire, not far from Donald Trump's golf resort — is a little more extensive than that, however. This really is a crumbling ruin; if much more had fallen down over the years it might have disappeared altogether. And indeed some of it has disappeared entirely, as Savills explain in the listing: 'South of the castle there was an enclosed courtyard, but all that now remains of this is a fragmentary round tower at the south east angle of the enclosure which incorporated a dovecot on its upper level.'

The state of the place isn't too surprising when you hear the history. Built in 1565 or thereabouts, it was erected by Lord Sinclair but became the headquarters of Clan Udny in 1634. They stayed her for exactly a century, barring a spell during which they were forcibly ejected by the Covenanters. The Udnys returned and stayed here until 1734, when a fire ravaged the place — presumably an out-of-hand centenary party — and it has remained a ruin ever since.

What remains of the tower is believed to have undergone quite a few changes, particularly in the 17th century. Not the least of these is the large windows, which will — if the place finds a new owner to restore it — give magnificent views across the local countryside.

The pictures make clear that there is serious work to do here, and the asking price of £130,000 — a fair bit less than a mildly-specced-up Range Rover, and substantially cheaper than a Bentley — means that the new owner will likely have plenty of cash left over to bring in engineers, architects and builders to restore the castle.

Yet in a sense there is actually less to do than might initially meet the eye, as the listing explains: 'The tower is externally complete and in an example such as this there is often sufficient evidence for a tower to be restored for modern occupation without detracting from its historic significance.'

The agents even have a few ideas of their own to get the ball rolling: 'The planning of this tower, with a large stair serving the two wings, and with ample light through the large rectangular windows, would also make its adaptive re-use possible.'

Naturally, should any redevelopment get the go-ahead from the relevant authorities, the first experts who'll need to come on the scene are archaeologists. Once the secrets of the Sinclairs and Udnys have been discovered, the way will be clear for a magnificent restoration. We await with interest seeing what happens.

Knockhall Castle is for sale via Savills at £130,000. You can see more details here.

Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale

A look at the finest castles, country houses and estates for sale in Scotland today.

Set in the magnificent Grampians foothills, Grade A-listed Craig Castle was built in the 16th century for one of Scotland's most powerful families, and remained their home for more than 300 years.

While it's been in the Barlas family for several generations, it was originally built by the powerful Gordon clan, who used it as their stronghold for several centuries. Now, it's seeking a new owner — and the closing date for the sale has been set for 5th November.

We reported on the sale in September, noting the alarmingly reasonable-sounding price of just £1.3 million for the castle, associated properties and 1,500 acres of land.

Now, it seems that the bargain could be even more astonishing. Agents Strutt & Parker have split the estate into five lots — and Craig Castle itself, together with 63 acres of land, is priced at 'offers over £400,000'.

Today, it's in need of some work, but that's reflected in the extraordinary price for this grand building and over 1,500 acres of land sitting within 40 miles of Aberdeen; Country Life's Penny Churchill describes it as 'the challenge — and the opportunity — of a lifetime' for the buyer.

The Gordons’ first claim to fame was assisting Malcolm III Canmore's forces in defeating Macbeth at Lumphanan in 1057 but, by the time Craig Castle was finished in 1548, the family had amassed many more accolades.

Having supported William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, they distinguished themselves in many battles and later chose to side with James II in his fight against the Douglas Clan. In retaliation, Douglas allies burned the Gordons’ castle in Huntly, not far from Craig Castle, in 1452 but the Gordons eventually triumphed.

In 1510, King James IV granted Patrick Gordon, a scion of the family, a charter of the lands at Rhynie Huntly, where a timber castle had been standing since at least the 13th century, and he promptly began building a better one. He didn’t really manage to enjoy it, though, because he is thought to have died fighting the English in the 1513 Battle of Flodden, alongside the king himself.

Patrick's son, William, completed Craig Castle in 1548 and Craig remained in Gordon hands for three centuries. The many arms that adorn the building commemorate the former lairds and their marriage alliances with some of Scotland’s most prominent families.

Much of the original 16th-century building has survived intact, from the grand arched ornamental gateway to a priest hole, a former chapel (now the dining hall), a minstrel’s gallery, a spiral staircase and even a cell.

However, Craig Castle also owes much to later renovations and additions. In the 18th century, a new wing was created by architect William Adam, with a further, Georgian one built in 1832 by Archibald Simpson. Work was also done in the early 20th century, then again more recently after a fire during the Second World War.

Today, the property is described as being in mixed condition, according to selling agents Strutt & Parker: the core is in need of renovation, but the habitable part of the castle still includes three reception rooms and nine bedrooms.

The grounds stretch to 1,561 (or if buying only the lot with the Castle, 63 acres) and include magnificent gardens — complete with B-listed sundial — two cottages, a B-listed former mill, an area of woodland and two former grouse moors.

'Castle Craig Estate occupies a fairy tale setting in one of the most private and stunning landscapes of Scotland,’ says selling agent Diane Fleming. ‘The land is varied, from low pastures to open heather hill and woodland, which in part is intersected by the meandering Burn of Craig.

‘The estate offers abundant potential from reinstating the oldest part of the castle to its former glory, developing a former mill to create a further dwelling or studio/workshop and capitalising on sporting potential such as re-establishing grouse numbers.’

Craig Castle is for sale at £400,000 through Strutt & Parker, with offers solicited above £1.23 million for the whole — see more details and pictures.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

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Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale

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More than 800 years of turbulent Scottish history sit lightly on the castellated walls of majestic Seton Castle near Longniddry, on the Firth of Forth, some 10 miles from Edinburgh’s vibrant city centre. Robert Adam’s last Scottish masterpiece, it sits in gracious splendour within 13½ acres of lush lawns and paddocks, surrounded by the rolling fields and woodland of East Lothian’s famous golf coast.

The castle, listed Category A, became Scotland’s most expensive private house when, in 2007, it was sold for a reputed £5 million. Now, following an ‘exacting’ restoration of both the fabric and the interior of the entire building, it remains Scotland’s most expensive house as it returns to the market priced at ‘offers over £8m’ through Savills and Rettie & Co.

Widely recognised as one of Adam’s most striking late houses in the castellated style, it comprises several towers shaped around a curved wall that encloses a courtyard entered by a central archway.

The latest two-year-long restoration saw a team of expert stonemasons rebuild the castle’s many chimneys, turrets and parapets, using painstakingly sourced period sandstone and limestone.

Internally, all services have been renewed, ceilings and ironwork restored to their original beauty, the sweeping staircase reinvigorated and a 10,000-bottle wine cellar brought back to life.

Existing pine flooring was replaced by French oak and discreet, state-of-the-art central-heating, entertainment and security systems installed, with the interior further enhanced by the use of rich silks, velvets, damasks, Scottish wools and cashmere sourced from some of the world’s leading designers.

The castle offers more than 18,000sq ft of opulent living space. The main building has accommodation on four floors, including the impressive Grand Hall, three large reception rooms, a library, music room, billiard room, a huge kitchen, a sumptuous master suite, five further bedrooms and three bathrooms.

The east and west wings provide two further three-bedroom guest or staff cottages. The working stables have also been restored, as have the coach house and the ‘unforgettable’ Stable Bar — the castle’s private tavern located in the former tack room.

Seton Castle was built on the site of Seton Palace, historic seat of the Earls of Winton, a title bestowed in 1600 on the 8th Lord Seton, Robert. It was held by his descendants until George Seton, the 5th Earl, was convicted of high treason in 1716, thereby forfeiting his titles and property. Centuries before, the palace was the ‘preferred retreat’ of Mary, Queen of Scots, and visited by successive kings from James IV to Charles II.

Following the 5th Earl’s fall from grace, the palace suffered 75 years of neglect and was eventually demolished when, in 1789, Col Alexander Mackenzie of the 21st Dragoons commissioned Robert Adam to build Seton Castle in his inimitable neo-Classical style.

The demolition of the palace provided a ready supply of stone for the new building and, in June 1791, Adam dined with his client in the new house, on his last visit to Scotland before his death. On Mackenzie’s death in 1796, the Earl of Wemyss acquired the estate, and it stayed in the Wemyss family until 2003, during which time the castle remained largely untouched.

Seton Castle is for sale via Savills and Rettie at £8m — see more details and pictures.

Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale

A look at the finest castles, country houses and estates for sale in Scotland today.

Credit: Steve Carr

Ireland's Wild Atlantic coast: Spectacular clifftops, dramatic castles and world-class golf

The coast of Ireland near Shannon and Limerick is unbearably beautiful and dramatic, whether you pack your golf clubs or

Credit: Strutt & Parker

An estate with glorious views and a library tower on the shores of Loch Ness

This spectacularly-located estate on the banks of Loch Ness offers grand accommodation, miles of land and a castellated tower with

Number-crunchers predict post-Brexit house price crash

Claim and counter-claim of the various Doomsday scenarios for post-Brexit Britain have tended to focus on clogged ports, shortages of food and medicine and small businesses forced to close. But it seems that house prices will be another casualty, according to accountancy firm KPMG.

'UK house prices could crash by as much as a fifth if Boris Johnson pursues a no-deal Brexit, and the biggest falls would be in London and Northern Ireland,' says The Guardian's article on the report.

The firm does make clear that '10-20%' is a likely worst-case scenario 'if the market reacts more strongly than anticipated'. They presently anticipate a more modest drop of 6%, though things will be worse in London and Northern Ireland where Brexit's ill-effects will be most keenly felt.

Full story (The Guardian)

New future for Inverness's ancient Castle

Inverness has had a castle since the 11th century, every since Malcolm III razed to the ground the nearby base of Macbeth. In the course of the succeeding thousand years it's been fought over, burned down, rebuilt and destroyed once more.

Now, the present castle — which dates to 1836 — looks set for a rather more sedate future as a new culture, arts and heritage space. The castle is presently used as a law court, but the courts will relocate early next year and the new era can begin.

As part of the scheme, the castle’s two towers will be linked for the first time and a new museum will be created on the grounds of the Town House car park. Full story (The Press & Journal)

Look but don't touch: Warning to beachgoers to stay away from Britain's grey seals

Marine conservation charities are urging beach-goes to keep their distance from seals to prevent scaring the animals, which in turn may cause them to react and bite.

The warning follows an accident in which a distressed seal pup inflicted a ‘extremely nasty, very deep bite’ on a marine rescue volunteer. Read full article (Country Life)

Heightened danger for Great Barrier Reef

The future is looking grim for the Great Barrier Reef. Rising sea temperatures and pollution are killing off coral and destroying the marine habitats, leading Australian authorities to downgrade the outlook for the Reef from ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’.

Local conservationists believe it is possible to stem the decline but only if the Australian Government takes urgent action.

Read full article (BBC)

On This Day... the Great Fire of London started

Just after midnight on September 2, 1666, a fire broke out in the bakery of a Thomas Farynor in Pudding Lane. A strong wind blowing from the east fanned the flames towards Fish Hill and the Thames, where the fire found fresh fuel in warehouses brimming with oil, timber and ropes.

By the time it was put out, about 13,200 houses, 87 churches and 436 acres of land had been burned to the ground. London took more than 50 years to rebuild. And Mr Farynor? He and his family managed to escape unscathed by climbing onto a neighbour’s roof.

Discover three myths about the Great Fire of London with the Museum of London

Bright future for green electricity

Renewable sources have outstripped coal in generating electricity across the 36 country members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2018.

Even better, in the UK, coal usage decreased by more than 64% in the five months from January to May 2019, compared to the same period last year.

Full story (Country Live)

Cornish anglers catch (and release) a porbeagle shark

Four Cornish friends who went shark-fishing for the first time in their life hooked a rare porbeagle shark, which some consider a distant cousin of the Great White, off the coast of Falmouth. After snapping a few pictures, they returned their catch — which is a critically endangered species — to the sea.

However, this caused a backlash on social media, with marine conservation charities calling for better education and reminding people that, if caught, porbeagles should be released in water and not brought on board.

Full story (Cornwall Live)

And finally… why bats are getting a manicure

Scientists have used different colours of nail polish to mark the nails of Cuban greater funnel-eared bats in a bid to get a clearer idea of how many of them are left.

Once thought extinct, this rare species survives only in a cave in Western Cuba, with less than 750 animals remaining.

Full story (BBC)

Country Life Today: Summer's most beautiful invader, and farewell to the model of the 21st century Duke

Today's round-up features wonderful news from a Somerset farm, a two-week project to clean-up the Cerne Abbas Giant and the

The place names alone around Castle Tar are enough to grab the attention: the house itself is in the village of Ballintuim; Blacklunans and Enochdhu are a little to the north, while beyond them sit Finegand and Spittal of Glenshee. To the east is Balintore and Kirkton of Glenisla, while to the south and east lie Briege of Cally, Logierait and Grandtully. Poring over the map of this beautiful part of Perthshire is like reading some Tolkien-inspired fan fiction.

It’s not hard to see how the ancient Scots who coined these romantic names were inspired by the dramatic landscape around them, a beautiful landscape of forests, glens, fields and rivers. And in the middle of it lies this pretty period house, on the market at £450,000, that has been substantially extended by its current owners.

Given the name ‘Castle Tar’ it’s something of a surprise to find that the house is not large on the inside. Indeed, it used to be far smaller: originally named 'Bishop's Cottage', and used by the Bishop of Brechin as a summer retreat, the house has been extended twice by the current owners, who have had it in the family for over half a century.

The work done has retained the charming original character of the house and turned this into a home which is enormously spacious for a three-bedroom home at over 2,500 sq ft.

The reception rooms comprise a large dining kitchen with utility room and larder off to one side. There's a huge drawing room with french windows opening on to the gardens, and a comfortable study with its own entrance.

Two of the there bedrooms are on the ground floor, while the third is a master suite which truly lives up to the name: it occupies the entire first floor, has an ensuite bathroom and a dressing room alone which measures roughly 15'x11'.

Outside, the owners have created a colourful plantsman’s garden, which is well stocked with specimen shrubs, trees, perennial plants and spring bulbs.

There’s also a greenhouse and a further 12 acres of fields ideal for grazing.

Castle Tar is for sale via Galbraith at £450,000 — see more details and pictures.

Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale

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Sometimes it only takes one room to sell a house. It might be a kitchen, a sitting room, a splendid orangery or perhaps a library. In the case of Robgill Tower — not far from the England-Scotland border at Gretna, and on the market at £1.9m via Galbraith — there are any number of possibilities.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

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Is it the magnificent drawing room, with its huge windows overlooking the beautiful gardens? The almost absurdly-atmospheric vaulted dining room in the basement? Or how about the greenhouse, which looks every inch a shrunken-down version of the sort of hothouse you’d expect to find at Wisley or Kew.

The B-listed Robgill Tower originally dates to 1430, sitting in 37 acres of land that are a mixture of formal gardens, woodland and fields, with a river running through the property — and yes, fishing rights are included.

It’s a beautifully-kept place, with a driveway weaving its way through the lawns and shrubbery up to the main house. And inside it feels just as special.

The interiors have kept their period character intact, particularly the medieval vaulted dining room, with its exposed sandstone ceiling and log fire.

As pretty as they are, what caught our eye in particular were the names of the rooms on the floorplan. There are separate gentlemen’s and ladies’ lounges, for example, as well as a study, a pantry and a ‘cool cellar’.

There’s a spiral staircase, bedrooms with dressing rooms and bathrooms attached, and a playroom in a curved space on the second floor. The Cluedo board has nothing on Robgill.

The Tower isn’t the only thing that comes as part of the package: there’s a separate two-bedroom lodge and a wide range of other outbuildings, including equestrian facilities and an indoor swimming pool complex.

And while the location is well-removed from Britain’s big cities, it’s not a difficult place to get to: the M6 south and M74 north aren’t far, and the train service from nearby Carlisle makes getting to London, Glasgow or the big cities of the north west a simple task.

Robgill Tower is on the market at £1.9m via Galbraith – see more details and pictures.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

For £695,000 you could buy a respectably sized cottage in Berkshire, you might get a one bedroom flat in London’s zone two, or you could purchase a spectacular 18^th century castle on the Island of Mull, with 10 bedrooms and stunning ocean views. We know what our choice would be.

The Calgary Castle estate, currently on the market with Strutt & Parker, is accepting offers over just that for its gorgeous country house and 28 acres of wonderfully wooded gardens.

The simply stunning B-listed property, sitting in a privileged position over Calgary Bay with commanding views of the sapphire-watered Argyll coast, was once home to Alan MacAskill, a successful naval captain in the early 1800s.

Not much is known about Calgary before the good captain purchased the estate in 1817 and embarked on its development, despite parts of the existing house dating back to the 1700s, well before MacAskill’s construction is recorded to have begun.

The library wing was completed in 1876, after which Colonel James MacLeod of the Canadian North West Mounted Police stayed at the house. He so enjoyed his stay at Calgary (and apocryphally, the attentions of the daughter of the house) that upon his return to Canada, he renamed Fort Brisebois, Alberta to Fort Calgary.

The estate was later bought by John Profumo’s brother, during whose ownership the Scottish novelist John Buchan reportedly visited the house. Profumo added the decorative plasterwork which still sits amid the earlier period features today.

Calgary’s exterior is similarly blessed with decorative features. The exterior of the house boasts a crenelated parapet, angled turrets and gothic windows fit for a fairytale.

The majority of the main rooms of the house – including the drawing room and the dining room – are west facing, providing magnificent views across Calgary Bay.

The library wing also provides stunning views and a place for quiet reflection.

With no need to justify the price, the property's potential for expansion is a delightful bonus for what is sure to be a very lucky owner. Currently awaiting approval, a planning permission application has been submitted for the construction of two holiday cottages accessible from one of the property's many western tracks with a clear path to the bay.

Whether they are used for commercial purposes or for guest housing – in addition to the many bedrooms and self–contained lower ground floor flat – these cottages are sure to add more value to a property which already appears to be too good to be true.

We see a good number of beautiful castles here at Country Life and we can assure you, Calgary Castle is the bargain of the year.

Calgary Castle is on the market with Strutt & Parker accepting offers over £695,000. See more pictures here.

Credit: Galbraith

The untouched 'Island of Goats', a short boat ride from the Argyll coast, is looking for a new owner

Rich with areas of ancient woodland and extensive wildlife, this stunning island off Argyll’s secret coast provides the opportunity to

Credit: Knight Frank

A palatial Jacobean-style mansion with rooms by the man who renovated Buckingham Palace

With a 24 carat gold drawing room, an extraordinary indoor spa complex and a £150,000 playhouse, the only thing Pinewood

Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale

A look at the finest castles, country houses and estates for sale in Scotland today.

Situated on the edge of the unspoiled Sinclair Bay near Wick, Ackergill looks every inch the quintessential Scottish castle – and the history of the place, plus the extras within this small estate, make it an even more interesting prospect than you'd imagine.

It’s a superbly dramatic property, complete with a 15^th century tower, that stands proud amongst 30 acres of land at the end of a mile-long drive.

The castle, on the market for £3,900,000 via Knight Frank, was last sold in 2009. Since then it’s been run as events and wedding venue, and even if the new owner wanted to keep the castle as a family home there’s still far more to the estate.

There’s everything from a pub and a Celilidh hall to a boathouse, plus a string of cottages and other accommodation.

Finally – and quite brilliantly – there’s also a treehouse, apparently the largest in Europe, constructed in and around a 150-year-old Sycamore tree in the walled garden. It sleeps two, and even has its own power and plumbing.

The original tower, which is believed to date from 1475, is imbued with centuries old history. The expansive lands of Ackergill were inherited in 1354 by the Clan Keith, which previously belonged to the Cheyne family.

Unable to bear a son, Sir Reginald le Cheyne gave Ackergill to his eldest daughter in 1305, before the property fell into the hands of Clan Keith. Legend recounts the tale of a young woman, Helen Gunn, known as the ‘Beauty of Braemore’, who was abducted by John Keith for her irresistible pulchritude.

In a bid to escape the clutches of her captor, she flung herself from the peak of the vertiginous tower. Helen’s ghost, so the local tales say, can still be seen roaming the grounds and battlements with spectral presence.

Her death turned her into a sort of Highlands Helen of Troy: the episode apparently triggered the feud between the Gunns and the Keiths, eventually leading to the Battle of Champions, where the Gunn family was ruthlessly massacred by their opposition.

During the mid 19^th century, this vast property was significantly extended by the esteemed Scottish architect David Bryce, as well as being deservedly glorified by the restoration of the tower in the 1980s.

The current owners have spent £2,000,000 upgrading the old fortress as well, and today Ackergill offers five magnificent storeys in the main part of the castle, with an additional four-storey wing that was added to the rear of the property in the early 18^th century.

There are lawns and formal gardens within the included 30 acres, while the sale includes a lease of shooting and fishing rights over an additional 3,000 acres of land which adjoin the property. It’s a remote spot, but Ackergill is a real jewel sparkling proudly at Scotland’s northernmost tip.

Ackergill Tower is for sale through Knight Frank for £3,900,000 – see more pictures and details.

Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale

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Secluded Victorian country house in the Highlands for sale

A stunning, and very private, country house in the Highlands has come onto the market with its own stream, woodland

Close to the heart of Prestonpans, the East Lothian town noted for its collection of listed buildings including Preston Tower and the noteworthy Mercat Cross, is Northfield House – an enchanting and meticulously restored house situated within its own secluded grounds.

Currently on the market with Savills at a guide price of £1 million, Northfield House was built for the Hamiltons of Preston (who occupied nearby Preston Tower) in the late sixteenth century and was sold to Joseph Marjoribanks, a burgess of Edinburgh in 1607.

Marjoribanks and his wife Marion Symesoune, whose initials and the date 1611 and inscription ‘EXCEP THE LORD BVLD IN WANE BVLDS MAN’ grace the smart Renaissance doorway on the south front of the house, were responsible for a major remodelling of the mansion house between 1608 and 1611.

Since then, the house has escaped major enlargement, but has been gently brought up to date by successive owners.

Northfield House is a L-plan house of three storeys and a garret. Large bartizans crown all corners, the pitch of the roof is very steep, and there are corbiestepped gables.

The gardens and grounds are particularly beautiful. The area immediately to the south of the house include lawns and flower beds with box bushes and roses.

There is a magnificent weeping ash tree, bay tree, productive pear trees and a belt of mature trees along the southern boundary providing a good deal of privacy. To the west lies the orchard and vegetable garden.

Just 10 miles east of Edinburgh, Northfield House is conveniently located with a good local rail link and road connections to the city. Edinburgh Airport is approximately 20 miles by road and Dunbar has mainline railway connections to London.

Northfield House is on the market with Savills at a guide price of £1 million – see more details and pictures.

Credit: tim gartside / Alamy Stock Photo

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Newton Estate in South Lanarkshire is an idyllic stretch of Scotland, a whisker under 500 acres, which has just come to the market via Clegg & Co.

It's a beautiful, and brilliantly-located piece of land: it's just off the M74 motorway that links Glasgow to Carlisle and the South, and boasts a long stretch of Clyde riverbank to boot.

There are two cottages included in the sale as well as the land, which has a fascinating mix of uses. There are areas of commercial forest, radio masts, grazing land and even a small wind farm. The fishing rights on the Clyde are included, and while there has been no stalking on this land for some years there are Roe and Fallow deer in the area.

The cottages are charming. One of them, Newton House (pictured below), is close to the river in a delightful spot with stables and paddocks; the other, Bodsberry Cottage, is currently used as a holiday home.

The property has only been on the market for a week or so but it has already attracted a number of prospective buyers, according to the agents.

'Interest has been keen,' says Jon Lambert of the agents Clegg & Co. 'I am confident that the guide price of offers over £2.95 million will be substantially exceeded.”

That confidence is no surprise, since business has been brisk for such properties of late. John Clegg & Co's recently-released annual report on the state of the forestry market in Britain suggests a 40% year-on-year increase in the value of sales.

That equates to £111 million-worth of forest sold between 1 October 2016 and 30 September 2017. The bulk of the 17,272 hectares of woodland traded was in Scotland – some 78%, underlining the country’s dominant position in the commercial forestry marketplace. England's share amounted to 18% of the market whilst in Wales the share was 4%.

Fenning Welstead, a partner in John Clegg & Co’s Edinburgh office, suggested that prices could continue to rise, with demand strong and supply falling – something not helped by a lack of new forestry areas. 'With some notable exceptions, none have been established for almost thirty years,' he says.

'Many of the larger private plantations are now in the ownership of collective funds and portfolios. Whether they will come to the open market again is debatable and these funds continue to seek further acquisitions. There have been some very strong sales this year as a result.'

Newton Estate is for sale via Clegg & Co - see more details and pictures.

A beautiful location, a fascinating history, and some of the finest hedges in Britain – Earlshall Castle, close to St Andrews in the Fife village of Leuchars, is a truly amazing place.

The agents, Savills, describe it as ‘one of the best-kept 16^th century houses in Scotland’, and it’s hard to disagree. Considering the age of the place – it was begun in 1546 by Sir William Bruce, a descendant of Robert The Bruce – the state that it is in today is remarkable.

A lot of the credit for the condition of Earlshall goes to Robert Mackenzie, who bough the castle in 1890, and the architect he hired to renovate. That architect was the newly-qualified Robert Long, a family friend of Mackenzie.

Long went on to have a long, hugely-successful career, becoming one of Scotland’s most distinguished architects and earning a knighthood. Yet he continued to regard his work at Earlshall to be among his finest.

The castle, as it stands today, is a 10-bedroom building with a great hall, dining room, gun room, library, study and 10 bedrooms, among other things. Without doubt the most eye-catching of the interior spaces is the Long Gallery, whose painted ceiling is justly famous for its intricacy. It dates back to the 17^th century, and is a phenomenal and unusal work.

Painted the full length of the 50-foot long roof in grey and black tempera, it depicts the coats of arms of the principal noble families of Scotland as well as those of European royalty. There are also marvellously-imagined coats of arms for all manner of other great figure from history and even myth: King David of Jerusalem, Hector of Troy and King Arthur all have ‘their’ arms included.

When it was painted, such flourishes must have seemed more than justified: not only did the residents trace their line directly to The Bruce, Earlshall had also hosted the likes of Mary, Queen of Scots and James VI (later James I of Britain) in its then-fairly-short history.

As famous and extraordinary as the Long Gallery’s ceiling is, the gardens are perhaps even more so thanks to the topiary lawn. The 36 yews were already mature plants when brought in from Edinburgh in the late 19^th century – they’re now over 125 years old, and are clipped into exotic shapes which come together to form the shape of four Saltires. At one end of the lawn there is a gateway with an inscription from As You Like It: ‘Here shall ye see no enemy but winter and rough weather’.

As well as the topiary lawn there is plenty more land, and several more buildings included in the sale – among them a Gate House and a ‘Cottage’, both of which are around 2,000sq ft. There is also a building known as ‘Dummy Daws’, the oldest building on the estate, which has a billiard room on the ground floor.

Earlshall is located in 34 acres of its own parkland close to the middle of Leuchars, a village well-known for its RAF base, and which boasts a mainline station that connects direct to Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

That station is also famous for its connection to St Andrews: the world-famous golf courses and university are just a few minutes down the road.

Earlshall Castle is on the market via Savills – read more about the wonderful history and see more pictures and details here.

Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale

A look at the finest castles, country houses and estates for sale in Scotland today.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

Finding a castle at terraced house money is a dream many of us share. But finding one in a location such as this – just a few minutes up the road from the beautiful Scottish town of St Andrews – is such a fanciful idea that nobody in their right mind would dare dream of it.

Yet that’s what is on the market in the form of Chesterhill House, a beautiful 1870 home with an oval walled garden set in three acres of land in Fife that is listed with agents Bell Ingram at offers over £200,000.

Such has been the interest that the agents have actually taken down the advert on their own website, and added a disclaimer to their OnTheMarket.com listing – but we spoke to the nice people at Bell Ingram, and they confirmed that they're still accepting offers until the closing date next Tuesday.

This 5,300sq ft, Grade C-listed house – complete with parapets and castellations – was built on the site of an earlier home which is believed to have burnt down.

The unusually-shaped walled garden actually pre-dates the existing home, which was built by a merchant whose business was based across the nearby River Tay in Dundee.

Hard times came to Chesterhill many years ago, however. Not to put too fine a point on it, it’s a total wreck which needs everything doing throughout it’s three floors and its attic. Even the detached garages are in a sad state of disrepair.

Yet this is not a property to entice those looking for a place to move straight into. This is one for dreamers who realise that if they’re happy to spend serious money – and clearly the work done will run well into six figures – then there is the prospect of a magnificent home and an equally magnificent return on their investment.

And the potential financial return. It’s not hard to imagine the swathes of golfers who visit this part of Scotland every summer jumping at the chance to stay in a castle 10 minutes up the road from the Auld Grey Toon of St Andrews, and Carnoustie – site of the 2018 Open Championship – is almost as easy to get to.

Whoever fancies taking on this challenge will have to be fast however: the agents, Bell Ingram, have been inundated with enquiries about the place, and the closing date for offers is next Tuesday, 12 September.

Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale

A look at the finest castles, country houses and estates for sale in Scotland today.

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The Ledgowan Estate lies on the watershed between the Scottish east and west coasts, close to the small village of Achnasheen in Wester Ross. Set within outstanding hillside landscapes, this majestic estate – on the market for £4.5 million – provides the perfect combination of traditional sport and top quality accommodation.

What's more there are also serious revenue streams as part of attraction: a smart new rental property, fishing and shooting rights, farming, and a 1MW hydro-electric operation which alone brought in £36,000 in 2016.

The house at the heart of the estate is the six-bedroom Ledgowan Lodge, which dates from the 19th Century. The previous owners took the estate on in 2010 and put a huge amount of work in, saving original features where possible – there are beautiful panelled doors, cornices, classic stairwell balustrade and window shutters – but completely replacing things where needed, with new plumbing and electrics throughout, for example.

In addition en-suite bathrooms have been added to all six rooms, while a new kitchen (with Aga) and adjoining breakfast room have been built; there are also four reception rooms, including an oak-panelled games room that has been kitted out to make sure that your party's fun and games can carry on after you've returned from a day out in the estate.

The lodge has charming semi-dormer windows with decorative cast-iron finials, overhanging eaves and painted cast iron rainwater goods. The house lies in immaculate gardens which include a delightful pond and open natural woodland.

An additional house called The Stalker's Lodge has also been built by the current owners, a four-bedroom property created to be let out. There is also a traditional stone two-bedroom Shepherd’s Cottage which the details coyly describe as 'habitable but unmoderninsed' – make of that what you will. There are numerous estate outbuildings, include garages, machinery storage, workshops, a deer larder, sheep fank and bothy.

But the star of the show is the 11,000-acre estate itself, which spans utterly stunning open hill-land populated by red deer – stalking on the estate has an impressive five-year average of 38 stags and 36 hinds/calves.

Ledgowan also boasts grouse shooting, rough shooting for mixed game and fishing for trout and pike on three spectacular lochs – 10 miles of new roads have been built in the last few years to make it easier to go and enjoy the sporting pursuits on offer.

The estate forestry currently comprises 80 acres of existing mixed native and commercial conifer woodland with the approval to establish 1,132 acres of new woodland; there is also extensive farmland, and, in recent years, has grazed up to 1,000 North Country Cheviot ewes and hoggs on Ledgowan during the summer months.

The estate is nicely-located only 40 minutes car journey from Inverness, with the West Highland railway line actually passing through the estate. The station located at Achnasheen is actually just a short walk from Ledgowan Lodge, making the estate easily accessible by sleeper train.

Ledgowan Estate is for sale as a whole or in two separate lots and is available through Robert McCulloch at Strutt and Parker for offers in excess of £4,500, 000 - see more pictures and details.

Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale

A look at the finest castles, country houses and estates for sale in Scotland today.

Credit: Starborough Castle - Henry & James

A picture-perfect castle for sale just outside London

Could this be England’s smallest castle? Well, not quite. But it might be the most practical.

Credit: Duchray Castle (Savills)

A Scottish castle for sale that will take your breath away

This really is one of those 'pinch yourself' properties: an immaculate, picture-perfect Stirlingshire castle set in 80 glorious acres.

A beautiful island to call your own, for the price of a one-bedroom flat

A budding Robinson Crusoe is needed to take over this gorgeous island, which lies just off the coast from Portmeirion.

The Stellar Forestry Portfolio features 10 high quality forests, collectively extending to 1,577 hectares – that's 3,896 acres – located throughout Scotland, from Inverness-shire in the north to Dumfries and Galloway in the south.

Five of the forests, in Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders, are primarily spruce grown for commercial forestry purposes.

But perhaps more interesting are the varied, wide-ranging properties further north – some of which could even offer the possibility of building a dream forest home.

“It is unusual that 1,577 hectares of quality woodlands can be purchased in one offering," says Jon Lambert, a partner at John Clegg & Co, who are handling the sale.

"Half of these woodlands – those in the south of Scotland – occupy a prime location for commercial forestry investment where it is possible to access a large number of competitive processors.

“The properties in the north create different opportunities, including two wind turbines providing annual income, a high quality pine forest giving longevity and conveniently located next to a sawmill, a greater degree of species diversity and amenity value as well as the potential for house site creation and other possibilities for adding value.

“We believe will meet considerable interest from prospective buyers both north and south of the border and, indeed, from overseas," he said.

"At present, demand far outstrips supply and we anticipate a significant degree of competition for this portfolio.” That's despite a guide price listed as "offers over £11.25 million".

The full portfolio

Sleepieshill Forest, nr Mosstodloch, Moray (265.90ha)

Ord Hill, Muir of Ord, Inverness-shire (234.45ha)

Ballinloan-A, Aberfeldy, Perthshire (154.15ha)

Ayton Forest, Aberargie, Perthshire (167.24ha)

Craigallian Forest, Strathblane, Stirlingshire (135.60ha)

Dunter Law, Ellemford Bridge, by Duns, Scottish Borders (92.35ha)

Venlaw, Peebles, Scottish Borders (118.90ha)

Laverhay, Wamphrayhead, Dumfries and Galloway (105.95ha)

Ruegill, Boreland, Dumfries and Galloway (152.86ha)

Yellowsike, Stennieswater Complex, Eskdalemuir, Dumfries and Galloway (149.10ha)

Just an hour outside Glasgow, nestled in the heart of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park near the village of Aberfoyle, lies Duchray Castle.

And it's an absolute gem.

Set in 80 acres (which includes 12 miles of river fishing rights) it's the sort of castle that you might find on a postcard rather than in an estate agent's window (the agent in question is Savills, incidentally, who must have been thrilled to get the call about this one).

It even has a fascinating story behind it: Rob Roy apparently stayed here once, and was almost trapped there when a group of Red Coats game to take him away.

The legend – as told by Sir Walter Scott himself – is that the castle's then-owners kept the soldiers talking while Rob Roy made his escape. Though how he could tear himself away from such a spot is a bit of mystery.

Inside, thankfully, the castle has been massively upgraded from its 16th century origins (as you might expect from a property currently being used as an upmarket B&B and wedding venue).

The courtyard is beautifully kept, for example.

The bedrooms too – four of them – are exactly as plush as you'd hope.

And as for the dining room? Well, it's barrel-vaulted, beautifully-lit and absolutely charming.

The rest of the rooms are just as nicely done, and there's also a more modern two-bedroom annexe where, at present, the owners and operators live.

Beyond the walls there are seven acres of lawns, a hedged rose garden, a well, tennis court and various workshops and outbuildings. The 12 miles of fishing rights are on Duchray Water, a major tributary of the Forth. Together with the 15 acres of grazing land and 60-odd acres of woodland teeming with deer, red squirrels and so on, you could get thoroughly lost in nature.

The asking price for all this? £1.65 million. Last time we checked, that was about what you'd pay for a three-bedroom terraced house in Chiswick.

(We just checked again - it is.)

Full details and more pics are on the Savills website.

The breathtaking scenery and diverse architecture in Scotland draw so many people into thinking about making a move there. From the tip of the country in Ross-shire down to the Scottish Borders and along the beautiful west coast of Argyll & Bute there are so many brilliant, prestigious and quirky houses for sale. Here are six of our favourites at the moment.

Historic Tower House in East Lothian

King David the First of Scotland granted lands north of Keith Water to his Marischal, this very historic property certainly existed in the 16th century, with subsequent additions, extensions and alterations. The house as it is currently configured as two separate properties, one with enormous potential for holiday lets. Alternatively the two houses, currently linked on the second floor, could be refashioned into one.

The property has a distinctive Scots Baronial appearance and many architectural features of note including the turret to the side with a matching pediment and a turret on the west corner, which has a date stone of 1589. Internally the house combines old and new in a dynamic way. The main family accommodation is located on the first and second floors, and the south-facing sitting room, drawing room and kitchen are particularly attractive. A charming dining room and second sitting room lie on the other side of the house.

The Tower is a charming, character property which sleeps ten in five bedrooms - the smallest bedroom being up in the top of the tower itself. Income from letting out the property has been estimated at over £35,000 per year.

The mature, landscaped grounds come to around ten acres and offer wonderful views. The house is located in a pretty part of East Lothian, just 17 miles from Edinburgh.

£1.35m. Savills (0131 268 9164; http:countrylife.onthemarket.com)

The Old Schoolhouse, Inverness-shire

This renovated former schoolhouse and its accompanying cottage Torr an Daimh are located in some of the wild Highland countryside between the Cairngorms National Park and the Great Glen in Inverness-shire. The schoolhouse itself is a fine period property with dining kitchen, boot room, three bedrooms and a family bathroom. The house sits in wooded grounds of around half-an-acre which lead down to a burn at its boundary.

Torr an Daimh has an open plan dining/living area and kitchen, as well as two bedrooms.

There are excellent sporting and leisure facilities nearby including the Nevis Range Activity Centre with its ski centre and world class mountain bikin, while fishing, stalking and shooting are available locally.

This would make a wonderful holiday home for a family keen on walking, skiing and other sporting pursuits, or anyone looking for a little peace and quiet.

£500,000. Contact CKD Galbraith (01463 224343; http://countrylife.onthemarket.com)

Romantic Ross-shire tower house

Raven's Craig (above and top) is a 20th century tower house built in 1992 which has been inspired by some of the most iconic old buildings in Scotland. The result is a property which looks old, but was built with concrete block walls and underfloor heating set in an elevated position with views over Loch Carron towards the beautiful Applecross peninsula.

The property has generously proportioned living space spread over four floors, with four bedrooms and the great hall (which occupies the whole 1st floor) plus a basement with workshop and wine cellar.

Outside the projecting Italianate loggia is great for the summer months and outside dining/entertaining.

The property sits in around 5 acres of mostly wild garden with sloping lawns and two paddocks, one each side of the driveway to the tower.

£675,000. Contact Strutt & Parker (01463 357911; www.countrylife.onthemarket.com)

Argyll estate with fishing

Bragleenbeg Estate lies in an enviable location, running from the hill tops of Corrach Beinn down to the fertile arable land on the western shores of Loch Scammadale.

The estate includes a traditional six-bedroom farmhouse with a three bedroom cottage. The land consistsabout 24 acres grass leys, 49 acres permanent pasture, 971 acres hill and 15 acres of beautiful mixed native woodland.

The estate offers trout fishing on Allt a' Choromaig Burn and on Loch Scammadale. Oban is 15 miles and Glasgow Airport 102 miles.

£1.15m. Contact Knight Frank (0131 268 9161 or visit http://countrylife.onthemarket.com)

The Dall Estate, Perthshire

Commissioned by Clan Chief George Duncan Robertson and with an estate dating back to 1347, The Dall Estate is an extremely prestigious property located on the south shore of Loch Rannoch, in Highland Perthshire.

With an enormous amount of potential, the main castle has fifteen bedrooms and beautiful reception rooms. There are period details throughout the property inside, and lots of potential for development into a magnificent private house.

Additionally to the main house, the estate also has many additional houses and cottages, a large stable block, two boat houses, ownership to the middle of Loch Rannoch, workshops and stores, and a disused nine hole golf course, all in 90 acres of land.

£7.5m; Asset Properties in Crieff (01764 446972; http://countrylife.onthemarket.com)

Scots Baronial property for sale

Cats Castle is a Scots Baronial property located close to the conservation village of Cardross and six miles from the pretty town of Helensburgh, in Argyll and Bute. The house is category B listed and was built around 1888; it is now named after the man who built it, one Robert Craig: a local solicitor who was very fond of cats. The house has been well-kept and updated by its present owners.

The reception rooms are of a very good standard; the drawing room and sitting room both offer fine views out, and good period features within including lovely open fireplaces – the turret window in the drawing room in particular adds character. The kitchen and breakfast room is modern and spacious, and benefits from a butler’s pantry adjoining.

A handsome staircase leads to the first floor where there are four double bedrooms; the second floor has a further tower bedroom with access to the rooftop and turret with superb views down the Firth of Clyde.

Outside the gardens and grounds come to around two acres, for the most part comprise grassland with mature trees which slopes gently down towards the Clyde.

£675,000; Contact Savills (0141 376 9007; http://countrylife.onthemarket.com)

** Search more castles for sale in Scotland

This castle for sale in Edinburgh is a great opportunity for someone looking for a piece of history to live in..

Offered for sale for the first time in nearly 300 years, Craigcrook Castle is a Grade B Listed property located just three miles from the scottish capital of Edinburgh. Built originally in 1542 by William Adamson, the castle was transferred through a number of owners, and then in1835 was extensively remodelled by WH Playfair.

During its time Craigcrook has played host to a number of famous visitors and has strong links to literary figures including Sir Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, George Eliot and Alfred Lord Tennyson. 

The original design set out a tower house that has been extended and adapted throughout the years. Accommodation is spread over three levels and includes a stunning round tower which has views to Corstorphine Hill and The Firth of Forth. More recently this property was being used as office accommodation so it requires some reconfiguring. 

As a guide, it has been suggested that Craigcrook would lend itself to a redesign incoroprating a study, kitchen/breakfast room, cinema room, games room, gym, and a self-contained staff flat downstairs, plus the master bedroom suite and four further double bedrooms on the two levels above.

Outside, the stables offer potential for further accommodation and garaging, while the gatehouse currently offers two bedrooms and could be rebuilt and modernised with the right planning consents in place.

The pretty gardens and grounds extend to 4.4 acres, and include mature landscaping, and beautiful woodland.

The guide price is £6m. Contact Ballantynes on 0131 459 2222.

** Search more historic houses for sale near Edinburgh

One of Sir Robert Lorimer’s finest works, Earlshall Castle near St Andrews in Fife, has come to the market and offers an exceptional opportunity to own a beautiful piece of Scottish history. The property's origins date back to the 15th century, when Sir Alexander Bruce was granted the lands and barony, while the main castle itself was built in the mid 16th century.

Unique for the time, the castle was constructed to an unusual floorplan and features many much larger windows than most grand Scottish houses were allowed at the time, for defensive reasons, and over 8,400sq ft of living space.

There are many noteable period features throughout the building, but the crowning glory must be the famous painted ceiling in the Long Gallery (below). It represents the coats of arms of the principal noble families of Scotland as well as those of European royalty and totally imaginary nobles such as David, King of Jerusalem, Hector, Prince of Troy, and Arthur, King of Britain, all painted along the full length of the 50 foot long roof in grey and black tempera.

The house is also said to come with its own ghost. The Bloody Bruce, Baron of Earlshall in the late 17th century, earned his fame through his brutal putting down of the Covenanters, and it's said his footsteps can still be heard on the spiral staircase at night.

The restoration

The castle sadly fell out of family ownership in later years, and by 1890 more than half a century's decay and neglect had taken their toll. Although the roof was substantially present, all the window frames and shutters had disappeared and been replaced with wooden bars. In addition a colossal growth of ivy was threatening the stability of the west tower.

It was then that Robert Mackenzie, a bleach merchant from Perth, purchased the castle and employed the newly-qualified Robert Lorimer to undertake its restoration; he was of course later knighted and retains his reputation as arguably Scotland's greatest architect. The concept of restoring an old dilapidated building to live in was unique in the 19th century, which only adds to the unusual status of this property as it now stands.

The floorplan comprises a central block with off-set towers at each end and a romantic and pleasing aspect from the gardens to the east. The castle was built in two parts with the main castle lying to the north of a courtyard and the smaller, original building ‘Dummy Daws’ forming a separate building to the south. Principal accommodation offers ten bedrooms, eight reception rooms, two dressing rooms and six bathrooms.

Additional accommodation can be found in the three-bedroom Gate House, the one bedroom Dowry House and a further two-bedroom cottage. There are also kennels ad a Dutch barn.

More than being a feature of the castle, the gardens' reputation proceeds them: the topiary lawn is the main room and has been listed; indeed they are Earlshall's best known feature. The mature yews were bought by Lorimer and are now over 125 years old, while the secret box garden is also listed; in front is an orchard, while the croquet lawn sits in the south-east corner.

To the west of the castle is an avenue which leads past the 'doocot' to the policy woodland. A ha ha divides off parkland grazing to the west which extends to about 11 acres; woodland surrounds the parkland on three sides. The parkland, gardens and policies extend to just over 34 acres in all and there is an additional 19 acres of grazing.

Earlshall Castle is just 20 minutes’ drive from St Andrews and within easy reach of Edinburgh and its International Airport.

The price is on application. Please contact Savills on 0131 268 9164 or visit http://countrylife.onthemarket.com.

Scotland may have experienced a referendum on independence, the Scottish Government may have put land reform at the heart of its legislative agenda and the European Parliament may have left some questions unanswered in relation to Common Agricultural Policy reform, yet Scottish farming and sporting estates continued to tempt buyers from all over the globe in 2015.

Based on figures available to the end of September, Savills estimate that some 23 sporting and farming estates totalling 146,000 acres of land, with a cumulative asking price of £69 million, were either sold or under offer by year end, more than double the number sold in 2014, when uncertainty on the political and legislative fronts slowed the market to a virtual crawl.

Encouragingly, the backlog of estates left unsold at the end of that year— almost a third of those on offer in 2015 —has now been more or less cleared, with quality and diversity of sport, conservation and exceptional value for money the main attractions for overseas buyers—notably from the Middle East, the USA, Belgium, Sweden and The Netherlands.

Unlike their British counterparts, such buyers are apparently well used to buying in countries where land ownership is far more heavily regulated than it is ever likely to be in Scotland and see the long term advantages of buying there as far outweighing any current or future political threat.

‘Interestingly,’ says Evelyn Channing of the Edinburgh office of Savills, ‘only 15% of sales concluded in 2015 appear to have taken place privately, compared with a norm of 25%, reflecting caution on the part of purchasers, who seem to take comfort from being in competition with other buyers on the open market’.

Also interesting, too, is the extent to which leading players in the Scottish sporting- estates sector are reluctant to discuss successful sales in any great detail—no doubt a reflection of a residual apprehension regarding the outcome of Scotland’s equivalent of the Domesday survey.

Back in the real world, life goes on and Savills were happy to highlight the sale, in December, of the 6,500- acre Dalmunzie estate at Blairgowrie, Perthshire, for which offers over £4m were invited. Substantial assets included a four-bedroom Dower House, six holiday cottages, a keeper’s cottage and an estate steading.

The same month saw the sale, through Savills and CKD Galbraith, of the spectacular, 32,021-acre Loch Choire estate at Kinbrace, Sutherland, offering grouse and woodcock shooting, two separate stalking beats, double-bank salmon fishing on the River Mallart and a lodge site plus three estate houses. An asking price of ‘offers over £4.25m’ was quoted for the estate, ‘which attracted interest from far and wide, due to its beauty and scale,’ Savills say.

Currently for sale, at ‘offers over £4.5m’ through Savills in Edinburgh (0131–247 3727) and London-based CKD Kennedy Macpherson (020– 7409 1944), is Hatton Castle at Turriff, Aberdeenshire, a gem of a compact private estate, centred around a historic castle, a renowned walled garden, 850 acres of in-hand arable farming and woodland, 12 further estate houses and a low ground shoot.

Launched on the market in late August, the focal point of the estate is the imposing Hatton Castle itself, a five-storey castellated mansion with a battlemented parapet and four slightly raised round-angle towers. It has been in the Duff family since 1709, when the first Alexander Duff of Hatton bought the dilapidated Place of Balquholly, seat of the Mowat family since the early 1300s. The second Alexander Duff altered the original building in 1745 and it was further remodelled in 1815 by the 8th Laird of Hatton, Garden Duff. The present castle is an elegant family home, with six reception rooms, nine bedrooms and nine bathrooms.

There are 12 estate cottages, two housing staff and the rest mainly let, providing a useful income. One of Hatton’s chief glories is the two-acre walled garden lovingly tended by successive generations of estate gardeners, whose original design appears on a plan of Hatton Castle and its policies dated 1745.

Farming is managed on a contract basis and the 2015 cropping included spring barley, spring oats and potatoes. The woodland is managed with commercial and amenity considerations in mind and is divided between mixed broadleaves around the castle and neighbouring fields and two large blocks of commercial conifers.

For 30 years, the shooting on the estate was run on a commercial basis, with 7,000 pheasants and partridge providing 20 let days. More recently, it has been let to a Dutch syndicate.

When it comes to reeling off statistics relating to Scottish estates in 2015, not all the agents appear to be singing from the same hymn sheet. Savills, who evidently include both farming and sporting estates in their calculations, estimate the split of buyers for the whole of 2015 at 50% overseas and 50% British. On the other hand, Robert McCulloch of Strutt & Parker, who reports the sale of a further eight sporting estates in the last four months of 2015, in addition to the eight recorded earlier in the year, maintains that the split was more like 75% overseas buyers to 25% British. Estates sold by Strutt & Parker to overseas purchasers in 2015 included the 6,846-acre Balavil estate in Inverness-shire, and the 748-acre Kilchoan estate in Argyll. ‘Normally, only one in four buyers of Scottish estates comes from overseas, but that trend was turned on its head in 2015, suggesting that such buyers are less concerned about the implications of land reform and Scottish politics than their UK equivalents,’ Mr McCulloch says, adding: ‘What buyers from Scandinavia and Western Europe appreciate about Scotland is the opportunity to buy large acreages of land in beautiful, peaceful surroundings, close to London and other European capitals.’

For Ran Morgan of Knight Frank, Scotland has always been a global destination for buyers of sporting estates and, although he welcomes the steady influx of buyers from Europe and further afield in recent months, he was more encouraged by the revived interest shown by domestic buyers in the once-ina- generation sale of the 6,235-acre Kinnaird estate near Dunkeld, Perthshire.

Launched on the market in September 2015, at ‘offers over £9.6m’ through joint agents Bidwells (01738 630666) and Knight Frank (0131– 222 9600), the celebrated sporting estate offered fishing, grouse shooting and stalking rights of the highest calibre and went under offer in December, making it the highest priced Scottish property sold on the open market last year.

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When feisty Kate Armstrong, the Australian-born founder of trendy comparison website confused.com, bought rundown Cassilis House and its 309-acre estate near Maybole, south Ayrshire, for a reputed £3 million in 2009, few questioned her commitment, although some doubted her sanity.

Five years and several million pounds later, having completed the painstaking transformation of the crumbling former seat of the Earls of Cassilis into a sumptuous, ultra-private sporting estate on the banks of the River Doon, Mrs Armstrong is back to jetting around the world and Cassilis is back on the market through Savills (0131–247 3720) at a guide price of £5m.

The name Cassilis (pronounced ‘cassels’) derives from the Gaelic caiseal, meaning ‘stone fort’ and, for 600 years, from the early 1400s to the early 2000s, the towering medieval fortress was owned and occupied bythe powerful Kennedy family, who lived by the sword—or any other weapon at its disposal—and often died the same way. The 1st Earl was killed at Flodden, the 2nd Earl was murdered following an unsuccessful attempt to rescue the young James V and the 3rd Earl was poisoned in France when attending the marriage of Mary, Queen of Scots.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, life in Carrick was dominated by Kennedy clan feuds, as the family fought with their neighbours or among themselves, the confrontation between the Kennedys of Cassilis and Bargany being notoriously vicious. In 1570, the 4th Earl of Cassilis, a singularly unpleasant individual, ordered his servants to roast Allan Stewart, the commendator of the nearby Crossraguel Abbey, over the fire when he refused to hand over abbey lands.

In more settled times, the earldom passed to Sir Thomas Kennedy of Culzean and Culzean Castle, near Maybole, became the family seat. The 12th Earl of Cassilis was created Marquess of Ailsa in 1831 and he and his successors lived at Culzean until 1945, when the 5th Marquess gave the castle to the National Trust for Scotland. The family continued living in the west wing until the 1950s, when it moved back to Cassilis. The last of the Kennedy family to live there was Mary, Marchioness of Ailsa, who died in 2007, aged 91. In The Fortified House in Scotland, Nigel Tranter describes Category A-listed Cassilis as ‘an extensive mansion belonging to three main periods, of which the oldest part is a massive oblong tower dating possibly from the 14th century.

This was greatly altered in the 17th century, a square stair-tower being added at the south-east and all above parapet level remodelled… The early castle has immensely thick walls, 16ft thick at base, roughcast and rising four storeys to the parapet’. The intriguing 17th-century spiral staircase in the Stair Tower, with its unusual hollow newel or centre-post, was built clockwise to ensure an easy defence by a right-handed swordsman.

The two-storey front added by David Bryce between 1830 and 1832 for the 12th Earl, 1st Marquess of Ailsa, is said to be one of the earliest examples of the Scottish Baronial style. The restoration was a monumental undertaking, involving 30 builders over a four-year period, overseen by the estate’s eagle-eyed owner and under the benign gaze of Historic Scotland.

The result is spectacular. Tower roofs were rebuilt and re-slated, gutters and drainpipes replaced, windows refurbished and the harling on the tower repaired and painted. Gas central heating was installed and the house and tower wired for internet, telephone and Sky TV. Rooms were remodelled to provide 13 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, a cinema, a gym and a state-of-the-art kitchen.

The splendidly refurbished main reception rooms include the 30ft- long ballroom (the former private quarters of the Earls of Cassilis) and the baronial drawing room and dining room. The coach house, garden cottage and West Gate lodge have also been restored to the same exacting specifications.

The estate’s 250-year-old landscaped gardens and parkland, its sparkling stretch of Robert Burns’s ‘bonnie Doon’—which provides excellent salmon and trout fishing—and 226 acres of historic woodland (ideal for shooting) have also been restored to their former glory.

Another visionary is sought by Savills in Perth (01738 477525) for the magnificent Edwardian Carbisdale Castle in the Scottish Highlands at Culrain, Sutherland, 52 miles north of Inverness. The agents are seeking ‘offers over £1.2m’ on behalf of the Scottish Youth Hostels Association (SYHA) for the imposing Category B-listed castle, built between 1906 and 1917 for Mary Caroline, Duchess of Sutherland, the second wife and widow of the 3rd Duke.

Following an acrimonious battle with the 4th Duke, she used her cash settlement to build herself a rival to Dunrobin, looking across the Oykel, just beyond the estate boundary. She insisted that the clock tower shouldn’t have a clock face on that side, as she didn’t wish to give her relatives ‘the time of day’.

Believed to be the last castle built in Scotland, Carbisdale was bought in 1933 by the Salvesen family, who were of Norwegian extraction, and it provided a safe haven for Haakon VII and Crown Prince Olav of Norway during the Nazi occupation of their country. Col Salvesen’s son gifted the castle and its contents to the SYHA in 1945. Carbisdale Castle is laid out on five floors, including a sub-basement, and has two grand galleried halls, several large public rooms and numerous smaller rooms, including 40 bedrooms.

Severe weather in December 2010 resulted in damage to the fabric of various parts of the building, some of which have been repaired, although much still needs to be done, especially in the north-east wing.

In addition to the formal grounds around the house, the castle comes with various pockets of land and a small loch, some 16 acres in all. The contents, including a substantial art collection, are included in the sale.

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Castle Grant is an historic ‘A' listed 16th century castle set in mature garden grounds which enjoys stunning open views over to the hills of Cromdale and beyond. The castle was originally known as Freuchie Castle when it was occupied by the Comyn family but in 1694 the Grant family became the principle owners. The property was significantly extended in 1765 with the addition of the east and west wings by John Adam.

Accommodation is laid out over four main levels plus a large basement and two storey attic. On either side of the main castle are the west and east wings which form the U shape, and the raised inner courtyard.

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The main entrance to the castle is on the north elevation leading to the hallway. The ground and upper floor have been upgraded, modernised and partially developed while the further upper floors have further potential for development, but currently require significant renovation.

Current accommodation includes the kitchen, utility room, billiard room, cinema room, ballroom, and several en suite bedrooms. There is also a self-contained two-bedroom guest wing with bathroom and open plan sitting/kitchen area.

The property is set in 35 acres of gardens and grounds which include mature parkland and surrounding woodlands. There are several paths carved through the garden grounds, one leading to a large pond and wooded area. Located withing the Cairngorm National Park, the castle has lovely open views over the Cromdale Hills and beyond. Grantown-on-Spey is a delightful Highland town which provides a wide range of shops, hotels, restaurants and other facilities. Inverness is around 20 miles.

The guide price is £1.1m. For further information please contact Strutt & Parker on 01463 723 595 or visit www.struttandparker.com.

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Teaninich Castle dates back to 1734, and is constructed with a symmetrical three storey frontage with hood-moulded windows, crenelated porch and small bartizans at the battlement wall head.

Lots of original features remain inside including fireplaces and architectural details, while the accommodation has been modernised; although the house is currently run as a commercial venture it could easily be reverted to a family home.

Accommodation is over three floors and comprises public rooms on the ground floor and a residents' lounge and a reception room on the first floor. Bedrooms are on the first and second floors and there is a self-contained flat within the castle.

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Outside, the grounds come to around eight acres sunken lawns and mature specimen trees; walks through the wooded grounds lead to shady corners with framed views over the Cromarty Firth.

The castle lies on the fringe of Alness with Cromarty Firth and Black Isle views - the landscape is also dominated by the magnificent backdrop of Ben Wyvis. The town itself has a good range of facilities and is just an hour's drive from Inverness and its international airport.

Offers are invited over £875,000. For further information please contact CKD Galbraith on 01463 224343 or visit www.ckdgalbraith.co.uk.

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Kilmartin Castle is a semi-fortified, late 16th century residence located to the north of the small Argyll village of Kilmartin. It was built as a variation of the popular Z-plan, which comprises a main block lying north and south, with round towers projecting from the south-west and north-east corners.

A small secondary stair-tower rises part way along the west front. The south west tower contains the main stair with a service stair contained in a semi-circular projection from the hall. The other tower contains a series of bathrooms. A vaulted passage links the main stair to the kitchen, dining room and store, which are all also vaulted. The great hall and an en-suite bedroom are on the first floor; the upper floor has two further bedrooms.

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Accommodation in total comprises: entrance hall, dining room, kitchen, sitting room, three en-suite bedrooms. Kilmartin Castle is approached over a gravel driveway. The acre of gardens offer large sweeping lawns flanked by mature conifer trees.

Kilmartin Castle boasts a private situation to the north of the small Argyll village of Kilmartin, with excellent views of the surrounding countryside. Kilmartin is best known for its history. The village sits at the heart of Kilmartin Glen, and there are at least 150 prehistoric sites and 200 other ancient monuments within six miles of it. These include burial cairns, rock carvings, and standing stones, as well as the remains of the fortress at Dunadd.

The village has a post office, church, hotel and museum. Ardfern is 7.5 miles and Oban 29 miles.

The guide price is £375,000. For further information please contact Knight Frank on 0131 222 9600 or visit www.knightfrank.co.uk.

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Restoring a Scottish castle is a recurring dream for many, but the reality can be a minefield of conservation politics. Michael Davis, an architectural historian and writer, has published a discussion document, The Scottish Castle Restoration Debate 1990-2012, in which he calls for a less bureaucratic approach; current planning processes can cost dispiritingly large amounts of money.

As a key example, Mr Davis cites the case of Castle Tioram in Moidart, where a ‘very respectable restoration scheme' was opposed by Historic Scotland- a body currently undergoing reorganisation and facing funding cuts-at Public Inquiry. The castle ruin remains in a precarious state.

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He points out that, although between 80 and 100 castles have been restored since the Second World War, hundreds remain in ruins. By the 1990s, he writes: ‘Scotland began to see the open emergence of what has been termed an "anti-restoration lobby".

A few voices from within the heritage establishment were beginning to question restorations of previous decades and even, in some cases, the principle.' Mr Davis concludes that ‘a new Historic Scotland-smaller, more vital and served but no longer led by career administrators and executives-should have a clearly defined philosophy which is sympathetic to that which currently exists for listed buildings'.

He says: ‘What we perhaps do not need is more national planning guidelines, less flexibility and more bureaucracy... The chief aim of architectural conservation ought to be to live with the past, and not to live with the past in a glass box.'

The 78-page illustrated document costs £12.99 (including postage) from Spindrift Publishing, 79, Main Street, Ochiltree, Ayrshire KA18 2PE.

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Scottish property looks ever more tempting from south of the border, not least because the price differential with London and the South-East has never been higher. For the cost of a decent flat in SW3, you can buy an estate with a country house, hundreds of acres and sporting rights in a magnificent setting.

Of course, Scotland is not a homogenous market, but breaks down into different divisions. In the premier league, the Edinburgh town-house market is still turning over quickly and you won't find a classic Georgian property in the New Town for anything less than £1.5 million. As a result, there has been a ripple outwards into the first-division areas of Fife, Perthshire and the Borders, according to Simon Brown of CKD Galbraith (0131-240 6960). A five- or six-bedroom period house with a few acres and easy access to the capital costs £650,000 to £750,000.

Aberdeenshire also remains at the top of the Scottish market. Captains of industry look for grand country houses and estates locally, as well as in the Highlands and Tayside, according to Jamie MacNab from Savills in Edinburgh (0131-247 3700).

Trophy properties with a few hundred acres near the ‘oil capital of Europe' can sell for as much as £2 million. The west coast is mostly in the second tier, although properties with an exceptional view, position or history can sell quickly for higher prices, explains Michael Jones from Knight Frank (0131-222 9600). A pretty waterside cottage will cost upwards of £375,000 and you can still find attractive six-bedroom lochside homes for just £325,000 in Argyll & Bute.

Lickleyhead Castle

Offers over £1.35 million Knight Frank Edinburgh 0131-222 9600 An historic property with 10 acres of land, Lickleyhead Castle is a Grade A-listed castle built to a simple L-plan and located just outside the village of Premnay, 28 miles from Aberdeen. Initially built as a tower house in the 16th century, and with an additional wing added in the 18th century, the property offers classic period features, including a stone turnpike circular stairway. Accommodation is laid out over four storeys, and comprises seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms and four charming reception rooms. Outside, the gardener's cottage provides two further bedrooms, and the grounds include a walled garden, parkland and amenity woodland with a stream running through it.

Summer Isles, £2.5 million Tanera Mòr CKD Galbraith (01463 224343)

Part of the Summer Isles archipelago just off Wester Ross, Tanera Mòr, whose open market launch was featured in the June 19 issue of COUNTRY LIFE, is an extraordinary island. Its history stretches back to Viking times and its landscape is littered with hidden lochans, sheltered bays and far-reaching views -you can see the Outer Hebrides to the west and Assynt to the north.

Several properties dot the 800 acres of land. The principal residence is the Old School House, which sits on an elevated site and has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, plus reception rooms with excellent views. There are eight further cottages and a café on the island, plus a post office that issues annual stamps prized by collectors around the world. The largest of the Summer Isles, it was Tanera Mòr that inspired Island Years (1940) and Island Farm (1943) by the naturalist- philosopher Frank Fraser Darling, who transformed the isolated island into a working farm.

Edinburgh, £1.75 million Forres Street, EH3 Knight Frank (0131-222 9600)

Probably one of the finest city-centre properties in Edinburgh, this A-listed town house offers versatile family accommodation in nearly 6,000sq ft over five floors, with five bedrooms and a selfcontained two-bedroom flat. Detailed period features include cornice work, mouldings, fireplaces and cupola. The house comes with a private garden and additional shared garden access.

Oban, £695,000 Dunfuinary House, Connel Savills (0141-222 5875)

Located just six miles from Oban, Dunfuinary is a handsome lochside house built in the Scots Baronial style in 1889, and extended in 1908. It's only been owned by three families in more than a century and comes in excellent decorative order with elegant interiors. The principal reception rooms include a turreted drawing room with open fire and panoramic views over Loch Etive, and a formal dining room with a richly coloured, panelled ceiling and an open fire. There are six bedrooms-the master suite is on the first floor-and a study in the attic. The house comes with about an acre of attractive gardens, which stretch down to the water's edge and are peppered with rhododendrons.

Perthshire, £2.3 million The Dall estate, Loch Rannoch Remax Perth (01738 565800)

The Dall estate, on the shores of Loch Rannoch in Perthshire, has a long history. The clan name (Robertson) and lands were gifted by Robert the Bruce, for service in the Scottish wars of independence and the estate has only changed hands three times since 1347. The house dates from 1855 and was designed by the architect Thomas Mackenzie, who built Cawdor Castle. Inside, it retains many of its Victorian period features and contains 28 bedrooms, a cinema room, a library, four reception rooms and some turret rooms. Sixty acres of grounds comprise woodland, meadows and mature trees, as well as water frontage and riparian rights on the loch, and shooting, stalking and fishing are available on the estate.

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One of Scotland's most romantic castles could be blighted by a huge wind-farm development. Last month, an application was submitted to Scottish Borders Council by Windy Edge Wind Farm Limited for 17 398ft-high wind turbines, which would stand beside Hermitage Castle in Roxburghshire. The 400-year-old Scheduled Monument, managed by Historic Scotland, has a dramatic past- author George Macdonald Fraser described it as ‘the guardhouse of the bloodiest valley in Britain', and Mary, Queen of Scots made a scandalous visit to her secret lover, the 4th Earl of Bothwell, there in 1566 after he was injured in battle.

To the south of the castle is the Langholm Estate, part of Buccleuch Estates, which is lodging an objection. ‘To pollute the landscape backdrop of the castle with all its power to evoke the history and heritage of the Scottish Borders would be nothing short of vandalism,' stresses The Duke of Buccleuch. His hydrocarbons and minerals director, Mark Oddy, agrees: ‘This is one of the most important buildings of its kind in Scotland, and our feeling is that this proposal will destroy its setting forever.

Hermitage Castle in the Scottish Borders (image: www.visitscotland.com)

The landscape has changed very little for centuries, but the wind-farm development is going to be visible from any vantage point.' Langholm Moor is also designated a Special Protection Area for hen harriers, whose flight path would be blocked by the turbines.

The Hermitage Action Group (www.hermitageaction-group.com) is also gearing up. ‘The developers get three years to prepare their case; we only get a matter of weeks,' says chairman Malcolm McGregor. ‘But we can't lie down and allow ourselves to be flattened.

The turbines will devastate the integrity of the landscape. We envisage this battle going on for years-it's going to be a marathon.' Last week, energy secretary Ed Davey announced that, from 2017, wind-farm subsidies will be cut by 25% to ‘protect consumer bills'.

Wind-farm opponents welcome the move, but, according to John Constable of the Renewable Energy Foundation, it's not that straightforward. ‘The rate per unit generated seems to have been increased, counteracting the 10% cut announced last year in the Renewable Obligation for onshore wind. However, the length of subsidy entitlement has been reduced from a guaranteed 20 years to 15.' Physical evidence suggests that wind farms wear out in as little as 10-15 years and need to be replaced, meaning that the total investment required to meet targets and, consequently, the cost per unit of wind-generated energy, is much higher than initially projected. ‘Developers are using the land as a way of harvesting subsidies,' Dr Constable warns.

Momentum is already building in the industry to lobby the Department for Energy and Climate Change for the previous contract length to be reinstated. ‘The wind industry is formidable, and the Government seems to have almost zero concern for the consumer,' adds Dr Constable. ‘It's much easier to cosy up to industrial interests.'

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