This led to an invitation to a reception at Balmoral Castle, the Scottish home of the royal family, which is around 60 miles from Towie Barclay Castle. In 1984, in recognition of his conservation work, Marc Ellington was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire, a ceremonial position which involves appearing at local events as a representative of the monarch. Unsurprisingly, the young Americans who had adopted a ruined castle had become local celebrities. More: From ‘Succession’ to ‘The Crown,’ This Year’s Emmy-Nominated Shows Will Give You Serious House Envy The sale included the castle’s old gardener’s cottage, agricultural buildings, and a stable block. In the 1980s, the couple paid $46,400 for some extra land, upping the castle’s grounds to almost 3 acres. Her only concession to child-proofing was training the girls to come down the two steep spiral staircases on their bottoms for fear of them falling on the stone floors. Three years later, Kirstie, now 40, was born.ĭuring their childhood, Ellington said, the girls were given free rein to “romp around” in the castle. Between 19, they had the upper floors rebuilt, and in 1979, their first daughter, Iona, now 43, was born. They turned out to belong to nesting owls that swooped out past her.īetween 19, the Ellingtons concentrated on the first and second floors of the castle, moving in as soon as it had power and floors. She recalls visiting the castle one night after dark and being terrified to see amber eyes watching her from on high. The roof of the great hall, the castle’s main living room, leaked, and trees were growing through its elegant windows, said Ellington. Karen Ellington moved to Towie Barclay Castle in 1972 with her late husband, Marc. The couple were in a position to buy the castle but it wasn’t until 1972 that the Trust agreed to sell it for $5,160, around $58,000 in today’s money, according to the Bank of England. He recorded a series of solo albums and collaborated with Fairport Convention and The Byrds. It was acquired by an educational charity in the 18th century, and its upper two floors were subsequently removed, most likely to reduce maintenance costs.īy then, Marc Ellington’s career was accelerating. In 1969, they visited Towie Barclay Castle for the first time and Ellington says they were absolutely smitten by the romantic red sandstone castle, located in the county of Aberdeenshire.Īccording to Aberdeenshire Council, the local government of the county, the castle dates from the mid-16th century and was the ancestral home of the wealthy and influential Barclay clan. Whenever they got the chance, they visited Scotland to take in more of its castles. “We couldn’t understand it.” Later in 1967, the couple moved to London, where they got married and Marc Ellington worked on his music. “They were fascinating and yet nobody seemed to show any interest in these buildings they didn’t seem to have any value,” said Ellington. The country still has more than 900 surviving castles, according to Historic Environment Scotland, a public body which protects and promotes historic buildings. Between gigs the couple went exploring, and Scotland’s castles are hard to avoid. as a singer-songwriter and began performing at Scottish folk clubs. Her husband, who died in 2021, had already made a name for himself in the U.S. Karen and Marc Ellington, photographed at Towie Barclay Castle during the restoration in 1977
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