A 16th-century Scottish castle once owned by the family of “Game of Thrones” actress Rose Leslie has returned to the market with an asking price of £1.15 million (about US$1.54 million), bringing centuries of Highland history to one of Aberdeenshire’s most storied estates.
Known as Lickleyhead Castle, the four-story tower house sits on approximately 11 acres of woodland and gardens near Inverurie in the Scottish Highlands. The property includes eight bedrooms, a private chapel, a great hall, a modern kitchen, and a separate three-bedroom cottage, while the oldest section of the castle dates to around 1580.
According to listing materials reviewed by californialuxuryhouses, the property is currently operated as a country retreat, with each bedroom designed as an individually themed suite reflecting the castle’s long connection to different Scottish clans.
A Highland Estate With More Than 400 Years of History
Lickleyhead Castle is described in historic records as a modest L-plan tower house, a traditional form of Scottish fortified residence that became common during the late medieval and early modern periods.
While the earliest portion dates to about 1580, much of the structure was expanded through the 17th century, creating the larger residence seen today. Period details include a spiral stone staircase, exposed-beam ceilings, paneled walls, and ornamental fireplaces, features that have been carefully preserved through successive restorations.
Savills, which is handling the sale, has highlighted the castle’s unusual combination of historic architecture and contemporary hospitality use, allowing the property to function both as a private residence and as a boutique retreat.
“Properties of this age and character rarely come to market with such a substantial acreage package and an established commercial retreat operation,” a Savills representative told californialuxuryhouses.
The Leslie Clan Connection
The estate’s strongest draw may be its connection to the Leslie family, one of the historic Highland clans associated with the area for centuries.
Lickleyhead Castle belonged to the Leslie clan on and off from before the 13th century. The castle returned to the family in 1922 when Don Guillermo de Landa y Escandón, a former governor of Mexico City, gifted the property to his daughter Maria upon her marriage into the Arbuthnot-Leslie family.
Rose Leslie, whose full name is Rose Eleanor Arbuthnot-Leslie, is Maria’s great-granddaughter.
The actress, best known for portraying Ygritte in HBO’s Game of Thrones, spent part of her childhood at Lickleyhead Castle. However, her principal family home was the nearby Wardhill Castle, a larger ancestral seat that has remained associated with the Leslie family for roughly 800 years and where she later married her co-star and husband Kit Harington.
A person familiar with the estate’s history told californialuxuryhouses that Lickleyhead has long been regarded as a smaller but deeply personal branch of the family’s Highland holdings.
From Family Ownership to Market Return
The property’s recent history has been more turbulent than its romantic appearance suggests.
According to reports by The Press and Journal, Lickleyhead Castle was repossessed from Sebastian Leslie, Rose Leslie’s father, in 2019 following a dispute. The current owner subsequently acquired the estate for £650,000.
The new listing at £1.15 million represents a significant increase over that purchase price, reflecting both restoration work and the growing international interest in Scottish heritage properties.
Transaction History
- c. 1580: Earliest part of the castle constructed
- 17th century: Major expansions completed
- 1922: Returned to the Leslie family through marriage
- 2019: Repossessed from Sebastian Leslie
- 2019: Sold to the current owner for £650,000
- 2026: Listed for £1.15 million
Public records reviewed by californialuxuryhouses do not indicate any additional completed sale after the 2019 transaction.
Inside the Castle
At the heart of the residence is a central great hall, historically the social core of the tower house and now divided into formal living and dining areas.
The private chapel remains one of the estate’s most unusual features, while the kitchen has been updated for modern residential and hospitality use.
The eight bedrooms are individually styled, including the Laird’s Suite, which is accessed by its own staircase, and rooms named Duff and Bartholf, referencing families that have held the property over the centuries.
“The current owner has focused on preserving the building’s character rather than turning it into a generic luxury conversion,” the Savills representative said.
The separate three-bedroom cottage adds flexibility for guests, staff, or extended family accommodation.
A Commercial Country Retreat
Unlike many privately held Scottish castles, Lickleyhead is already operating in a commercial capacity.
Its retreat website markets the property for small events, private gatherings, wellness stays, and heritage tourism, a use that may appeal to buyers seeking income potential rather than a purely residential estate.
“There is growing demand for authentic Highland properties that can support boutique hospitality or retreat-style operations without losing their historic identity,” the Savills representative told californialuxuryhouses.
The Aberdeenshire Lifestyle
The castle is located near Inverurie, roughly 16 miles northwest of Aberdeen, offering access to both Highland scenery and urban amenities.
Residents are within reasonable driving distance of:
- Aberdeen International Airport
- Royal Deeside
- Cairngorms National Park
- Championship golf courses in Aberdeenshire
- Historic whisky distilleries
- Fine dining and independent shops in Inverurie and Aberdeen
The surrounding woodland and gardens create a sense of seclusion while still allowing access to schools, healthcare, and transportation links that many remote Highland estates lack.
A Different Kind of Celebrity Property
Although the association with Rose Leslie will undoubtedly attract global attention, the castle’s appeal extends beyond celebrity ownership.
What makes Lickleyhead distinctive is its layered history: a late-16th-century tower house, centuries of clan connections, a 20th-century return to the Leslie family, a recent period of financial upheaval, and a contemporary reinvention as a country retreat.
californialuxuryhouses attempted to contact representatives for Rose Leslie for additional comment regarding the listing, but no response was received before publication.
For buyers drawn to Scottish heritage rather than modern spectacle, Lickleyhead Castle offers something increasingly rare in today’s luxury market: a property where the architecture, family history, and landscape remain inseparable.