Your very own Scottish castle, with sea views, fishing and the Cairngorms on the doorstep, for less than £1 million
Allardice Castle comes with all the history and heritage you could desire, in a great location, and has been sensitively restored by its current owners.
If there’s one thing that the Scots do well, better than anyone you might argue, it’s build castles that look like castles. By that, I mean buildings awash with turrets, towers and floors that don’t really line up in a straight line. Not only do they build them well, they build them bountifully.
It is the fantasy of many to get themselves a slice of the action. Should you be one such person with one such fantasy, then look no further. Annabel Blackett of Strutt & Parker seeks ‘offers over £950,000’ for picturesque, 16th-century Category A-listed Allardice Castle, set in three acres of lovely gardens and grounds overlooking the Bervie Water, two miles north-west of Inverbervie on the north-east coast of Scotland.
Historically, many of these castles remain family heirlooms of former clan chiefs or Victorian industrialists, so it is rare that they come on the market. But when they do, it is always worth having a browse online and imagining yourself roaming your very own halls of power.
Allardice Castle is listed grade A, and can trace its roots all the way back to the 16th century, when it was the chief seat of the Barons of Allardice, who first appeared in a charter from 1197. Are they any relation to Big Sam Allardyce? We can’t know for sure, but this is very much the kind of house I can see him living in. I digress.
Dating from 1542, the castle has undergone many changes and alterations over the years, which is to be expected, considering those years run into the hundreds. Most importantly were those made at the end of the 19th century, which turned the castle from a fortified keep and tower house and into a family home.
Beautifully restored by the current owners, who bought it in the 1970s, the castle, built of harled stone under a slate roof, offers 4,553sq ft of comfortable accom- modation on four floors, including spiral staircases, a vaulted entrance hall, three fine reception rooms, a library, home office, six bedrooms and three bathrooms. It goes without saying that each room, each stair, each floorboard and every window is lashed with centuries of history and character. There is no grey furniture here.
Now that's a castle right there.
Alas, the many lands of Allardice have somewhat shrunk in recent years, and the castle now comes with three acres of gardens and grounds, which lead down to the Berview Water — the castle benefits from riparian fishing rights.
Situated south of Aberdeen, the castle is only a few miles from the coastal town of Inverbervie, which also provides plenty of amenities within easy reach. Heading west will take you into the glories of the Cairngorms in no time, a delight for those who enjoy walking, hiking, or the many other kinds of adventurous activity that can be found in the UK’s largest national park.
