Fordyce Castle and Baron Title for Sale

Many castles in Scotland, England, France, Germany, and other European countries are up for sale these days as the costs for maintaining these edifices is constantly rising. However, a castle for sale rarely comes with its corresponding title. In this case, Fordyce Castle is accompanied by its barony title. A few years ago, I had visited Aberdeenshire. Pity I didn't venture out to see Fordyce.

The castle in located in a village off the Banffshire coast in NE Scotland, 45 miles from Aberdeen airport. The L-shaped tower house has three floors with a corbelled stair tower, shot holes through which to fire upon besieging enemies, and with a nod to modernity indoor plumbing and under-floor heating. The castle itself and the cottages on the property have all been upgraded to four-star holiday accommodation as a bed and breakfast inn. It is said that it can be reverted partially or completely into a family estate.

Thomas Menzies, former lord provost of Aberdeen, built the castle in 1592. It stayed in the Menzies-Dunbar families, until it passed with heiress Ann Dunbar to the Ogilvie-Grants on her marriage to James the 1st Earl of Seafield. It changed hands, including foreign hands (Portuguese and German) before being restored in 2000 by Robert and Fiona Ogilvie McVeigh-Crabbe as their family home. The Castle was A-listed inside and out, so the Crabbes had to work closely with the Historic Scotland society for permissions to do any work.

Now for the low-low price of 800k pounds, you could be a proud owner of a castle and have everyone address you as Baron Fordyce or Baroness Fordyce or my lord or my lady.