Newmiln House, Guildtown


Strawman
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Anyone able to tell me anything about it or whats happening to it please ? 

 

It was a luxurious hotel, the Monaco team ( might have just been the directors ) stayed there prior to our game at McDiarmid in 1999, Liam Neeson stayed there while he was filming Rob Roy. Doug Ellis the Aston Villa chairman also was a visitor.

 

I thought it was bought by someone abroad and converted to a private residence but I was out that way at the weekend and it is just sitting there empty and overgrown.  Doesnt appear to be up for sale or anything either. There s trees and what not starting to grow in the roof and it appears whoever owns it is content to let it rot away. Seems such a shame for a property that must have been worth a couple of million not that many years ago. 

 

Seems strange to me.

Edited by Strawman
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From messing about on Google it seems to be owned by Prince Abdul Aziz Al-Thani who is the same bloke thats pumped lots of cash into Malaga Football Club.

 

The house is a grade B listed building built in 1855 by Andrew Heiton Senior & son who also built most of Tay Street in Perth.

 

It appears that the Prince bloke bought the house for 2.3 million in 1999 and then rented it out to the people he bought it from who then continued to run it as a hotel until they all fell out ( the link Saintdunc has posted ).

 

I just find it such a shame that a house that sold for that amount of money only 14 years ago and is listed can be left to just rot away presumably because the owner has so much money that 2.3 million is nothing to him and he just doesn't care.

 

The fact its listed means that you wouldnt be allowed to knock it down but I don t think theres any obligation on an owner to keep it in good repair.

 

Any other information anyone can give me would be appreciated.    

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I agree Ed, it would be nice, there probably wouldn t be much in it for Historic Scotland to do that though even if they had the powers.

 

Although it is a fantastic looking old house it probably wouldnt hold much appeal for the general public to pay to view it.

 

It holds some sentimental interest to me as me and my wife were married there.

 

Although its old I don t think it has any real history attached to it.

 

If anyone does know who lived in the house in the past though I d be interested, Google doesnt really tell me anything about it prior to 1999 apart from who built it.

 

There are probably lots of old properties in this country owned by overseas investors though. Just seems so wrong to me that this is allowed to happen just because they're rich and can afford it and they then leave them to rot away. Doubt there s anything anyone can do about it though. 

Edited by Strawman
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I agree Ed, it would be nice, there probably wouldn t be much in it for Historic Scotland to do that though even if they had the powers.

 

Although it is a fantastic looking old house it probably wouldnt hold much appeal for the general public to pay to view it.

 

It holds some sentimental interest to me as me and my wife were married there.

 

Although its old I don t think it has any real history attached to it.

 

If anyone does know who lived in the house in the past though I d be interested, Google doesnt really tell me anything about it prior to 1999 apart from who built it.

 

There are probably lots of old properties in this country owned by overseas investors though. Just seems so wrong to me that this is allowed to happen just because their rich and can afford it and they then leave them to rot away. Doubt there s anything anyone can do about it though. 

 

Vast swathes of our country, especially the Highlands, are owned by foreigners.....the likes of Al Fayed for instance...and Terry Wogan

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Vast swathes of our country, especially the Highlands, are owned by foreigners.....the likes of Al Fayed for instance...and Terry Wogan

{Dail Mail rant on}

FFS who are these vast swathes of overseas owners?

It seems perfectly acceptable for uk citiznes to buy overseas properties in spain or cyprus... heaven help anyone foreigner who wants to buy similar here

{Daily Mail rant off}

 

Edstar, if you had the slimmest knowledge of scottish history, you'd know the highlands have been "owned" and disowned by so many variations of peoples, "scots", doesnt even make sense. The snp whip awaits you. Ply your uneducated nationalism elsewhere

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{Dail Mail rant on}

FFS who are these vast swathes of overseas owners?

It seems perfectly acceptable for uk citiznes to buy overseas properties in spain or cyprus... heaven help anyone foreigner who wants to buy similar here

{Daily Mail rant off}

 

Edstar, if you had the slimmest knowledge of scottish history, you'd know the highlands have been "owned" and disowned by so many variations of peoples, "scots", doesnt even make sense. The snp whip awaits you. Ply your uneducated nationalism elsewhere

 

It was just a statement....and pretty much true. I made no comparison with other countries etc etc so not sure why your reply feels the need to be so challenging. Uneducated nationalism.......what the **** do you know about me

Edited by Edstar101
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A bit harsh that, Ed speaks the truth there.

{Dail Mail rant on}

FFS who are these vast swathes of overseas owners?

It seems perfectly acceptable for uk citiznes to buy overseas properties in spain or cyprus... heaven help anyone foreigner who wants to buy similar here

{Daily Mail rant off}

 

Edstar, if you had the slimmest knowledge of scottish history, you'd know the highlands have been "owned" and disowned by so many variations of peoples, "scots", doesnt even make sense. The snp whip awaits you. Ply your uneducated nationalism elsewhere

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the point was, what counts as a foreigner? when does a migrant become a local?

we're all incomers to scotland at some point in our history - i dont understand why the "my family was here before yours" gives someone the right deny others the chance to live here.

And when did owning land become illegal? wogan and fayed have earned and spent millions in this country, if they want to buy a few trees WGAF.

absenteeism is a completely differnt argument

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My point Canuck isnt really the fact of "WHO " owns the house, its the fact that it is being left to rot that I have a problem with.

 

From a bit more digging about it appears the house was first build in 1746 and renovated in 1855.

 

It would also look like the Prince bought it without actually seeing it although it does appear that his mother has stayed there in the past.

 

I don t really see how wantiing to protect any old buildings has anything to do with nationalism, nothing to do with politics at all, just a wish to see a really nice old house preserved rather than left to fall into complete disrepair.

 

Sadly I dont think there is anything that can be done about it though.

 

I could though be totally wrong, there may be plans to totally renovate the place for all I know which was really the point of my original post to see if anyone did know.

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There is (or was last time I was there) the spectacle of the Barnton Hotel at the North Western edge of Edinburgh rotting away at one of the busiest junctions in the area. Its a Category C listed building and it's been abandoned for about 10 years. Various attempts were made to get permish to redevelop and now it looks like it will become retirement flats starting later this year.

 

It presents a negative image of our Capital city to visitors coming from the airport and the North. First impressions count.

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the point was, what counts as a foreigner? when does a migrant become a local?

we're all incomers to scotland at some point in our history - i dont understand why the "my family was here before yours" gives someone the right deny others the chance to live here.

And when did owning land become illegal? wogan and fayed have earned and spent millions in this country, if they want to buy a few trees WGAF.

absenteeism is a completely differnt argument

 

I get your points Canuck...yet again though, I didn't say anything about migrants or denying anybody their rights to buy things or say it should be illegal. Merely stating a fact and perhaps saying that if a situation occurs where properties are being left to go into decay then it is perhaps harder to trace the owners. Simialr thing happened to Letham Grange golf course near Arbroath where the owner was from Libya (or similar) and simply disappeared leaving all at the club with no idea what the future of the course and hotel were.

 

And I am NOT saying this couldn't happen with a 'Scottish' owner.

 

Anyway, it is a mute point as Historic Scotland don't have powers of re-possession (that I know of anyway)

Edited by Edstar101
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My point Canuck isnt really the fact of "WHO " owns the house, its the fact that it is being left to rot that I have a problem with.

From a bit more digging about it appears the house was first build in 1746 and renovated in 1855.

It would also look like the Prince bought it without actually seeing it although it does appear that his mother has stayed there in the past.

I don t really see how wantiing to protect any old buildings has anything to do with nationalism, nothing to do with politics at all, just a wish to see a really nice old house preserved rather than left to fall into complete disrepair.

Sadly I dont think there is anything that can be done about it though.

I could though be totally wrong, there may be plans to totally renovate the place for all I know which was really the point of my original post to see if anyone did know.

speak to my mum Strawman she is native of Guildtown and was probably kicking about when it was built :-)

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  • 5 years later...

I know this is an old thread but I heard talks that some wealthy family bought it a few weeks ago, they've already boarded up the place and I've seen limos and big SUVs entering and leaving when driving past. Seems that it's finally getting a chance of a new lease of life.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 6/1/2019 at 3:00 PM, Broggy Man said:

Was wasted for years

What do you mean? I found more information when speaking to locals, apparently it's a wealthy family from London that bought it for their son, Kingsley Family.

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On 6/3/2013 at 2:33 PM, Strawman said:

Anyone able to tell me anything about it or whats happening to it please ? 

 

It was a luxurious hotel, the Monaco team ( might have just been the directors ) stayed there prior to our game at McDiarmid in 1999, Liam Neeson stayed there while he was filming Rob Roy. Doug Ellis the Aston Villa chairman also was a visitor.

 

I thought it was bought by someone abroad and converted to a private residence but I was out that way at the weekend and it is just sitting there empty and overgrown.  Doesnt appear to be up for sale or anything either. There s trees and what not starting to grow in the roof and it appears whoever owns it is content to let it rot away. Seems such a shame for a property that must have been worth a couple of million not that many years ago. 

 

Seems strange to me.

 

 

Same thing happening in "Millionaires Row" in Hampstead in London. Arabs buying the properties - the land is the valuable part, then letting them rot, perhaps creating a situation where they can demolish the building?

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On 6/4/2019 at 1:48 AM, Apes said:

What do you mean? I found more information when speaking to locals, apparently it's a wealthy family from London that bought it for their son, Kingsley Family.

I simply meant it wasn’t used I was brought up along the road past guildtown I knew the family in mavisbank

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