Character castle has varied history
Two lots worth nearly £1.5m sold separately
A grand Strathearn castle, which has been home to both farm animals and worthies, has gone on the market.
Orchil Castle, between Braco and Gleneagles, has two lots totalling £ 1.475m which can be bought separately or as a single purchase.
The feature crow-stepped Scots Baronial castle built in the 1860s is set in 20 acres of rural surrounds.
Fire ravaged the building twice in its early years, but it has been restored, and was reputed to have hosted the likes of the Dukes of Kent and York.
In the war years, the then owner, the redoubtable Colonel Dawson, kept watch for enemy aircraft from the castle tower.
But in its recent history a farmer bought up the castle and allowed his sheep and pigs to roam freely among the marble fireplaces and fine oak panelling.
Chickens were kept on the second floor where some of their roosting perches can still be seen today.
It has also been owned by a drug rehabilitation organisation and the Elim Pentecostal Church of America, but the castle was finally back in private hands in 1995 and the intensive process of major refurbishment began.
Upgraded with light and airy rooms, feature walls and decor finishes, the castle boasts three main reception rooms and 12 bedrooms over the castle and cottage accommodation. There is also said to be room for refurbishment on upper floors.
A second lot is the South Drive and Walled Garden; some 35 acres of tree-lined driveway, woodland with burn and a 1.4 acre walled garden with fruit trees and floral borders.
Jamie Macnab, Savills director of country houses in Scotland says of Orchil Castle: “This magnificent house is an architectural gem that has been superbly rescued and brought firmly into the 21st Century, while still preserving its remarkable heritage. With further scope to develop the tower and upper floor, this is a rare opportunity indeed for a buyer to acquire a Scots Baronial masterpiece and make it their own.”