A wealthy aristocrat with strong ties to the Royal Family has lodged plans to expand his huge Donside estate, 20 miles away from Balmoral Castle.
Henry David Louis Mountbatten, Earl of Medina, wants to build a new gym and add an extension on to his mansion at Glenbuchat Estate.
He is a relative of one of the royal family’s most trusted confidants, who played a crucial role in the early years of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.
The Earl’s father is the great-nephew of Lord Louis Mountbatten – more widely known as ‘Dickie’ – who was Prince Philip’s uncle.
Who owns Glenbuchat Estate?
The Mountbatten family purchased the 14,000 acre estate several years ago as their Scottish retreat.
It’s a 40-minute drive from King Charles’ Aberdeenshire retreat at Balmoral, and includes a sprawling mansion, a tennis court, kennels and a shooting equipment shed.
Despite his strong royal links, the 33-year-old Earl has managed to avoid the spotlight.
However, his father George Mountbatten – the 4th Marquess of Milford Haven – is a well-known businessman.
He set up the money-saving firm uSwitch in 2000, which specialised in comparing prices across various sectors – including energy, finance and communications.
The company was sold for roughly £210 million in 2006.
What are the plans?
Papers submitted to the council detail how the Earl of Medina wants to add to his Donside estate.
Drawings show a new gym to the east of the grounds being built, along with an extension to the grandiose lodge.
This addition to the manor would attach onto the snooker room, and include it’s own table.
The lodge underwent a £7 million renovation back in 2015, with the goal to turn it into a “grouse and deer sporting estate”, according to Pert Bruce Construction.
You can view the full plans here.
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