What a catch! Former salmon bothy with own beach on sale for more than £400k

property: Follow in footsteps of Vikings at Lunan Bay

An exclusive Angus property lying in the shadow of a “ruinous” historic castle is on the market.

The Red Castle area of Lunan Bay, on the picturesque coast halfway between Arbroath and Montrose near Inverkeilor, has been popular with nature enthusiasts, day trippers and Viking invaders across the ages.

Now a former salmon netting station, built in the 1980s and recently remodelled as a family home, is up for grabs along with a large chunk of the surrounding dunes.

Redcastle Salmon Bothy has been advertised at offers over £385,000 by Cupar-based firm CKD Galbraith, with 170 acres of “beautiful” beach available at an additional £50,000-plus.

The property is in the shadow of historic Red Castle, which is slowly collapsing through erosion.

Agent George Lorimer said: “Benefiting from a superb coastal setting, Redcastle Salmon Bothy is a wonderful, unique property that rarely becomes available.

“Positioned midway between the Angus towns of Montrose and Arbroath, Redcastle Salmon Bothy is quietly situated in a dramatic location beneath the ruinous Red Castle, adjacent to the magnificent Lunan Bay beach which is widely regarded as one of the east coast’s best.”

Traditional salmon fishing has been practised off Lunan Bay with nets strung on poles dug into the sand, and the beach and dunes are home to an array of wildlife with many species of birdlife.

Its striking castle was built on the orders of King William the Lion in the late 12th Century as a fortress and a pre-emptive measure against the marauding Viking invaders.

It ended up being one of King William’s favourite hunting lodges during the latter part of his reign

In 1194, William conferred the castle and the land surrounding the village of Inverkeilor to Walter de Berkeley, the Royal Chamberlain.

It returned to the royal family and it was only in 1328 that Robert the Bruce gave the castle to the Earl of Ross.

By this time it had been officially called “rubeum castrum”, or Red Castle in deeds of 1286, referring to the red sandstone from which it is built.

Left and below: the former salmon bothy is on the market at offers over £385,000, with 170 acres of beach available for an additional £50,000plus. Above: a map showing the property’s location at Lunan Bay, between Arbroath and Montrose.