Oil tycoon buys £3m castle

AN oil tycoon has become the new owner of the last of the great Castles of Mar in Aberdeenshire still in private ownership.

Tom Cross, former chief executive of Dana Petroleum, has bought Midmar Castle, near Echt, for an estimated 3 million. With the sale comes the title of Baron of Midmar.

Mr Cross, who made 34m from the sale of his shares in Dana last year, bought the A-listed 15th century castle from Ric Wharton, the diving company boss who salvaged 56m of gold from the cruiser HMS Edinburgh, sunk in 1942.