AN estate once owned by the late Lord Burton, said to have been the inspiration the BBC series Monarch of the Glen, is for sale.
The 20,000 acres of land over three glens in the west highlands of Scotland has been put on the market at offers over £3,950,000.
Cluanie and East Glenquoich estate and deer forest comes complete with a renovated eight bedroom lodge house, a keepers cottage and even its own mountain range.
Situated about an hour and a half drive south west from Inverness it was once owned by Lord Burton, who died at the age of 88 in 2013.
He is said the have been the inspiration for the eccentric fictional Laird Hector MacDonald played by Richard Briers in the BBC hit series Monarch of the Glen.
Lord Burton and his son Alexander were interviewed by the show’s writer Michael Chaplin.
The series ran between 2000 and 2005 and followed the story of the MacDonald family and its two generations as they attempted to make their highland estate sustainable.
In real life Lord Burton was known for his devotion to his land which also included the 11,000-acre Dochfour estate in Invernesshire which he passed onto his son Alexander.
After inheriting the Burton title on the death of his grandmother in 1962, he took his place on the Conservative benches of the House of Lords.
He was also reported to have had run ins with walkers and poachers.
An obituary after his death recounted a time he refused Kintail Mountain Rescue Team access to one his estates after it published a walking guide to the area.
Lord Burton is said to have blamed the guide for increasing numbers of fishermen from Edinburgh and Glasgow “pillaging Highland lochs”.
The current owner of Cluanie and East Glenquoich estate has spent the last five years rebuilding and completely refurbishing the lodge.
The sales particulars from agent Knight and Frank says: “Cluanie and East Glenquoich is situated amongst the most breath-taking West Highland scenery, at the confluence of Glen Shiel and Glenmoriston.
“The estate straddles three glens, Glenmoriston, Glen Loyne and Glen Quoich.
“The terrain varies enormously, from rugged high tops with deep corries running from them to the beautiful broken slopes on the lower ground and Lochs Cluanie and Loyne.”
It continues: “The current owner has spent the last five years rebuilding and completely refurbishing the lodge, which comprises three reception rooms, a large kitchen/dining room, boiler room, utility room, strongroom and excellent cellarage.
“There are eight bedrooms and seven bathrooms.
“Keeper’s cottage was completely refurbished at the same time as the lodge and comprises three bedrooms, kitchen/dining room, sitting room and a study.
“Extensive outbuildings include a fully equipped modern deer larder, garage, various workshops, estate office, stalker’s changing room, two traditional grouse larders, shooting bothy, machinery storage building and a helicopter hanger.”
