Mary Queen of Scots 'fairytale mansion' goes on sale for £1.8m

The mansion that Mary Queen of Scots lived in for a year before she was forced off the the throne has gone on sale for £1.8 million.

The monarch stayed at Cowdenknowes in October 1566 when she was 24 for a year.

Mary's stay at the estate in Berwickshire is recorded in documents that have survived the last 450 years, reports the Mirror.

Two years after she stayed there, she was imprisoned by her cousin Queen Elizabeth for 18 years, before being executed in 1587.

Most of the house was built in 1574 by Sir James Home, with additions and renovations made through the 18th and 19th centuries.

It sits on the bank of the River Leader near Melrose and Earlston.

According to the Daily Mail, the house has seven bedrooms, six bathroom, four reception rooms, a tower room, gym, wine cellar and even a library.

There's also 45 acres of land, a coach house, a tennis court and woodland.

It also boasts traditional stone stairs, ornate fireplaces, and stained glass windows.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, James Denne from sellers Knight Frank, said: "The house has such a long and varied history. It's not quite a castle but it's a sort of fairytale house.

"Much folklore surrounds Cowdenknowes, mostly fictitious, but that Mary Queen of Scots stayed here on her way to Jedburgh is recorded.

"The Scottish Borders is a beautiful part of the world and you've got fishing on the Tweed nearby, it's idyllic.

"This house is an ideal family home or it could easily be a great weekend escape for someone based in London or a UK base for someone living overseas."

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