Alan finds his Scottish Carr-stle

Comic buys an estate for his Disney+ series

Alan Carr has reportedly snapped up a Scottish castle very similar to the one where he filmed Traitors.

The comedian paid £3.25million for Ayton Castle in the Borders, which he will now convert into a luxury hotel and spa for his new Disney+ series, provisionally titled Castle Man.

Regarded as one of Scotland’s finest baronial-style homes, the property is 230 miles from Ardross Castle in the Highlands where he won the reality show.

Located near Berwick-upon-Tweed, Ayton Castle has 17 bedrooms, 160 acres of gardens and parkland and even its own miniature railway.

When the Disney+ series was first announced, Carr said: ‘Some men when they have a midlife crisis buy a Lamborghini or grow a ponytail, but me — I want my very own castle. Since I was a boy in Northampton, I’ve always dreamt big, and have always been enchanted with the history and romance of a stately home.

‘As I turn 50, I feel it’s time. All I want is a turret to call my own — get me over that drawbridge.’

Traitors Castle

The Traitors’ Castle, © Studio Lambert

News of the sale is reported by today’s Sun, which reported that Carr bought the castle with his own money, although it is not known how much he is being paid for the Disney project, which may be similar to the renovation shows he made for the BBC with Amanda Holden.

The castle is marked as ‘sold subject to contract’ on the website of estate agent Knight Frank – which features many photographs of its lavish interior.

Their blurb reads: ‘The castle is a magnificent example of a Scots baronial house, primarily over two storeys, with a five-storey Great Tower.

‘Since the last sale in 2014, the current owners have undertaken significant improvements. These include significant building works, partial rewiring, re-plumbing and the redecoration of several of the principal rooms. They have also created a formal garden to the southern front of the house and installed a 10¼-inch gauge railway which winds through part of the grounds.’

The property includes a private chapel, and a derelict former servants’ hall. The grounds are currently open to the public while there are guided tours of the castle itself on certain days in the year.