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![Savills confirmed that the Dunbeath sale has now completed but could give no details about the buyer.](https://ukpropertyguides.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Property-agents-confirm-Dunbeath-Estate-sale-is-complete.jpg)
Dunbeath Estate has a new owner, it has been confirmed.
The estate and its 13-bedroom castle went on the market last summer with offers over £25 million sought.
As well as the category “A” listed cliff-top castle, the sale included 21 houses and cottages, a 500-acre farm, a pair of walled gardens, a deer forest, grouse moor and fishing rights. In all the estate extends to some 28,500 acres.
The estate and castle were marketed by property agents Savills. The company pointed to its “extensive peatland restoration opportunities”, “diversified letting income” and “renewables and development potential”.
Savills confirmed that the sale has now completed but could give no details about the buyer.
While it was still on the market, an American real estate agent fronted a promotional video with the title “Inside a $32,000,000 Castle for Sale in Scotland”. The 10-minute film was presented by Philip Wells and was based on a 48-hour visit to Caithness.
There has been speculation locally that the buyer is a Texan billionaire.
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![Stock image.](https://ukpropertyguides.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Belvoir-Inverness-expands-after-acquiring-lettings-portfolio-of-Highland-estate.jpg)
A Highland estate agency has expanded its operations further after acquiring the lettings portfolio of an Inverness business.
Andy Campbell, who owns Belvoir Moray and Belvoir Inverness, has grown his business further after adding the 80 managed properties that were previously the lettings portfolio of Homes Sweet Home Estate Agents in Inverness.
The move comes after Home Sweet Home decided to focus more on its estate agency division.
Announcing the move, Mr Campbell said: “The Belvoir Inverness office is fully managed by my son, Steven, and we decided that acquisition was the quickest way to increase our portfolio. When Home Sweet Home Estate Agents in Inverness decided to focus on their estate agency and mortgage services division, we took the opportunity to acquire their lettings portfolio.
“The new properties will be absorbed into the Belvoir Inverness office and managed by our existing team. We have a team of eleven people across the two offices, and many of the staff have been with me for years, including office manager Lynn Roger, who has worked here for over 20 years. Without such a great team it would not be possible to do this job.
![Andy Campbell.](https://ukpropertyguides.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1720377529_653_Belvoir-Inverness-expands-after-acquiring-lettings-portfolio-of-Highland-estate.jpg)
The acquisition is the latest success for Belvoir Moray and Belvoir Inverness since Mr Campbell became Belvoir’s first franchisee in 1996.
“I first joined Belvoir in 1996 after retiring from the RAF,” he explained. “I initially worked from a spare room in my own home, with only a chair, a desk, computer and a filing cabinet! The business soon got too big for this, so I found an office in a nearby town and then bought out a small company in Elgin, took on a staff member, and the business took off. I bought our existing premises in 2006 and today we’re one of the biggest agents in Moray.
“Being part of the Belvoir franchise has given me the support and back up of a national organisation, together with the freedom of being self-employed. The acquisition team at central office are very helpful when it comes to helping franchisees to grow their business, and it’s good to have their support. It is also great to be working with my son and daughter, and I am looking forward to what the future brings.”
Mr Campbell’s long service and commitment to the brand was recognised at the Belvoir 2023 awards when he won the prestigious Belvoir Lifetime Achievement Award.
Speaking of Mr Campbell’s latest acquisition, Belvoir Franchise Director Ian Maclean said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Andy, and we are delighted that Belvoir’s very first franchisee is not only still going strong in Elgin, but is committed to growing his business, firstly by buying the Belvoir Inverness office and then completing on this acquisition.
“One of the great things about being a Belvoir franchisee is having the opportunity to create lucrative assets that can either be sold on when business goals are achieved or passed on to family members so that the business can continue to grow and thrive, which is exactly what Andy is doing. We wish Andy and his family every success for the future.”
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![](https://ukpropertyguides.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Caltrans-Offers-to-Sell-Historic-Campus-Property-to-Sequoyah-School.jpg)
Above: The historic K-8 campus at 535 S. Pasadena Avenue and Sequoyah’s campus at 500 S. Pasadena Avenue. credit: Sequoyah School
Sequoyah School has received a Notice of Solicitation from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the first step in its process to sell the historic property located at 535 S. Pasadena Avenue. The Board of Trustees has since declared the school’s intent to buy the campus, moving the school into the next phase of the sale process which will take place over the next 6-9 months.
Head of School Rebecca Hong and Board of Trustees President Laura Gowen reported the offer to the Sequoyah School community on May 25.
The 2.3-acre property has been the school’s home since 1959, one year after its founding. The campus features architecturally significant mid-century modern buildings designed for educational purposes.
The Notice of Solicitation comes after decades of advocacy and activism from the Sequoyah community and its supporters to protect the campus and surrounding neighborhood from the potential SR-710 freeway expansion.
That threat evaporated with the demise of State plans in 2018 to complete the 710 extension.
The State has since worked with renters, the City of Pasadena, and others to manage the future of the affected property.
“By owning the campus, we will honor our history, fortify the present, and invest in the future of progressive education for children in Greater Los Angeles,” Hong and Gowen wrote.
The school is continuing its fundraising efforts to strengthen its financial position in anticipation of the yet-to-be-determined price.
In 2021, Sequoyah purchased the property at 500 S. Pasadena Avenue, directly across the street from the K-8 campus. The property offers potential for facilities development and renovation to serve its growing K-12 program.
The pending purchase is a milestone for the school, with many in the community celebrating the news while acknowledging the work ahead to complete the acquisition and secure Sequoyah’s future.
“This is a truly meaningful moment for Sequoyah that has been years in the making,” Hong and Gowen said.