Comedian Alan Carr has submitted a planning application to Scottish Borders Council to transform a potting shed at his 19th-century castle into a community café and estate shop, marking the first formal step in redeveloping the property he acquired earlier this year.
Carr, who won Celebrity Traitors, purchased Ayton Castle for offers over £3.25m and has since become the focus of a forthcoming television series documenting his efforts to restore the sprawling estate into a functional home. The planning application was lodged on 2 September 2026, with the reference number 26/01298/LBC covering alterations to the Potting Shed and Ancillary Buildings in the castle's walled garden.
When Carr acquired the property, he remarked on his unconventional approach to midlife pursuits:
Some men when they have a midlife crisis buy a Lamborghini or grow a ponytail, but me - I want my very own castle.
The castle sits on 160 acres of land and includes 17 bedrooms, along with its own operational railway. The proposed conversion would repurpose currently vacant structures within the walled garden to create public facilities including toilets, staff welfare areas, and storage space alongside the café and shop.
What condition are the buildings in?
The potting sheds have remained unoccupied for an extended period and exist in what a heritage impact statement describes as a severely derelict state. According to the supporting documentation submitted with the application, bringing these structures back into active use would represent a highly positive development for the estate and encourage visitor engagement with the property.
The heritage statement notes that
the dilapidated state means that any intervention is an improvementfor the portion designated for conversion into a café and shop. It further argues that
the proposed works will have minimal negative impact on the significance of the potting shed and as a whole provide a positive development in the life story of this single storey range of estate buildings.
What is the broader vision for the estate?
Carr's acquisition of Ayton Castle followed a significant residual sale held after his purchase, during which hundreds of items unwanted by both him and previous owners were offered to buyers. The sale included the distinctive Branxton Cement Menagerie, an unusual collection of concrete sculptures. Nearly all items found purchasers, with the exception of a concrete cow, which Carr has retained.
A Disney television series is in development to chronicle the comedian's journey in transforming the Scottish estate into a workable residence. The planning application represents an early phase of this broader restoration effort, with the heritage statement indicating
a long-term commitment from the client to clear, repair and invest in this space over the coming yearsregarding the walled garden.
The proposed café and estate shop would serve multiple functions within the castle's operations, providing facilities for both visitors and staff while breathing new life into structures that have deteriorated significantly over time. The heritage statement characterises the conversion as
both an appropriate change of use and one which meets all the basic principles of preservation, conservation and long-term sustainability while managing change in historic buildings.
What happens next?
Scottish Borders Council will determine whether to approve the planning application at a future date. The local authority's public access portal allows members of the community to submit comments on open planning applications, though no formal decision date has been announced in available materials.
Key Facts:
- The planning application (26/01298/LBC) was submitted on 2 September 2026 to convert potting sheds into a community café and estate shop
- Ayton Castle was purchased by Carr for offers over £3.25m and includes 17 bedrooms, 160 acres, and an operational railway
- A Disney television series is in development documenting Carr's efforts to restore the estate into a functional home
- The potting sheds are currently vacant and in severely derelict condition, with conversion viewed as a positive intervention
- The broader walled garden is subject to a long-term commitment for clearing, repair, and investment over coming years
