Inside the £3.25m castle bought by Celebrity Traitors winner Alan Carr

5 hours ago 3

Giancarlo RinaldiSouth Scotland reporter

Studio Lambert Cat Burns, Claudia Winkleman, Alan Carr, Nick Mohammed, David Olosoga and Joe Marler standing outside the Traitors castle at night. Alan Carr is waving one arm in the air in victory.

An asking price of more than £3.25m puts a property out of the reach of most of us.

Not, however, for the king of The Celebrity Traitors castle Alan Carr who has snapped up Ayton Castle in the Scottish Borders.

For a similar price, the hugely successful comedian could have purchased a more practical family home in London's Belsize Park or a two-bedroom house in Chelsea.

But, almost inevitably, a new TV series is planned to follow his attempts to turn the estate into a workable home.

"Some men when they have a midlife crisis buy a Lamborghini or grow a ponytail, but me - I want my very own castle," said Carr who is approaching 50.

Here is a look at what you get for your money in the south-east corner of Scotland.

Knight Frank A long distance view of Ayton Castle a grand building surrounded by hills and trees

Knight Frank A dining room with a grand table and large windows and a panelled floor

Knight Frank A fountain in well-kept gardens

Estate Agents Knight Frank - who marketed the property - said they did not, as a matter of policy, comment on the identity of a purchaser.

However, director and head of residential sales Edward Douglas-Home confirmed the castle was under offer following a successful closing date.

Knight Frank Another wood-panelled room with large windows and a piano in the corner

Knight Frank Another large room with a table, lights and a gong

Knight Frank A luxurious room with a large rug and paintings on the wall

Knight Frank Light pours into a room through three arched windows

He said any owner had secured themselves a remarkable building and estate.

"Ayton Castle is a truly extraordinary property, widely regarded as Scotland's finest example of Gothic Revival architecture," he said.

"Its dramatic five-storey Great Tower, remarkable stonework and exceptional period detailing place it among the country's most important historic houses."

Knight Frank A very neatly designed garden with fountain

Knight Frank Narrow train tracks across a garden

Knight Frank A large library-type room with book cases and numerous comfortable chairs

It comes with more than just a castle, however, and even boasts its own narrow-gauge railway.

Douglas-Home said it was set in 160 acres of listed gardens and parkland, offering a "rare combination of archietectural significance, privacy and scale".

As well as the castle, there are also a number of cottages and lodges which could be let out to provide an income, he added.

"Having been involved in the previous sale of the castle, we very much look forward to seeing the next chapter in Ayton's history unfold," he said.