And finally… ruined

And finally... ruined

Knockderry Castle, which has been at the centre of a 25-year legal battle over a £230 debt, has finally been put on the market for more than £1.25 million.

The A-listed castle, located on the west coast of Scotland was previously owned by 72-year-old Marian van Overwaele, who was made bankrupt in 2000 after repeatedly refusing to pay a bill relating to a bridalwear business she ran in the 1990s.

Her refusals to pay the bill escalated the debt to £30,000, at which point a bankruptcy trustee was appointed to take control of her assets, and Ms Van Overwaele fought attempts to have her evicted so that the mansion could be sold off to pay her creditors, The Guardian reports.

After she was declared bankrupt, Ms Van Overwaele transferred ownership of Knockderry to her brother, George Amil, and continued to live there with him and his family. However, in summer 2021, the case came to an end at the Court of Session when their motion against a decree ordering them to vacate the property was refused, and they were evicted in March.



The castle has six bedrooms, four reception rooms, stone balustrades and a minstrel gallery. However, potential buyers have been warned that the property requires “extensive upgrading and refurbishment”.

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