Incredible cliff-top Caithness castle goes on the market for £25million

An incredible cliff-top castle spanning nearly 30,000 acres has gone on the market – for £25million.

Dunbeath Estate and Castle, which sits on the Caithness coast, was owned by the Sinclair clan for an incredible four hundred years but has been a family home to its current owners since the late 1990s.

The magnificent 13-bedroom castle comes with 20 houses and cottages, a 500-acre farm, a sporting lodge with nine bedrooms, a deer forest, grouse moor and fishing rights.

The A-listed castle dates from the 15th century but was significantly remodelled in the 1860s in the grand Baronial style by David Bryce who also transformed the gardens and grounds.

Elegant turrets give the castle a fairytale charm, but its striking coastal presence looking out to the North Sea has made it a genuinely iconic building.

It has eight principal bedrooms, which all bear the names of great naval battles above the doors, and four reception rooms with huge full height windows to take full advantage of the sea views.

Outside there is a matching pair of walled gardens, one is an award-winning formal ornamental garden while the is more minimalist in style, with smooth lawns and contemporary water features.

Dunbeath offers a variety of sport including grouse shooting and red deer stalking – and the moor is considered to be one of the best areas for hunting with peregrine falcons in the country.

There is also 2.5 miles of river for salmon and sea trout fishing, four hill lochs and lochans and four miles of rugged coastline.

The estate is a rich ecological habitat supporting an array of birdlife, wildlife and flora.

With fertile pasture along the coastline and extensive upland grazing, the in-hand farm supports a commercial herd of 60 suckler cattle and a flock of 500 breeding ewes.

The castle is on the market with Savills.

‘This sale represents an opportunity to acquire one of Scotland’s great castles and an estate in “The Flow Country”,’ said Evelyn Channing from Savills.

‘At a time when there is great focus on the delivery of nature based solutions to counter our climate emergency, the vast tracts of peatland on Dunbeath will undoubtedly stimulate much interest.

‘The current owners have invested a great deal of time, love and capital into Dunbeath Estate over the last 26 years and are now keen to see it develop and prosper further under the ownership of a new custodian who shares their enthusiasm for Caithness and has an exciting vision for its future.’

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