Formidable Scottish Castle With Turrets, a Pub and a Helipad Asks £8 Million
2 min
An imposing Scottish castle that has only had four owners in its more than 200-year existence has hit the market asking for offers above £8 million (US$10.45 million).
Seton Hall, as it’s known, was built in 1789 by architect Robert Adam using stone from Seton Palace, the since-demolished property that was considered to be Mary Queen of Scots’s preferred retreat, according to Savills, which brought the home to the market last month.
“Seton is an absolutely magical castle—from the moment you approach, to the inner courtyard, to the quality of interior design,” said listing agent Jessica Gwyn.
The castle—roughly 10 miles from Edinburgh—remained in the same family from the late 18th century until 2003, which “served to freeze Seton in a protective time warp,” according to the listing.
Castellated features such as slit windows and turrets can be seen from the outside, and inside “secret staircases, curved doors, curved walls, arched windows and hidden doors add to the charming sophistication of the architecture and design,” the listing said.
But the castle has since been refurbished to meet modern standards, and now also boasts a helipad, a full security system, a gym, a playroom, a silk-lined dining room and a billiards room.
The restoration project saw a team of expert stonemasons rebuild the castle’s many chimneys, turrets and rooftop parapets. Plus, ironwork was restored, the dumbwaiter reinstated and the 10,000-bottle wine cellar was brought back to life, Savills said.
Alongside the seven-bedroom home that forms the core of the castle, there are additional residences across the property, including Darnley Cottage and Bothwell Cottage—named after Mary Queen of Scots’s husbands.
The castle’s stables have been refurbished, too, and are adjacent to the “Stable Bar,” the castle’s private pub.
The owner—who Mansion Global couldn’t identify—“feels their time as custodian of this outstanding building has come to a natural conclusion and it is time for this historic home to be loved and cared for by someone else,” Gwyn said.
This article first appeared on Mansion Global
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As interest rates, inflation and market sentiment fluctuate, investors are being urged to focus on data, not panic.
Australia’s housing affordability crisis is being fuelled by chronic undersupply, planning delays and rising development costs, as politicians continue to focus on the wrong solutions.
3 min
Australia’s housing crisis will not be solved by first-home buyer incentives or tax changes alone, with leading property figures warning governments must tackle supply constraints if affordability is to improve.
Speaking at the Kanebridge Quarterly Property Leadership Summit in Sydney last week, expert project marketing specialist Sam Elbanna, property investor and fund manager Paul Miron and property consultant Karla McNeice said that a lack of housing supply remained the central issue facing the market.
Elbanna, Director of CPM Realty with more than 30 years’ experience in project sales, argued that successive governments had focused too heavily on stimulating demand rather than addressing the barriers preventing new housing from being delivered.
“The misconception is that politicians think the way to solve the housing crisis is to drive demand,” he said.
“The reality is that’s not the way. This is a supply-side problem, and it needs to be solved on the supply side.”
Drawing on his experience in project sales, Elbanna said policies designed to help first-home buyers often had unintended consequences, pointing to previous grants that ultimately flowed through to higher property prices.
Instead, he said developers were facing increasing red tape, approval delays and rising costs, which were discouraging new housing supply.
“In the absence of stock, demand exceeds supply,” he said.
Miron, a Co-Founder and Fund Manager of Msquared Capital, said the housing debate had become overly focused on tax policy while overlooking broader structural issues.
He argued that affordability challenges stemmed from a combination of factors, including planning constraints, supply shortages, migration levels and interest rates.
“No-one can be 100 per cent certain on the real reason for property prices is going up,” he said.
“The reason why property prices are higher is a combination of interest rates, lack of supply, migration, vacancy rates and maybe taxes play a role.”
Miron was critical of recent federal housing policy changes, warning they could reduce the number of new homes being built and further constrain supply that was even highlighted in the budget.
He also highlighted the importance of the property sector to the broader economy, noting that residential real estate and related industries employed more than one million Australians.
McNeice, who advises developers on sales strategy and market intelligence, said understanding buyers had become increasingly important as affordability pressures intensified.
While affordability remained a major consideration, she said today’s buyers were focused on value rather than simply price.
“People are looking for value for money,” she said.
She said buyers were increasingly evaluating factors such as transport connections, walkability, nearby amenities and flexible living spaces that could accommodate changing family needs.
“What infrastructure is going on? Can I walk to the shops? Can I meet people at the local cafe?” she said.
The panel also discussed the mounting pressures facing developers, with Elbanna arguing that many projects become financially unviable from the moment a site is purchased.
“The viability of a development happens at the moment the site is bought,” he said.
He said rising construction costs, higher interest rates and overly optimistic feasibility assumptions had left some developers exposed as market conditions changed.
While acknowledging the growing number of smaller and first-time developers entering the market, Elbanna said property development required expertise across finance, construction, marketing and legal disciplines.
“It is actually a business that requires a level of expertise,” he said.
Looking ahead, the panel agreed opportunities remained in the market despite current challenges.
Miron said property should continue to be viewed as a long-term investment and cautioned against trying to time short-term market movements.
McNeice said success would increasingly depend on identifying projects that genuinely met changing buyer expectations.
Elbanna said affordable housing remained achievable, but developers needed to deliver more than just homes.
“We can provide affordable housing in this country,” he said.
“But we’ve got to wrap that affordable housing with the things that people want.”
As Australia’s housing affordability debate intensifies, the panellists agreed on one point: without a meaningful increase in housing supply, demand-side measures alone are unlikely to solve the nation’s property challenges.
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