Words: Zoe Dickens
Let’s face it, it’s not every day you’re presented with the opportunity to buy a castle. And even rarer are the opportunities to buy a castle with as much history and elegance as Seton Castle.
Nestled in the East Lothian countryside, just 10 miles from Edinburgh, the castle was designed by Robert Adam in 1789 and built using stone from Mary Queens of Scots favoured residence Seton Palace. Constructed for the Weymss family, it passed down through the generations in an unbroken line until 2003 – a factor to which selling agent Savills attributes the castle’s superb upkeep and preservation of almost all its original architecture.
Over the last decade the castle has undergone a huge restoration which has sought to modernise the property while painstakingly retaining its period features via the use of French oak flooring from the 17th century, sensitively renewed iron work, staircases and ceilings and the rebuilding of turrets, chimneys and parapets.
Of course, some 21st century upgrades have been worked in as well. Elegant silks, tweeds and wools from the likes of Ralph Lauren, Mulberry, Osborne & Little and Christian Lacroix have been used to create a Georgian-inspired British countryside interior. Elsewhere the enormous chef’s kitchen features a double Aga and modern appliances while a large gym is decked out with state-of-the art equipment and a cinema caters to contemporary entertainment needs.
Old world glamour remains, however, in the four-poster beds found in most of the main house’s seven bedrooms – including the romantic Hideaway suite, tucked away at the top of a turret and accessed via a secret spiral staircase. A traditional billiards room, silk-lined dining room, cavernous wine cellar, library and a dark wood bar also help create an air of classic grandeur.
Also set within the castle’s 13-acre landscaped gardens – which afford stunning views across the Forth of Firth – are two three-bedroom guest cottages, a helipad, coach house and the Stable Bar – a charming private tavern situated in what was once the stable block’s tack room. And, should you ever wish to leave this idyllic country retreat, Muirfield golf course, Belhaven Bay and some of Scotland’s finest game shooting areas are just moments away.
Key stats:
- 13 bedrooms
- 5 bathrooms
- 13.4 acres
- Outbuildings
- Recently restored
- Helipad
Asking price: £8 million
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