An historic country house and estate, which was the birthplace of the British special forces, has been put up for sale.
Arisaig House in Lochaber sits next to Prince’s Beach, said to be where Bonnie Prince Charlie first set foot on the British mainland in 1745.
Dating from 1864 when it was built as a shooting lodge, Arisaig House was substantially rebuilt in the 1930s after a major fire.
In 1941 it was requisitioned by the British Army as headquarters for the training of Special Operations Executive (SOE) agents, in preparation for missions in Nazi-occupied Europe.
Operatives trained by the executive went on to carry out one of the most audacious assassinations of the Second World War – the execution of Reinhard Heydrich, ‘Butcher of Prague’, while being driven in his open-top Mercedes car in 1942.
A fireplace in the house retains evidence of short-distance target practice, in the form of bullet marks – a reminder of the building’s place in history.
The sale of Arisaig House includes five additional detached properties used variously as owner’s accommodation, holiday lets and for staff.
The sale is being undertaken by real estate agent Savills, with an asking price of offers over £2.25million.
Cameron Ewer of Savills called Arisaig House “one of the most significant and handsome Highland country houses to come onto the market in recent years.”
The gardens and grounds of Arisaig House are themselves listed, as is the house, by Historic Environment Scotland.
Acclaimed architectural writer Marcus Binney included Arisaig House in his book, ‘500 of the Best Buildings in Britain and Ireland’.