A grand little castle for sale near the golf mecca of St Andrews

Toby Keel

This grand country house with more than a touch of castle in its DNA is on the market at an astonishing price – but you'll need to act quickly.

Chesterhill House
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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.

Chesterhill House near St Andrews (Bell Ingram)

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.

Chesterhill House near St Andrews (Bell Ingram)

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.

Chesterhill House near St Andrews (Bell Ingram)

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.