A mother of two plans to transform the abandoned 17th-century castle she secretly paid £250,000 for into a lavish wedding site.
Mother-of-two Despite repairs costing an estimated £5 million, Nicole Rudder, 32, bought the North Lanarkshire home in November of last year on a whim without telling husband Grant, 37.
Grant, a painter and decorator, nicknames his wife “Mrs Project” and grudgingly expressed his congratulations to her, even though she believes he may not be overjoyed.
An English company listed the baronial castle, Garrion Tower, in Garrion Bridge, North Lanarkshire, for £800,000 last year.
However, no bids were received, therefore the price was reduced to offers over £400,000.
Nicole, who claims to be a fervent proponent of the phrase “don’t ask, don’t get,” made an offer of £250,000 that was accepted.
She has already refurbished two AirBnBs she owns and aims to enlist the help of 17 family members and friends she works with at her insurance company.
She worries that dealing with the building’s administrative requirements would be the hardest aspect of the renovation.
Nicole intends to reuse the property’s remaining items, including five enormous metal bathtubs, but structural repairs are also necessary.
Although the interior has mostly collapsed, Nicole’s proposal will remove it from the list of “Buildings at Risk” by the time renovations are finished in June 2024.
It was once the summer residence of the Bishops of Glasgow and Galloway.
Norman Colville, a war hero from a family that owned Scotland’s largest steel manufacturer, now known as Liberty Steel, also called it home.
Nicole is attempting to locate as many people who lived or worked in the castle as she can in order to put together its history.
In addition to the bathtubs, she has already recovered old issues of National Geographic from 1976 and a sizable pool table from the building.
Nicole was shocked to learn that a Michelangelo artwork that formerly hung on Norman Colville’s walls just sold at auction for £12.5 million.
She anticipates that American tourists would fall head over heals for the castle while couples can exchange vows in a location with local history.
Nicole recalled thinking, “I don’t know whether that’s going to be a bit too much,” when she initially clicked the link.
I thought, “It’s a little crazy,” but, being me, I figured I’d sneak down and take a look without telling anyone.
When I descended, it was incredible.
You can tell how old it is; one of my friends estimated the age of the tree at 700 years. I said, “I want this.”
I submitted a covert offer, and the man called to inform me that I had been successful.
The large 4.5-acre property has hosted all-ages camping outings, which Nicole said she cherishes because it gives the kids valuable time away from electronics.
Nicole also owns a boutique and a portfolio of rental properties in Scotland and the United States, along with the insurance company, but this will be her first historic building.
The family business is housed in a disused factory that needs to be totally gutted after standing empty for 28 years.
She lives with Grant and their two kids, Isabella, age six, and Stella, age three, in a house that is five minutes’ drive from the castle.
I’ve done a lot of stuff like that before, Nicole replied, and I love it.
“The stress is insane.”
There are 4.5 acres of land surrounding the castle; we have been camping there to take a break from work and enjoy the trees and wildlife in the area.
“Getting the kids away from screens is good.”
My husband Grant, who refers to me as Mrs. Project, said, “Here we go again.”
He undoubtedly won’t be pleased, but isn’t that just part of marriage?
People with ties to the structure through their families have been flooding the insurance company with their tales, which Nicole is eager to promote.
“This building has such a rich history, and there are many testimony from people who have lived and worked here,” she continued.
An artwork by Michelangelo that hung on the castle’s wall recently sold for £12.5 million.
“The phone has been ringing nonstop.” On the other night, we stayed here till 11 p.m.
There are 17 people working on it in total, all of whom are friends and family. Because of how close we are, I felt confident doing it.
Nicole anticipates a substantial demand for the hotel and wedding location, which will benefit the neighbourhood.
People from this area can opt to wed in a location where their great-gran worked, she continued.
We are eager to imitate every image we have seen. If someone hadn’t entered and saved the structure, it eventually would have been demolished.
There was a person who demolished a Scottish castle and transported it brick by brick to the United States because “Americans adore castles.”
“They have little history, which is why they are obsessive.” We can learn more from the more folks that come forward.