In Scotland put up for sale a small castle located on the Shetland Islands. The pretty fortress is on sale for just £30,000 (about 35,000 euros), but the new owner will have to invest in the reconstruction of the architectural monument.
Brow Lodge Castle on Fetlar Island was built in 1825 by Arthur Nicholson, a merchant from Lerwick. The merchant took the architecture of France, Switzerland, and Italy as the basis for the construction project, which he often visited, so the castle does not look like its Scottish counterparts. The mansion and stone-walled folly towers are being sold along with 16 hectares of land. Potential buyers are warned that they will have to invest about £12 million (about 14 million euros) in the mini-fortress, as the castle has worn out over 200 years.
The proposal from the Brough Lodge Trust, which owns the castle, includes the preservation of existing buildings, as well as the construction of a restaurant and guest house with 24 beds. If the project is implemented, tourists will enjoy beautiful views of the North Sea, as well as get acquainted with the Shetland traditions of music, knitting, and weaving. Proceeds from the sale of the castle will be used to teach children how to knit, thus preserving a key element of the island’s cultural heritage.
The unique structure on the island, home to only 61 people, has been empty since the 1980s when the last member of the Nicholson family left it. Since then, the foundation has spent more than £500,000 from donations to protect the buildings from high humidity and build a new roof.