Castle for Sale –

Not Mine I Can Tell You

Now I like Star Trek films, but when I saw the name Chris Pine I had a momentary black out as to who he was. I didn’t even remember he was a Hollywood superstar.  But then I saw his picture and realised that he was the present incarnation of the younger James. T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise and he had been living in Scotland, who knew? I certainly didn’t. Pine was born in Los Angeles and both his parents were actors. He spent a year studying at the University of Leeds and so he likes these isles, although Leeds is puzzlingly unattractive to tourists. When Pine was filming the Outlaw King, a film about the Bruce, Robert the Bruce that is, Pine had a castle as a hideaway from the press, as you do. Now that castle has gone on sale for a cool £3 million.  Outlaw King tells the story of the guerrilla war against the larger English army. The film largely takes place during the 3-year historical period from 1304, when Bruce decides to rebel against the rule of Edward I over Scotland, when he became an "outlaw", up to the 1307 Battle of Loudoun Hill. 

A Cool Twenty Grand a Month

The castle cost Pine £20,000 a month to escape the attention of the press and hoi polloi while he filmed Outlaw King last year. The property in is Milngavie, East Dunbartonshire on the northern shores of Bardowie Loch and it features 10 acres of loch frontage, a keep that was built in the 16th century, a mere ten bathrooms and eight bedrooms. Fine for anyone obsessed with bathing. Must be why they say ’filthy rich.’ It also has a cracking walled garden and tennis court so you can enjoy the noble game (I know that’s golf!). A stone staircase leads to the great hall in the original castle keep, which was built in 1566. Outlaw King was made Netflix which I didn’t know, but as I have the service it sorts out my film watching this evening.

Something Nifty in a Gifty

And what we can sort out for you here at James Pirie is your gift giving on whatever scale you fancy from the very affordable to the highly desirable. We’ve got lots of experience at it! From Beswick to Cooper we have the right stuff.. The John Beswick collection represents the world’s finest tradition for ceramic gifts and animal sculptures at affordable prices. With a heritage stretching back to 1894 these hand crafted studies emulate the authentic style of the celebrated originals. I like the sausage dog.

https://www.jamespirie.com/brands/john-beswick.html

While slightly pricier, but also infinitely lovely are the pieces of Richard Cooper & Company  which work with UK sculptors and designers to create stunning and unique foundry bronze sculptures just for you.  I really, really like the Roaring Stag, a mini masterpiece in bronze.

https://www.jamespirie.com/brands/richard-cooper-bronze/stag-roaring-989.html