a home Fit for a queen
The Craig once hosted royalty and is still the jewel in Montrose’s crown
The Craig is a fairytale castle.
IT’S A FAIRYTALE castle fit for a queen. The Craig, near Montrose, is one of Scotland’s oldest grand houses. And its ancient halls have hosted historic characters like King James V and Mary Queen of Scots.
Today the castle is home to another queen; former American beauty queen, author and cabaret artist Betsy Horn, whom with her husband John, 82, has loved living here.
“I remember the first time we saw The Craig,” says Betsy, now 70.
The grandmother - who 15 years ago was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and then documented her inspirational recovery in her book A Little Touch of Cancer - beams a warm smile as she relives the moment.
“My husband is a great fishing and shooting sportsman and we were renting a home on the Airlie Estates nearby.
“We went to Tesco to buy some magazines and The Craig was being advertised in one for sale and John said, ‘let’s go and see it’.”
There is a flash of mischief in Betsy’s eyes as she giggles: “We had no intention of buying it. I told John that they wouldn’t want ‘tyre kickers’ there.” The couple
– who divide their time between Scotland, New York state and Florida - went along anyway. Betsy says: “As we came through the gates, something magical happened. It was incredible. Everything was so beautiful. It is a feeling I will miss.”
The couple are preparing to hand over The Craig to new stewards. Betsy reveals: “The travelling is hard for us now and a house like this has to be lived in. It has been a great honour to have been part of this house.”
With six bedrooms and seven reception rooms, a walled garden and courtyard, The Craig is a substantial dwelling. It also comes with a two-bedroom cottage and 20 acres of land.
The building has been significantly restored, improved and modernised since 1986. Its entrance, nowadays through its ‘west range,’ opens onto a Georgian stairway.
The principal first floor rooms are in the ‘north range’ with the drawing room at its west end. It is here that the Horns have made their mark.
Betsy revealed: “Our friend well-known architectural artist Richard Jordan helped us to recreate the room’s original 16th century painted ceiling.”
He used original fragments of the ceiling, found during restoration work in 1921 and bearing the date 1529.
The Craig is being marketed by Savills for offers over £1,570,000.