A BEAUTIFUL baronial mansion boasting a suberb lochside location, fortified tower, and 2.5 acres of land could be yours for the average price of a UK home.
Craigard, on the banks of Loch Goil, Lochgoilhead , Argyll, is on sale for £275,000 – only £3,000 more than the average UK home.
But the C-listed property, built in 1881, boasts a minstrel gallery, a reception hall and a private driveway among its attraction.
And the neighbouring dwelling is pretty special too – 15th Century Carrick Castle, which was once visited by Mary Queen of Scots.
Estate agents for the sale, Robb Residential, say the property offers “lovely” garden grounds but admit it isn’t for the “fainthearted”.
A spokeswoman said: “Being so close to Loch Goil it will appeal to a lot of people.
“There is a big demand for waterside locations, particularly from clients living abroad and down south, and that is something this house does have; a great lochside location.
“It has a lovely situation and garden grounds, and the loch is visible from the first floor and upper floors but the garden will need attention so as the lower floor can view the loch.
“It’s definitely not a property for the fainthearted. It will need quite a bit of work to make it habitable again and will take a long time. ”
According to the brochure, the property offers “four bedrooms, two with en suite bathrooms, a main bathroom, great hall with minstrel gallery.”
It continued: “The main central staircase off the reception hall leads to the first floor half landing and to bedroom one with en suite shower room, fitted store, access to great hall with minstrel gallery.
“An outer vestibule leads to the main reception hall, cloakroom & wc, the ground floor has four public rooms, kitchen, utility room, access to turret stair.”
The same money would currently buy a nine square metre studio flat in Pimlico, London, 465 miles away or a three bedroom bungalow in Newton Mearns, East Renfrewshire, 60 miles away.
Robb Residential add: “The gardens extend to about 2.5 acres and are overgrown with dense rhododendron and feature a number of tall mature trees.”
Neighbouring Carrick Castle, which Craigard overlooks, was is believed to be an original Viking stronghold and was fought over during the Scottish independence wars.
In the spring of 1307, Robert the Bruce drove Henry Percy, an ally of King Edward I, from the castle before announcing the war against the King of England.
King Edward had given the castle, which belonged to Robert, to Percy. By 1368 it had been passed on to the Campbell Earls of Argyll.
Mary Queen of Scots also visited the castle in 1563 and it is now under private ownership, undergoing renovation.
