Costliest castle of all, yours for £8m
Most expensive private home in Scotland for sale
IT SHATTERED records when it became the most expensive country house sold in Scotland.
But 18th century Seton Castle is now back on the market for offers over £8million after being restored by its current owners.
Internet entrepreneurs Steve Leach and his wife Heather Luscombe paid a record £5million for the 15-bedroom Grade-A listed property, in Longniddry, East Lothian, in 2007.
The couple have carried out extensive renovation work in the past decade, including laying 3,500sq ft of restored oak flooring. They have also recently installed a new kitchen, state-ofthe-art gym and a billiards room.
The castle, which is ten miles from Edinburgh, is believed to be the most expensive private home currently for sale in the country.
It even includes its very own pub and a helicopter pad.
Mr Leach described the makeover as ‘a labour of love’.
He told the Times: ‘As our children get older, we find ourselves spending more time at our homes overseas and therefore it’s time to hand over the keys.’
The castle was built on the ruins of 15th century Seton Palace, a popular retreat of Mary Queen of Scots, using much of the original stone.
Designed by classical architect Robert Adam, the Georgian house and estate was previously owned by the Wemyss family for more than a century.
It was extensively refurbished by an Edinburgh entrepreneur who put it on the market for £15million in the mid-2000s, hoping to attract an overseas buyer.
The price was cut to £5million after a few years, when it was bought by Mr Leach and his wife, who had recently sold their internet search engine firm for £41million.
The four-storey house has a gallery, library and staff quarters. It sits in 13 acres of parkland overlooking the Firth of Forth.
James Macnab, of estate agents Savills, which is handling the sale, said: ‘Seton Castle is simply one of Scotland’s most significant and ravishing buildings, with centuries of history and legend carved deep in its walls.
‘It is undeniably one of Robert Adam’s finest achievements. But it is more than that. With the unstinting dedication and investment shown by recent owners, Seton Castle is now also a wonderfully comfortable and welcoming home.
‘It has been exquisitely renovated and decorated, the stone of old now brilliantly showcased with lavish but carefully considered textiles and an exemplary level of finish to suit modern living, while paying homage to Adam, his craftsmen and the generations who have gone before.’
In 1567 Mary Queen of Scots foiled a plot to capture her and her husband by seeking sanctuary at Seton Palace, escaping dressed a pageboy when the palace was surrounded.