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UNDER OFFER: Fire-damaged ruins of notorious mansion overlooking Loch Ness


By Calum MacLeod

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Boleskine House damage on the morning after fire engulfed the historic property.Picture: Gary Anthony. Image No.031980.
Boleskine House damage on the morning after fire engulfed the historic property.Picture: Gary Anthony. Image No.031980.

THE ruins of a fire-damaged mansion whose previous owners included a notorious occultist and a rock guitarist are now under offer for a figure above the asking price.

Boleskine House, overlooking Loch Ness, has been on the market at a price of more than £200,000.

The B-listed Georgian house near Foyers achieved notoriety when it became the home of Aleister Crowley, the self- proclaimed “wickedest man on earth”, in 1899 and was bought by rock guitar legend Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame in 1970.

The house was largely destroyed by a fire in December 2015 when it is understood the Dutch owner’s daughter and her partner returned from a shopping trip in Inverness to find the property ablaze.

It is among seven sites with waterside views which Inverness property consultancy Galbraith has under offer for a figure above the asking price in the past four weeks.

The firm believes demand is growing for properties with loch, river or sea views.

Phiddy Robertson, who leads the Galbraith residential sales team in Inverness, said: “This attraction to waterside property is a particularly evident trend at the moment throughout the whole region and we are fortunate in this part of the world to have such a beautiful coastline.

“Sometimes applicants who register for property updates with us will note that they are especially interested in coastal or lochside homes so we can match them to the right type of property when it comes on the market. That process and our close interaction with potential purchasers helps generate a good supply of buyers for each property and ensures that the right price is achieved.”

This specific demand is contributing to flourishing sales generally, with demand and supply both having risen significantly in the past three months. The firm currently has 32 properties under offer in the Highland region, an increase of 22 per cent compared with the preceding quarter.

Mrs Robertson said she was pleasantly surprised by the level of demand in the market overall, which is far stronger than many people were predicting six months ago.

“There seems to be a good level of confidence in the region and many properties are being brought to the market now too. It’s a much more positive picture than we had perhaps expected,” she said.

Related article: Fire-damaged ruins of notorious mansion overlooking Loch Ness up for sale


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