It’s hard to get more "old world charm" than a 500-year-old Scottish castle.
Located 25 miles from Edinburgh’s City Center, Cleish Castle, which has hit the market for the first time in over 20 years at £1.5 million (US$1.85 million), has eight bedrooms, and five bathrooms. According to its listing on the website of listing agent Strutt & Parker, the former castle began as a single tower. Today, the original structure forms the Southern wing of an L-shaped house.
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The present owners, who bought the home in 1993, have restored both the castle and the grounds, and added a single-story south wing that "blends beautifully with the original building," according to the listing.
The grounds have been updated with "herbaceous and shrub beds, a variety of woodland paths, lawns, a vegetable garden and beech hedges," according to the listing.
Among the extra amenities are stables, a wine cellar, a pottery studio and tennis court.
According to Historic Scotland, the gardens on the 26-acre property were laid out in the early 1600s. While little remains of those original formal gardens, the property’s 150-yard "yew walk," which is lined on both sides with coniferous trees, dates from the early-to-mid 17th Century, and is Scotland’s oldest.
The estate has even more historical significance, according to Malcolm Leslie, of Strutt & Parker, who is handling the sale. It’s believed that Mary Queen of Scots briefly stayed there after escaping imprisonment in nearby Lochleven Castle in May 1568.
"Cleish Castle is not only magnificent and historic but, following the current owners' re-modeling, an outstanding and practical family home," says Mr. Leslie. "Its setting is exceptional and its proximity to both Edinburgh and Edinburgh Airport makes it an attractive prospect to the commuter. It represents exceptional value for money. Interest has come from both the domestic and international market but since the recent volatility of the pound, there has been a marked increase in enquiries from abroad, particularly the U.S."