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( Lee ) Castle fever - look who's buying a
castle now
John
Travolta's name has been linked with the purchase
of a Scottish castle - Lee
Castle star John Travolta has paid a
secret visit to a Scottish castle amid growing
speculation that he is preparing to mount a bid to
buy it. Castle Lee,
near Braidwood in South Lanarkshire, is the ancient
seat of the Lockhart family and has its roots in
the 13th century. Scots rally driver Colin McRae is
also rumoured to have shown an interest in the
beautiful 700-year-old castle, which is expected to
fetch in excess of £8 million. But last night
multi-millionaire Travolta was favourite to buy the
estate after it emerged that he visited Castle
Lee two weeks ago. The film star, 49, is
believed to want to turn the site into a centre for
Scientology, a system of beliefs followed by the
actor. It aims to free the Thetan (free-thinking
being), which is passed through incarnations into
every mortal body. Sources close to the castle
confirmed that the actor, who commands up to $20
million per movie, flew to the area by helicopter
in early October and spent several hours viewing
the site. "He was only here for a day. He came by
helicopter, but it was all very low-key." Several
locals said Travolta had been seen in the area. A
Carluke man, who asked not to be named, said: "He
was definitely here, quite a few people saw him.
Everyone’s talking about it - it’s a
small place and people get to hear about something
like that." Internet bidding for the castle started
on Thursday and lasts for seven days. Castle
Lee was put on the market by Stephen Peter, son
of American health and telecommunications
millionaire Leslie Peter, who bought the castle in
1988 on a visit to research his Scottish ancestry.
He died two years ago aged 69. In a move intended
to avoid prying eyes, the sale is being conducted
through secret mailshots to super-rich Americans
and via a password-protected website. Prospective
buyers submit their details to the agents in
California who check their credentials to screen
out time-wasters. E-mails advertising the castle
have been sent to the rich and famous across the
US, including Travolta, Madonna, Michael Jackson
and the Microsoft computer billionaire Bill Gates.
Glasgow-born property consultant Nassim Tahzib, who
is based in Florida, is handling the sale of the
castle via the exclusive website. He refused to
reveal the identity of several potential buyers and
would only say: "There has been phenomenal interest
in Lee Castle, and a number of people - several of
them famous - have submitted bids. Travolta - star
of Grease, Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction
visited Scotland in August last year with his wife,
actress Kelly Preston, 39, and children Jett, 11,
and Ella Bleu, three. It is thought he visited
Castle Lee during his five-day visit. During his
trip, he hired an entire ten-bedroom floor at
Gleneagles, at a cost of £52,000, for his
family and 17 staff. He registered at the hotel as
JT Smith. Travolta said at the time that he wanted
to improve his golfing skills and that he might
build a replica of Gleneagles’ pitch-and-putt
course. If Travolta did buy Castle Lee, it would
not be popular with locals, as many would like to
see it in Scottish hands. The sprawling two-storey
castle has 12 turrets, 14 bedrooms, a ballroom, a
Gothic great hall and a swimming pool. It also has
a chapel, where Leslie Peter arranged to have his
heart buried in a casket after his death. The
castle was to be let out for £1 million a
year, but his family were unable to find a tenant
they deemed suitable and had his will overturned to
allow them to sell. Leslie Peter, who was
well-known in Hollywood and at the White House,
spent millions of pounds rebuilding the castle, but
a year after the restoration a fire ripped through
a wing of the historic building. Fire crews helped
prevent extensive damage, using water from the
indoor swimming pool. The 26,000 sq ft castle has
been lavishly decorated and filled with countless
antiques, pieces of furniture and works of art - a
large mural depicting the Battle of Bannockburn is
the main feature of the ballroom. A plaque on the
floor of the family chapel, inscribed with the
Latin words Numquam Despera, ‘never give
up’, marks the spot where Leslie Peter’s
heart is buried. Robert the Bruce is said to have
signed a charter under an ancient oak known as the
Pease Tree in front of the castle. Oliver Cromwell
is said to have rested his troops at the same spot.
Stephen Peter, 47, who lives in Florida and runs an
import and export business dealing in Scottish
goods, admitted he is reluctant to part with the
castle. "We are not selling up because we need the
money, nor do we want to try to cash in on the
heritage my father has left us," he said. "It is
simply a matter of economics. "We do not want to
wander from my father’s wish that this place
is a private family home. We don’t want to
turn it into a commercial venture. "But we also
cannot afford to keep such a large and marvellous
place as a private dwelling house. My heart says no
to a sale but my wallet says yes. "It is with great
personal regret that I have decided to sell, but I
do hope we can keep one of the three lodges on the
estate so that we retain a little of our home here
in Scotland.’ It has been suggested the castle
could be turned into a commercial venture to rival
Skibo Castle, but Mr Peter hopes it will remain a
private home for someone who appreciates the
grandeur and scenery that the castle has to offer.
Asked last night about how much he hoped the castle
would fetch, he said: "It’s hard to place a
value on it, as there is no comparable price. "You
could probably come up with a hard price for the
property, its fittings and the land, but how do you
place a value on the history or the heritage? "The
castle comes complete, the new owner won’t
have to spend the next 25 years trying to set up.
They can walk in here, open their suitcases and
just start enjoying it." Travolta’s agent,
Fred Westheimer, said last night: "We have no
information to give out on this subject."
ADMISSION prices to Edinburgh
Castle are to go up by almost 12 per cent.
Historic Scotland, which owns the Castle, said the
price hike from £8.50 to £9.50 for adults
was in line with its annual assessment of costs and
had been prompted by market research. But
Nationalist politicians have accused it of milking
the Castle's reputation to solve its own cash-flow
problems more
Get a Handel on Bach at Stirling Castle
Stirling
Castle is to host a musical journey through
the ages later this month. The musical performances
will be continuous throughout the day tracing a
progression through 1,000 years of Scottish
traditional and classical/ contemporary music.
Among the performers will be The Dunedin Consort
which will present the world premiere of Silhouette
a piece written by young Scots composer Corinna
Hewart. The Banquet of Musick will also perform
some Baroque classics including works by Vivaldi,
Bach and Handel. The event takes place at Stirling
Castle between noon and 4pm on October 26. The
Musical Journey Through the Ages is included in the
normal admission price at £7.50 for adults,
£2 for children and £5.50 for
concessions.
TWO of Moray’s leading fiddle musicians
&endash; Stephen Cordiner, Lossiemouth, and Gemma
Grant, Dufftown &endash; will compete against the
cream of Scotland’s top players at the highly
prestigious Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship. The
event takes place at Blair
Castle, near Pitlochry, on November 2, and
will feature eight of the country’s leading
solo fiddlers, including Stephen (22), who has just
completed an honours degree at the Royal Northern
College of Music, and Gemma, who is currently
studying for a BA in musical studies at the Royal
Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Mr Peter
Gordon, great-great-grandson of the founder of
Glenfiddich Distillery, Dufftown, said: “This
is the 14th Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship, and
each year the standard of competition gets higher.
The championship is a unique opportunity to
showcase the very best solo fiddlers in Scotland,
and Blair
Castle provides the perfect backdrop for
such a prestigious traditional music contest.
“The event is always well supported, but this
time we hope that even more people, particularly
from Moray, will come along to enjoy some wonderful
music and give encouragement to our two local
contenders.” Tickets for the Glenfiddich
Fiddle Championship will be available for sale on
the day at Blair
Castle priced £5, including programme,
with battle commencing at 2pm. The sponsorship
forms part of Glenfiddich’s commitment to
supporting Scotland’s traditional cultural
heritage.
An 18th-century barracks at the heart of
Edinburgh Castle is set to be transformed
into the ultimate wedding venue. The Queen Anne
building was formerly a barracks then a museum,
but has been derelict for years. Historic Scotland,
which runs the Castle, has launched a huge
restoration project after being forced to turn away
couples planning to hold weddings with more than 40
guests. From next April, the Castle will be
able to house weddings three times the size of
events held in its gatehouse suite. Edinburgh
Tourist Board does receive inquiries about venues
for weddings, particularly after high-profile
celebrity weddings in Scotland such as Madonna's
and Stella McCartney's. "Edinburgh Castle has to be
one of the most romantic venues in the UK in which
to get married, so increasing its capacity so
significantly can only be a good thing." A
permanent interactive exhibition inside the
16th-century vaults . For more details about
getting married at Edinburgh Castle fill in
an enquiry form
URQUHART
Castle,
one of Scotland's most historic and picturesque
properties, has been bequeathed to the National
Trust for Scotland, it emerged yesterday. Although
the castle is managed by Historic Scotland, it
remained the property of Eila Chewett of Bushey
Heath, Hertfordshire. Mrs Chewett, whose late
husband purchased the castle, which stands of the
shores of Loch Ness, in the 1930s, died this
year. Although she was not a member of the NTS, she
handed over ownership of the ruined castle
and the associated landing pier. The trust will
enter discussions with Historic Scotland to ensure
the integrity of the site is maintained. The castle
will continue to open as usual. Robin Pellew, NTS's
chief executive, said: "We are delighted to have
been gifted this castle. We believe it demonstrates
the trust people bestow upon us to take good care
of historic buildings." The history of
Urquhart
Castle
is as chequered as it is ancient. Records of it
first appeared around 1230, when Alexander II used
it while crushing a revolt in Moray.
Leonardo da Vinci painting stolen from Drumlanrig
Castle
A priceless painting "Madonna with the
Yarnwinder" has been stolen from Drumlanrig
Castle
Celebrity wedding in a Scottish castle
TRAVIS star Dougie Payne has married
actress Kelly Macdonald at Castle
Lachlan
Lee Castle
Kinloch
Castle
This remote
castle is 100 years old and in urgent need of
repair .
Aberystwyth Castle
A unique
rock concert has been organised in a 13th century
Welsh castle - Aberystwyth
Castle
Fort Augustus Abbey
A property tycoon has put an historic Scottish
abbey up for auction for more than
£1million . Fort
Augustus Abbey goes on sale by auction in
October
EDINBURGH Castle and a host of other
historic properties throughout Scotland are facing
privatisation under plans being considered by
ministers. The Scottish Executive has published a
review of the operations of Historic Scotland,
which owns or cares for 300 ancient buildings and
monuments including Stirling and Urquhart castles,
Jedburgh Abbey and the Callanish Stones. The review
has suggested the agency might be privatised to
help it look after Scotland’s heritage and
boost tourism. However, the proposals were last
night condemned as an ‘obscenity’ by the
SNP, which insisted Scotland’s heritage should
remain in public ownership. Outlining the options
available to ministers, the Scottish Executive
review said: "Is the current organisational
structure of Historic Scotland appropriate to the
delivery of the organisation’s objectives?
"Would a different organisational structure improve
the delivery of Historic Scotland’s
objectives? "Some possible alternatives might
include a non-departmental public body, a core
Scottish Executive department, a private sector
organisation or a voluntary sector body." Historic
Scotland employs more than 800 people across
Scotland. Some are based at offices in Edinburgh,
Stirling, and Fort George near Inverness with the
rest working at the individual properties. The
agency receives £30m from the Scottish
Executive each year and also generates £20m
through admission charges, membership fees and
retailing, such as selling souvenirs. However, in
recent years the agency’s budget has been
under pressure. Historic Scotland has admitted its
£11m annual budget for the repair of historic
buildings faced an increasing number of demands. A
report by the agency said: "There is continuing
long-term pressure on the Historic Buildings Repair
Grant budget. "We will give priority to outstanding
buildings in most urgent need of repair and where
the need for assistance from public funds can be
demonstrated." Critics of the plans have suggested
the privatisation could see admission prices rise
in some of the most popular attractions. They
include Edinburgh Castle, which charges £8.50
for admission, Stirling Castle, which costs
£7.50, and Urquhart Castle - on the shores of
Loch Ness - which charges £5.50. Privatisation
would also give rise to worries that visitors might
be forced to pay to visit the many buildings and
sites which are currently free, in order to stop
them from falling into disrepair. The free sights
include the Callanish Stones in Lewis, Beauly
Priory and St Ninian’s Chapel on the Isle of
Whithorn, the most southerly of Historic
Scotland’s attractions. Roseanna Cunningham,
the SNP’s heritage and culture spokeswoman,
said: "It would be an obscenity for Scotland’s
heritage to be sold off to the highest bidder.
"Historic Scotland holds in trust some of the most
important sights in Scottish history. They belong
to the nation and must never belong to a private
company." Helen Eadie, the Labour MSP for
Dunfermline East, said: "I would have some serious
concerns about Historic Scotland being privatised.
"I believe there may be some role for the private
sector in attracting the capital necessary to
restore our buildings, but I would not want to see
large numbers of our historic buildings handed over
to the private sector." Trade unions have also
expressed concerns over the proposals. A spokesman
for the PCS union, which represents many of the
workers on Historic Scotland sites, said: "Although
these plans are at a very early stage, we are
watching them closely. "We would be very concerned
if Historic Scotland were to be privatised." Other
options for the future of Historic Scotland might
see its commercial and regulatory functions split.
A Scottish Executive spokeswoman last night said
that privatisation was only one of a range of
options being considered by ministers and that
there were no firm plans to sell off the
agency.
source - Scotland
on Sunday
Channel 4 has just announced a new series
Castle about medieval castles in the UK ,
presented by historian Marc Morris . The castles
featured include Craigievar
Castle and Threave Castle .
Full details on the Channel
4 website
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