16th Century castle with ancient yew walkway for sale

Cleish Castle, which dates from the 16th Century. PIC Strutt&Parker.

Cleish Castle, near Kinross, is of “outstanding architectural value” with its gardens included in a national register of Scotland’s most impressive landscapes.

It is now being sold for offers over £1.5m.

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The yew walkway at Cleish Castle dates from around 1620. PIC:Strutt&Parker.

Cleish was in the hands of the Colville family for around 200 years with John Colville, grandson of Sir James Colville of Easter Wemyss, taking part in the abduction of King James VI.

The current owners, who bought the Grade A listed building in 1993, have completed a vast renovation and restoration project at the castle.

“The net result is truly a warm and very comfortable family home in a superb condition, suited for 21st century living,” a spokesman for estate agents Strutt & Parker said.

The spiral staircase at Cleish, which rises up over five floors. PIC Strutt&Parker.

The eight-bedroom property is set over five floors which are linked by a spiral staircase.

There are five bathrooms and four reception rooms to choose from with a tennis court, doocot, pottery shed and ruined cottage included in the price.

Two driveways serve Cleish, with the main access road running through private woodland and ending in a gravel sweep at the front door.

A recent survey by Historic Environment Scotland has confirmed that the gardens of Cleish were laid out in the early 1600s.

Little remains of the original formal gardens, with the notable exception of the yew walk, which has been dated from 1620 to 1640.

Confirmed as Scotland’s oldest yew walk, it measures over 150 yards long.

Over the past 20 years the garden has been restored, and includes a beech maze which was planted in 2006, vegetable garden and a wide variety of trees including beech, sycamores and conifers. The castle walls are planted with climbing roses.