Sir Walter Scott's former house on sale for £5.5m

The former home of Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott has gone on the market for offers over £5.5 million.

Ashiestiel, in the Borders town of Clovenfords. Picture: Savills

Ashiestiel, nestled in the town of Clovenfordsin the Borders, is where the Edinburgh-born author wrote some of his most famous works including The Lady of the Lake and Marmion.

He lived at Ashiestiel for eight years before moving to nearby Abbotsford in 1812.

Included in the asking price is nearly 900 acres of land, seven bedrooms, four reception rooms, nearly two miles of single bank salmon fishing and sea trout fishing as well as six estate dwellings.

The house comes with seven bedrooms and four reception rooms. Picture: Savills

The A-listed building also comes with its own equestrian facilities as well as the Marmion Room, named after Scott’s poem about the Battle of Flodden.

Sellers Savills say: “Ashiestiel was home to Sir Walter Scott from 1804 until he purchased Abbotsford and moved there in 1812.

“Scott’s eight years at Ashiestiel were among the happiest of his life. Indeed, the writer Theo Lang surmises that had Scott been able to purchase the property, ‘overhanging the Tweed and situated in a wild, pastoral country’, the later ambitious project of Abbotsford might never have been realised.

“The study was both his dining and writing room, in which were composed the Lay of the Last Minstrel, The Lady of the Lake, and Marmion, as well as about a third of Waverley”.

As well as salmon and trout fishing, and equestrian facilities, the house comes with 863 acres of land. Picture: Savills

According to Lang, “much of Marmion was penned from the Shirra’s Knowe, a wooded knoll overlooking the Peel and Glenkinnon Burns, and the river walk towards Elibank Tower was Scott’s own favourite Sunday walk.”

Despite its relatively rural location, Ashiestiel is within ten miles of Galashiels, Innerleithen, Selkirk and Melrose, while Peebles is 16 miles away.