The successful entertainer bypasses London’s luxury market to invest in a 17-bedroom Gothic fortress, complete with its own private railway.
Alan Carr has made a definitive move into the Scottish Borders property market with the purchase of Ayton Castle, an extraordinary estate listed for offers over £3.25 million. While the same investment could have secured a modest residence in London’s Chelsea or Belsize Park, Carr has instead opted for a vast 160-acre estate. The property is noted for its exceptional period stonework and architectural significance, having undergone extensive preservation work by its previous owners.
The sale includes not only the main 19th-century castle but also a collection of cottages and lodges that offer potential for commercial letting. A notable highlight of the grounds is a functional narrow-gauge railway, adding to the eccentric charm of the estate. Edward Douglas-Home of Knight Frank described the building as Scotland’s finest specimen of the Gothic Revival style, emphasizing the rare combination of privacy and historic scale the property affords its new owner.
“Ayton Castle is a truly extraordinary property… Its dramatic five-storey Great Tower and exceptional period detailing place it among the country’s most important historic houses.”
Filming is currently underway for a new documentary series that will track the comedian’s journey as a first-time castle owner. The series, tentatively titled Castle Man, aims to showcase the practical and financial hurdles of maintaining a heritage site of such magnitude. With 17 bedrooms to manage and a significant slice of the Borders countryside to maintain, the show is expected to blend Carr’s trademark humor with the grit of high-stakes property management.
SOURCES: Knight Frank, Expectation Entertainment, Scottish Borders Council Property Records.
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