Alan Carr plans café and shop at Scottish castle

Comedian Alan Carr has submitted a planning application to Scottish Borders Council to convert a derelict potting shed at Ayton Castle into a community café and estate shop. Carr, who won Celebrity Traitors, purchased the 19th-century castle earlier this year for over £3.25 million. The proposed development, located in the walled garden, will also include public toilets, staff welfare, and storage facilities. A heritage impact statement supporting the application notes the potting sheds are in a 'severely derelict state' and that the conversion represents a 'highly positive development' with minimal negative impact on the historic building. The application is part of Carr's broader efforts to make the estate a workable home, which will be documented in a planned Disney television series. A recent residual sale of castle contents included items from the Branxton Cement Menagerie; all found buyers except a concrete cow, which Carr kept. The council will decide on the application at a later date.