I’ll Take This… Wee Castle in Scotland

There’s nothing better than a personal-size castle! Not something massive like Windsor Castle, which covers vast numbers of acres, but a warm and cozy castle like this one… Teaninich Castle in the charmingly named Easter Ross, Scotland. Here’s what the estate agents have to say about this castle:

Teaninich Castle is a handsome and impressive property with a symmetrical three storey frontage with hood molded windows, crenellated porch and small bartizans at the battlement wall head. The castle has been modernized to a good standard whilst retaining most of its original features. 

Dating from 1734, the castle was formerly the seat of the Munros of Teaninich, while in more recent times previous owners have included the American Charles Harrison, on whom the book Little Lord Fauntleroy was based.

While it’s currently run as a small country hotel, it can be converted back to a single family home. However, some of the interior spaces need a bit of an upgrade, as a few are quite dire: That’s pretty gawd-awful, and I can only hope that it’s the servants’ quarters, and that no paying guests ever have to lay their eyes on it. Here’s what they should be seeing instead: Not wild about the furniture or the carpeting (same as above, they must have gotten a great bargain on it!), but the arches and the staircase are just lovely. I think the niche on the right, with what looks like a sculpture of a stag in it, is fabulous.

This bedroom could be great, but I am curious about the curtains on the window on the left – there seems to be a chest of drawers in the window, and they’ve shortened the curtains quite a bit to accommodate it. Of course, the paintings on the wall are a bit small for the space, and look like they were picked up at a car boot sale. Hmmm… maybe I am not liking this place so much! Ah, but then I go outside again, and look at the old stone,  the architecture, and the view over Cromarty Firth, and I reconsider.

Information about Teanninich Castle is here, where I found this little note tucked into a corner: Since the photographs were taken there has been considerable redecoration and some of the soft furnishings have been replaced.  Well, thank god for that! Seriously though, if you’re asking nearly £1 million for the property, you ought to have the most up-to-date pictures possible for your brochure.