City centre castle for sale in Edinburgh: 16th-century fortress with tower and gatehouse among most viewed properties of the year

Deep pockets could turn this 7,000sq ft, 16th-century fortress into the ultimate suburban home... 
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Becky Davies3 January 2018

Many of us dream of being king of our own castle, but even if you have deep enough pockets, they're often far from the bright lights of a big city.

This one, however, is just three miles from the centre of Edinburgh in Ravelston, one its most exclusive suburbs, putting all the attractions of Scotland's capital on your doorstep.

On the market for the first time in 300 years, 16th-century Craigcrook Castle also offers a blank canvas to someone with the will - and the bank balance - to transform it into a home worthy of a starring role on Grand Designs.

There have certainly been many daydreaming about the prospect of taking it on, with the castle featuring highly among the most viewed properties on property website Rightmove this year, which attracts more than 130 million visits a month.

Although the £6 million Grade B-listed castle retains its impressive period features, it has been used as office accommodation for around 40 years.

Plans have been drawn up by award-winning Lorn Macneal Architects to create a five-bedroom property, complete with cinema room, gym and staff flat, while a beautiful stable block could be turned into garages and guest accommodation.

Even the modern gatehouse has two bedrooms and this could be replaced with something bigger and more in keeping with the historic architecture. Of course, all this is subject to planning permission, but the potential to create an amazing home is definitely there in this 7,000sq ft edifice.

The castle has four acres of land, including a beautiful walled garden (Sotheby's)

The oldest part of the three-storey castle was built in 1543, including the stunning circular tower with views across the Firth of Forth. The castle was left to a charitable organisation in 1719, which owns it to this day.

In the 19th century, successive tenants publisher Archibald Constable and newspaper editor Francis Jeffrey were famous for hosting literary soirees attended by the likes of Sir Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, Hans Christian Anderson, George Eliot and Alfred Lord Tennyson.

As secluded as this suburban castle sounds, it is possible to truly escape from the city behind a gated driveway leading through a 4.5-acre garden, which includes a beautiful walled garden, mature woodland and landscaped lawns.

Frequent trains from Edinburgh Waverley station reach Euston in as little as four hours and 20 minutes, while flights from the airport - just 15 minutes away - to Heathrow, Gatwick and London City take just over an hour.

Craigcrook Castle is for sale through Sotheby's for £6 million

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