Mystery buyer to pay £6m for castle and title

But despite its failings as a medieval fort, Lee Castle, near Lanark, has been sold for an estimated 6 million to a mystery buyer.

The news follows a failed attempt to auction the property alongside the DVDs, gadgets and toys for sale on the eBay website. Unlike the electronics and computer bargains normally listed, this lot came complete with the barony title and 261 acres of land.

The unnamed buyer will now assume the title of the 35th Baron of Lee.

Local rumours suggested that a host of stars including Sir Sean Connery, John Travolta and Robbie Williams were interested during the castle’s appearance on eBay.

Last night, the only hint of a new buyer could be found on Lee Castle’s website, with its cryptic message: "Best wishes to the 35th Baron of Lee."

For the estimated 6 million price tag, the new baron has ample room to entertain in aristocratic style.

Built in 1822, the castle is a warm sandstone pile with 14 bedrooms, six bathrooms and four reception rooms. The great hall opens into a ballroom, a conference room and a private chapel.

To escape the chill of the Lanarkshire winter, the castle comes equipped with a heated swimming pool - a must for any modern clan chief.

The welcome afforded by the great hall is enough to impress any visitor - save the traditionalist, who may be happier in a draughty ruin.

The hall is three storeys high, and light floods into the room through 12 large windows. A log fire dispenses with any chills, and even a suit of armour is on hand should the local savages decide to attack.

Last night, the estate agent Gordon Lockhart, from the Lanark office of Remax, confirmed the castle had a buyer. However, he refused to be drawn over the identity of the 35th Baron of Lee.

He said: "We do have a buyer but we are not saying anything more than that at the moment. We will not be naming names or prices and a full statement will be made closer to the end of the week."

The 30,000sq ft castle was previously owned by the American multi-millionaire Leslie Peters, who died from cancer in November 2002.

The flamboyant Mr Peters, who bought the castle in 1988, counted the former United States presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton among his personal friends.

The eccentric businessman loved his Scottish home so much that he had his heart flown from the United States in a lead casket to be buried in the castle grounds.

His son Stephen Peters, who now lives in Florida, said it was a very difficult decision to sell the castle. At the time he said: "Selling it was a heartbreak but our family didn’t see the economics of keeping it.

"It was also hard to put a price on the castle, never mind the baron title that goes with it. The upkeep of the castle for the new owner will not be as bad as many people think. It will cost around 10,000 per month and about six people will be required to work there."

The land surrounding the castle is steeped in history and has been visited by Robert the Bruce and Oliver Cromwell.

The attempted online auction of the castle attracted huge interest, receiving more than two million hits. Several hoax bids were put forward, including an offer from Roger Shears, a self-proclaimed American entrepreneur who boasted of links to Mr Clinton, a fortune of 80 million and an impending marriage into a European royal family. Investigators later found that Mr Shears lived in a modest house in California worth 90,000.

And a supposedly wealthy French duchess who offered 8 million turned out to be the owner of a two-bedroomed flat in Ohio.

The auction, run by Nassin Tahzib, a Californian internet consultant, was closed down and the selling rights were awarded to Remax, which completed the sale.