A Rural Castle in the Scottish Countryside—Just Outside Edinburgh

Listing of the Day

Location: Broxburn, West Lothian, Scotland

Price: £950,000 (US$1.3 million)

"There is always an element of entertaining and dare I say showing off, when living in a castle," said Jamie Macnab, property agent and director of Savills Country House Sales, when discussing this unique countryside castle.

Situated on acres of idyllic Scottish land just under 12 miles from Edinburgh, the castle has a towering stone facade, dramatic gable-peaked roof and whimsical weather-vane- topped turret. Guests enter the mid-sized castle’s courtyard through a stone-carved entranceway.

While the exterior is grand, the interior has a surprisingly homey living space and is devoid of the dank dungeons one might expect in such an aged abode. Describing the residence as "kind of half-castle and half-house," Mr. Macnab noted that the residence’s classic exterior is counterbalanced by a surprisingly modernized and upgraded interior. In turn, wood floors warm a simple, subdued palette of whites and creams, while generously sized windows let light stream into each of the residence’s four levels.

"This is clearly a domestic structure rather than a defensive one," Mr. Macnab noted when discussing the sheer amount of light the residence receives from its windows. (Castles made for defense typically featured only small openings to ensure limited exposure.)

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However, Mr. Mcnab maintained, the home’s modern interior still displays some hints of castle throughout, such as a spiral staircase that swirls from floor-to-floor, connecting the lower ground-level all the way to the turret’s top.

"I’ve been at Savills for 30 years and the people who live in these houses are always characters," Mr. Mcnab said, before noting that castle-owners often feel more like honored "custodians" than run-of-the-mill homeowners.

Summing up the typical castle owner, he concluded, "It’s people who enjoy romance and a degree of chaos."

Stats

Situated on approximately 20.4 acres of land, the 3,269-square-foot residence has four bedrooms, two full-bathrooms and one half-bathroom. In addition to the main house, a small cottage—called a "Bothy" in Scotland—has also been successfully rented out over the years.

Talking point

"It’s never the facts and figures about these homes, it’s about the history and character," Mr. Macnab said, while noting that the current history-buff homeowners have traced the property itself as far back as the 1200s ("That’s about as old as it gets in Scotland," he said).

Neighborhood notes

In addition to being under 12 miles from Edinburgh’s city center, the residence is also only two miles from the town of Broxburn and 5.8 miles from Edinburgh Airport.

Agent: Jamie Macnab, Savills Country Houses Team

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