There’s a certain responsibility when it comes to writing about houses for sale in Country Life. Someone, somewhere might be looking for their forever family home and their browsing (or, more likely, some hideous algorithm somewhere) will drag their eyes here, and they might see the property in which they raise a family and live happily ever after. You need to find a balance: practicality, space, location, amenities and so on.
However, sometimes I see a really cool castle in Scotland and decide to write about that instead. A castle like Glenborrodale, for example, which is for sale with Savills for offers over £2.35 million.
Let’s get to it. Glenborrodale Castle is Listed A, dates from about 1902 and is a Scots Baronial mansion made of red Dumfriesshire sandstone. It sits on a lovely promontory on the shores of Loch Sunart, and comes with two islands, as well as two further detached properties known as The Coach House and the Gate House. There is also a separate gym.
‘How many bedrooms?’, you might reasonably ask. The answer is that it is a castle, so plenty. 16, to be precise. You might also reasonably ask, looking at the pictures, ‘Was Glenborrodale Castle once a hotel’ and the answer is, ‘yes it was’. So it will need a bit of work to transform it into a family home. But what a family home it could be.
Set over five floors, the main house offers more than 16,600sq ft of living space providing plenty of space for friends, family, enemies, whoever really. The interiors are achingly period and Scottish, with plenty of wood, fine plasterwork and tartan.
Outside, the property stands in about 134.4 acres of gardens and grounds. To the north, the gardens are densely populated with rhododendrons and azaleas and mixed mature woodland, providing a glorious backdrop to the property.
To the south, the gardens are more formal, with a broad, castellated and elevated terrace from which to enjoy the views out towards Oronsay and across Loch Sunart, or to park your helicopter, with a helipad able to accommodate helicopters up to a ‘sea king in size’. I am not sure where you would find a Royal Navy anti-submarine warfare helicopter for sale, but at least you won’t have to worry if you could land it.
The rest of the gardens and grounds extend to about 48 acres of rough grazing, 72 acres of woodland and 12 acres of ‘gardens/buildings/rock/miscellaneous’. The two islands included in the sale are Risga and Eileam am Feidh, as well as 850 metres of shore frontage.
Amenities-wise, the town (or burgh) of Tobermory is 15 minutes away via rib, while on land, the villages of Salen and Acharacle are both within 10 miles, offering pubs, restaurants, shops and schools.
More importantly, there is plenty to do in the beautiful part of the world. You can go seal spotting from your doorstep, as well as fishing, sailing, mountain biking and kayaking. You’ll be overwhelmed by wildlife, whether it's otters, porpoises, deer, golden and sea eagles.
A Scottish island with beaches, castle and farmhouse that's for sale at the price of a two-bedroom London flat
There comes a time in a house buyer's life when they need to ask themselves a question: 839 sq ft
Credit: Knight Frank
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