About this property
History and Construction
Myres has a Royal history and has been linked with Falkland Palace for hundreds of years. John Scrymgeour, who oversaw the refurbishment of both Holyrood Palace and Falkland Palace for James V, built the original House of Myres in about 1530. The house was two storeys and laid out in a z-plan. It had round towers with gun loops in the corners.
Stephen Paterson, town clerk of Falkland, improved the castle in 1611. He heightened the main block to three storeys and corbelled out a two storey addition on top of the tower. Myres then passed to the Moncrieff family who held it for nearly 200 years. Colonel Moncrieff built the north wing and made the present front door and entrance hall in about 1750.
Professor Bruce, the King’s Printer, bought Myres and neighbouring Falkland Palace Estate in 1820. Walter Scott visited Falkland Palace several times and it is possible that the name was changed from House of Myres to Myres Castle on his suggestion. The combined estates passed to Colonel Hamilton in 1869 and Myres Castle was rented out until 1872 when it was renovated as a dower house to Falkland Palace. In 1887 Myres Castle was sold to James Fairlie, who had been chamberlain to three popes, and the walled garden was laid out in the style of one of the Vatican gardens.
David Fairlie inherited the castle in the 60’s and carried out some alterations. It was then sold in 1999 and a major refurbishment project was completed, adding 10 bathrooms, complete rewiring, plumbing and heating system installed.
The present day Myres Castle is a large but practical home, heated by a Bio Mass Boiler, negating heating and hot water costs and is well laid out both for entertaining and for family life. The present owners have used the castle both as their private home and as an exclusive use venue. A semi-permanent marquee has been erected at the bottom of the garden and a wooden potting shed has been adapted to use for ceremonies and as a heated yoga studio.
Accommodation
The accommodation includes:
- Ground Floor: Hall, drawing room, WC, turret bar
- Principal Floor: Library, study, dining room, pantry, billiards room, family snug, 3 bedrooms with bathrooms
- Upper Floors: 7 bedrooms all with bathrooms
- Garden Level: Modern family kitchen, Victorian kitchen, commercial kitchen, office, freezer room, integral garage, laundry, dungeon / store rooms, wine cellar
- Courtyard Cottage: 3 bedrooms, sitting room, kitchen, shower room, WC
- Gate Lodge: Bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, sitting room
- Range of stores and garden sheds. Wooden cabin (to be removed if not required). Biomass boiler room. Covered training pool heated by biomass boiler.
- Site for marquee. Wooden garden room adapted to use for ceremonies.
- Luxury, fully insulated bespoke shepherds hut, with double bed, kitchen, sitting room with wood burner, shower and WC.
Gardens and Grounds
- Formal Vatican walled garden divided into compartments by gravel paths and yew hedges.
- Fully stocked organic vegetable garden and greenhouse. Maze.
- Lawns & pond in front of Castle. All weather tennis court. Helicopter pad
- Parkland grazing & woodland protected by estate wall. About 45 acres in all
Local information
- Myres Castle is set on a rise just outside the village of Auchtermuchty in north Fife with panoramic views from the battlements over the surrounding countryside. The castle is given privacy by 45 acres of its own grounds protected by a high stone wall.
- Fife is famous for its golf courses with St Andrews, the Home of Golf’ being only 19 miles away. There are many other golf courses within easy reach including Gleneagles in Perthshire, Carnoustie in Angus and Ladybank is close by. There is both a National Hunt race course and a polo field just to the north of Perth at Scone.
- Local shops and a Gastro Pub can be found in Auchtermuchty, with a wider range of services in Cupar and Perth. There are a number of private schools in the area including Glenalmond, Strathallan, Dollar Academy, Kilgraston (Girls) and St Leonards.
- The castle has a highly accessible location with the M90 (7 miles) providing a fast road link south to Edinburgh and its airport (36 miles). The nearest mainline railway station is at Ladybank (4 miles) with services to Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and London on the East Coast line.
Additional information
- Solicitor: Jennifer Deegan, BTO Raeburn Hope,77-81 Sinclair St, Helensburgh, G84 8TG
- Tel: 01436 671 221
- Email: jde@bto.co.uk
- Services: Mains gas, water and electricity. Private drainage to septic tank. Biomass heating system with generous RHI grants negating heating costs. Wood burners and solar panels.
- Listing: Myres Castle, the Walled Garden and Sundial are all listed Category B. The East Lodge and gate piers are listed Category C.
- Business: Myres Castle has been run as a 5 star exclusive use holiday let, a yoga and wellness retreat and a high end wedding venue. There is potential for a mini rewilding project and a wild swimming pond.
- Rates and Council Tax: Myres Castle has been rated as an exclusive use venue. The rateable value is £23,400 per year.
- If the property is returned to residential use it will be in Fife Council Tax band H. The Cottage is in Council Tax band C. The East Lodge is in Council Tax band B.
- Contents: An inventory of contents which can be purchased for an additional price is available on request.
- Temporary Structures: There are some temporary structures which can be removed if not wanted by the buyers.
- Servitude rights, burdens and wayleaves: The property is sold subject to and with the benefit of all servitude rights, burdens, reservations and wayleaves, including rights of access and rights of way, whether public or private, light, support, drainage, water and wayleaves for masts, pylons, stays, cable, drains and water, gas and other pipes, whether contained in the Title Deeds or informally constituted and whether referred to in the General Remarks and Stipulations or not. The Purchaser(s) will be held to have satisfied himself as to the nature of all such servitude rights and others.
- Offers: Offers, in Scottish legal form, must be submitted by your solicitor to the Selling Agents. It is intended to set a closing date but the seller reserves the right to negotiate a sale with a single party. All genuinely interested parties are advised to instruct their solicitor to note their interest with the Selling Agents immediately after inspection.
- Deposit: A deposit of 10% of the purchase price may be required. It will be paid within 7 days of the conclusion of Missives. The deposit will be non-returnable in the event of the Purchaser(s) failing to complete the sale for reasons not attributable to the Seller or his agents.
- Photographs: July 2022
- Directions: From Edinburgh take the A90/M90 north over the Forth Road Bridge. Exit at Junction 8 signposted to St Andrews and the Tay Bridge and take the A91 to Auchtermuchty. In Auchtermuchty, turn right onto the B963 signposted to Falkland. The estate wall and gates to Myres Castle are on the right about 400 yards after the end of the village
- EPC Rating: D
- Tenure: Freehold
- Council Tax Band: H
