Daniel DaviesAlan Carr has bought a castle. The comedian and Celebrity Traitors champion announced in early 2026 that he had paid £3.25 million for Ayton Castle, a dramatic red sandstone fortress near Berwick-upon-Tweed in the Scottish Borders, designed in 1851 by architect James Gillespie Graham. His plan: to convert the Grade A listed property into a luxury hotel and spa, with the entire renovation documented for a Disney+ series provisionally titled Castle Man.
It is an extraordinary project — and a masterclass in the complexity awaiting anyone who buys a heritage property in the UK without fully understanding what they are taking on.
What Does "Listed Building" Actually Mean?
In Scotland, the term is "listed building" just as in England and Wales, but the grading system is different. Scottish buildings are classified into three categories: Category A (the most significant, of special architectural or historic interest), Category B (important nationally), and Category C (local significance). Ayton Castle is Category A — Scotland's highest designation, broadly equivalent to Grade I in England and Wales.
A Category A or Grade I listing means the building is considered to be of exceptional interest: according to Historic Environment Scotland, fewer than 8 per cent of all listed buildings in Scotland fall into this top category. The listing covers the entire building: exterior and interior, original fixtures, historic fabric — and sometimes associated grounds and outbuildings. It does not mean the building cannot be altered; it means that virtually any alteration requires formal permission.
Listed Building Consent: The Approval You Cannot Skip
Before Alan Carr's team can change so much as a window frame, install underfloor heating, or strip back a period ceiling at Ayton Castle, they will need listed building consent (LBC) — a separate approval process from ordinary planning permission, administered by the local planning authority (in this case, Scottish Borders Council).
Listed building consent is required for any works that would affect the character of a listed building. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Replacing original windows or doors, even with like-for-like replicas
- Removing internal walls, partitions, or original staircases
- Installing new kitchens, bathrooms, or en-suite facilities that require cutting into original fabric
- Adding extensions or outbuildings
- Applying new coatings, paint, or render to exterior stonework
- Inserting modern services: electrical wiring routes, plumbing, underfloor heating, air conditioning
Undertaking work on a listed building without the required consent is a criminal offence in Scotland and England and Wales. It can result in prosecution, an unlimited fine, or up to two years' imprisonment. Enforcement notices may require the unauthorised work to be reversed at the owner's cost — even if it has been completed and finished to a high standard.
Planning Permission Is a Second, Separate Process
Where the proposed changes also constitute development under planning law — adding an extension, changing the building's use from residential to hotel, for example — full planning permission is also required alongside listed building consent. These are separate applications, assessed separately, and both must be approved before works commence.
For a project on the scale of Ayton Castle, converting a private estate into a luxury hotel involves a change of use that requires planning permission in addition to listed building consent. The Scottish Government's guidance on planning permission sets out the full process for applications in Scotland, where planning legislation differs in certain respects from the equivalent regime in England and Wales.
Both applications are subject to consultation periods, during which neighbours, statutory consultees (including Historic Environment Scotland for Category A buildings), and the general public can submit representations. Local planning committees make decisions based on policy, heritage impact assessments, and the quality of supporting reports submitted by the applicant.
The Role of Specialists in Heritage Renovation
This is precisely why renovation projects involving listed buildings — from a Georgian townhouse with replacement windows to a Victorian railway station converted into offices — require specialist expertise that goes well beyond an ordinary builder or architect.
Heritage architects have specific training in the conservation and adaptation of historic structures. A conservation officer (employed by the local planning authority) will assess proposed works for their impact on the building's significance. Specialist contractors trained in traditional construction methods — lime mortar, natural stone, period joinery — are often required where heritage-specific materials and techniques must be preserved.
For the hotel conversion planned at Ayton Castle, the design team will need to demonstrate that modern requirements (fire safety, accessibility under the Equality Act, food hygiene regulations for any restaurant, building regulations for new electrical and water services) can be met without unacceptably harming the building's historic character. This is rarely straightforward and frequently requires compromise — and expert facilitation — at every stage.
What Ordinary Homeowners in Listed Buildings Should Know
Alan Carr's Ayton Castle project will unfold on television, with a production team, advisers, and presumably an experienced heritage architect managing the complexity. The average homeowner who buys a listed cottage, period farmhouse, or Victorian terrace in a conservation area has no such infrastructure and frequently discovers, sometimes after works have begun, that they have inadvertently committed an offence.
The most common mistakes include removing original features such as fireplaces and panelling under the mistaken belief that only external changes require consent; fitting modern uPVC windows without seeking approval; and undertaking loft conversions or basement digs without the correct applications.
A specialist solicitor with property law expertise can advise on the legal obligations attached to a listed building before purchase is completed. A heritage architect or conservation consultant can conduct a pre-purchase assessment that identifies what works are likely to be consented and what restrictions will apply to the buyer's intended plans.
Buying a listed building without this advice is a risk that no amount of enthusiasm — or celebrity status — can offset. Alan Carr's castle adventure will make great television. Whether it makes great sense financially and legally will depend entirely on the quality of the experts around him.
Thinking of buying a listed building, or already facing planning issues with a heritage property? A specialist home improvement adviser or property solicitor can guide you through the process. Find expert support at ExpertZoom.
