Clan chief puts ancient family seat on the market at £2.5m

Spiralling maintenance costs blamed by laird

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A CLAN chief has put his family seat on the market, hoping to net £2.5million for the spectacular castle which has been occupied by his family for 500 years.

Craighall Castle towers over one of Scotland’s deepest gorges, on the River Ericht, near Blairgowrie in Perthshire, and has been the family seat of the Rattrays of Craighall since 1533.

The fortified mansion has warded off attacks from Oliver Cromwell’s army and rampaging hordes of neighbouring clans.

In more peaceful times it has welcomed famous guests, including Sir Walter Scott.

But the current laird, Lachlan Rattray of Rattray, a descendent of William the Conqueror and the 29th Rattray clan chief, is surrendering his charge as spiralling maintenance costs leave him with an ever-greater financial burden.

Despite renting the castle’s salmon fishing beat, offering bed and breakfast at £35 a night, and running a bath-cleaning and architectural salvage business from the stately home, he is having to part with the castle.

He and his wife, Nicky, and their three children – Thomas 15, Hewie 12 and Flora, 9 – are the 20th generation of the family to live at Craighall, and are now looking forward to moving to pastures new.

He has placed the historic Scots baronial building, which was built to incorporate the original tower house castle, and its surrounding 176-acres of “ancient native woodland” and sporting and farm estate on the market in a “secret sale”.

It has not been proactively marketed by joint estate agents Strutt and Parker or Rettie, but has attracted interest from potential buyers through high-society contacts and word of mouth.

The Craighall-Rattray barony title is also included in the sale.

Chris Hall, a spokesman for estate agent Rettie, said: “My client was thinking about withdrawing it from sale. He had half instructed us to withdraw it, but it was one of those situations where, if the right person came along and was willing to pay a premium price, then don’t turn them away.”