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Scottish castle built in 1584 with original fireplaces and staircases listed for £120,000

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TOI World Desk. (2026, October 22). Scottish castle built in 1584 with original fireplaces and staircases listed for £120,000. Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/built-in-1584-and-abandoned-in-the-18th-century-a-roofless-scottish-castle-with-original-fireplaces-and-staircases-is-on-sale-for-120000/articleshow/135108794.cms

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Times of India · collected 2026-10-22 · by TOI World Desk

Quick Summary

Baltersan Castle, a 1584-built Scottish castle near Maybole, is listed for offers over £120,000. Despite being roofless and abandoned since around the mid-18th century, it retains original fireplaces, staircases, floor levels, and window openings. The Category A-listed property sits on 0.75 acres of land, approximately 10 miles from Ayr and 45 miles from Glasgow. Notable figures like Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Robert Burns, and John Keats have connections to the castle.
Written by AI on 2026-10-22, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Baltersan Castle, a Category A-listed Scottish castle built in 1584, is on the market for offers over £120,000. Located near Maybole in Ayrshire, approximately 10 miles from Ayr and 45 miles from Glasgow, the castle has stood abandoned since around the middle of the 18th century but retains much of its original structure, including fireplaces, staircases, floor levels, and window openings despite being roofless. Architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh sketched the building in 1895, and poets Robert Burns and John Keats are known to have visited it. The castle occupies 0.75 acres of land and is described as an exceptional restoration opportunity by selling agent Galbraith.

Written for “Scottish Castle For Sale” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Scottish Castle For Sale
Other · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

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Claims extracted
27
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
11%
3 of 27 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
59/100
Times of India's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Other
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-22 · how these are computed

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Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Times of India · 3875 article(s) · 2 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 2 correction(s)

Who wrote this

TOI World Desk
1294 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
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Topics

Ayr Ayrshire Glasgow Maybole Scottish

Subjects

Glasgow GPE · 3× Ayr GPE · 2× Ayrshire GPE · 2× Charles Rennie Mackintosh PERSON · 2× John Keats PERSON · 2× Maybole GPE · 2× Robert Burns PERSON · 2× Scottish NORP · 2× Edinburgh GPE · 1× The Scottish Sun ORG · 1×

Narrative

Poets and a designer are among the notable figures linked to the castle Baltersan Castle attracted the attention of architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who sketched the building in 1895 while holidaying in the area.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-22
🔮 Baltersan Castle, near Maybole in Ayrshire, was built in 1584 and deserted around the middle of the 18th century.

Claims (27 extracted, 3 hedged)

A roofless Scottish castle that has stood for centuries is back on the market for offers over £120,000. asserted
that → stand → 120,000
Baltersan Castle, near Maybole in Ayrshire, was built in 1584 and deserted around the middle of the 18th century. asserted
Castle → build → century
Despite its long period without a roof, much of the Category A-listed building remains intact, including original fireplaces, staircases, floor levels and window openings. asserted
much → list → fireplaces
The castle occupies 0.75 acres of land, around 10 miles from Ayr and 45 miles from Glasgow. asserted
castle → occupy → Glasgow
Architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh sketched the building in 1895, while poets Robert Burns and John Keats also visited it. asserted
Burns → sketch → it
According to The Scottish Sun, the property is being marketed as a rare restoration opportunity. uncertain
property → accord → opportunity
Baltersan Castle: The 16th-century Scottish tower house on sale Baltersan Castle is being offered for offers over £120,000, a price lower than many flats in Edinburgh and Glasgow. asserted
Castle → offer → Edinburgh
The property is a roofless, Category A-listed building near Maybole in Ayrshire. asserted
property → list → Ayrshire
It comes with 0.75 acres of land and lies around 10 miles from Ayr and 45 miles from Glasgow. asserted
It → come → Glasgow
Selling agent Galbraith described it as an “exceptional” L-plan tower house with “national architectural and historic significance”. asserted
Galbraith → sell → significance
The agent also called the sale a “unique opportunity” to buy and restore one of the region’s most important historic buildings. asserted
agent → call → buildings
However, planning consent for rebuilding and converting the tower house has expired. asserted
consent → rebuild → house
Baltersan Castle was constructed in 1584 by John Kennedy of Pennyglen and his wife, Margaret Cathcart. asserted
Castle → construct → Pennyglen
The building is described as an L-plan tower house, and the agent describes it as a building of “national architectural and historic significance.” asserted
agent → describe → significance
Despite that long period of abandonment, much of the building remains intact, including its original architectural details. asserted
much → remain → details
A roofless structure still preserves centuries-old architectural details asserted
structure → preserve → details
Although Baltersan Castle has stood without a roof for centuries, much of its original structure remains intact. asserted
much → stand → structure
The Category A-listed building retains its original fireplaces and staircases, along with its floor levels, roof geometry and window openings. asserted
building → list → levels
The property also comes with 0.75 acres of land. asserted
property → come → land
According to the selling agent, the castle has retained a “remarkable degree” of structural integrity despite its long period of abandonment. uncertain
castle → accord → abandonment
Poets and a designer are among the notable figures linked to the castle Baltersan Castle attracted the attention of architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who sketched the building in 1895 while holidaying in the area. asserted
who → link → area
The castle was also visited by poets Robert Burns and John Keats. asserted
castle → visit → poets
In 2024, it emerged that the castle was in line for a £2 million restoration. asserted
castle → emerge → restoration
It had previously been purchased by Italian computer engineer Angelo Ovidi for an undisclosed fee, with plans to restore the structure. asserted
It → purchase → structure
The property is now back on the market, but planning consent for rebuilding and conversion has expired. asserted
consent → expire → rebuilding
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information. asserted
article → base → information
The Times of India has not independently verified the property details, asking price, restoration costs, planning consent status or historical claims mentioned. uncertain
Times → verify → details
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