Alan Carr’s turret era: a comedian, a Scottish castle and a village that wants him to stay

At the bowling green on a damp evening, villagers drifted in with umbrellas and thermoses while talk turned to the new owner of the great house on the hill. In conversation the name kept coming up: alan carr — the Traitors star who paid £3. 25 million for Ayton Castle and has told listeners he plans to live there and open it to the community. The question on many lips was simple: what will life look like now that a celebrity has bought the village landmark?

Alan Carr’s castle plan and the Disney+ series

Alan Carr, 49, has described the purchase as the start of his “turret era. ” He said he bought the A-listed Ayton Castle with the intention of making it his home and opening the grounds to locals. He rejected suggestions it will become a luxury hotel or spa, and said he wants rewilding and animals around the estate. The comedian also noted that the experience of searching for, buying and running the property will be captured for a Disney+ series. He added that he will become a baron and will have his own tartan as part of the move.

Neighbors, gigs and the bowling club

The castle purchase has already reached the village social calendar. Alan Muir, 72, president of the local bowling club, said the star would be “more than welcome” to perform for neighbours at the club and that if people showed interest the club would host many kinds of events. “If he fancies taking up bowls, or doing us a turn, he’d be more than welcome — as long as he doesn’t charge us too much, ” Mr Muir said, adding that the crowd tends to be “amiable” even if some residents may not like his style of humour.

Community interest in the castle has been substantial: a planned public meeting about the castle plans had to be shelved because the bowling club venue was too small to hold many of the 600 residents who wanted to attend. While some local voices have welcomed alan carr’s promise to open the property and focus on community activities, others have expressed concern that the castle could become an absentee-owned estate or that access for hikers and dog walkers might be restricted.

What Ayton Castle is — and what that means for the village

The house itself is rich in period detail: the 19th-century baronial mansion was designed by James Gillespie Graham, described in historical accounts as a leading Gothic revival architect of his time. The property includes 17 bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a five-storey Great Tower, turrets, a private chapel and 106-acre listed gardens. Previous owners carried out significant refurbishment, including the construction of a 600-metre narrow-gauge railway running through part of the grounds that visitors could pay to ride.

Those physical facts shape the choices ahead. The scale and listed status of the estate mean that any changes will be visible to the community and will involve stewardship of historic fabric and land. The combination of public curiosity, the filming of renovations for a streaming series, and Carr’s public statements about community access have produced a mix of enthusiasm and caution among neighbours.

Local invitations — from a friendly offer to perform at the bowling club to the interest of hundreds of residents in a single meeting — show the appetite for involvement. At the same time, talk of absentee landlords and closed paths underlines the wariness that can follow high-profile purchases of rural estates.

For now, plans are still unfolding: keys are awaited, surveys have been obtained, and a production company is preparing to document the renovation and Carr’s relocation. The coming months will reveal how the vision of a “magical” community space, rewilding and local events will be balanced against the practicalities of conserving a listed property and meeting the expectations of both a new owner and long-standing residents.

Back at the bowling green, with a late light on the castle’s silhouette, villagers sipped tea and rehearsed the possibilities. Some imagined a comedian on the club stage; others pictured open gates and animals grazing in the grounds. The mix of welcome and worry will shape how alan carr’s purchase is remembered: as a revival of a local landmark or the start of a quieter, cordoned-off chapter. Either way, the turret era has only just begun.