A house in Murrayfield on the market for £975,000 comes with an ancient pet tortoise included in the price.

Owners Ana and Alec Wersun told The Times that Torty the tortoise has lived in the garden of their home for at least 70 years, having been brought to Edinburgh from Greece as a hatchling.

The pair are the third set of guardian’s Torty has enjoyed, after they moved into the five bedroom house thirty years ago.

A house in Murrayfield on the market for £975,000 comes with an ancient pet tortoise included. (Stock photo)

But now they are taking applications for their replacement in the role.

"Removing these animals can be traumatic for them," Mr Wersun, a senior lecturer at the Glasgow School for Business and Society, explained.

"We have to respect his home. When the sun comes up at 4.30am he is already out marching."

“It is a walled garden so he cannot get out,” he added, describing Torty as a “stubborn adventurer”.

Torty “is inextricably linked to the house," insists Mrs Wersun. New owners will often find him sleeping under a tree in the garden, sunbathing on the grass, and stealing lettuce leaves from the vegetable patch.

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Edinburgh home up for sale comes with a very long-term houseguest

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