Inside incredible panic room hidden behind two bookcases in £3.8 million Scottish castle as it goes on the market

Daily Mail​

28-05-2025

An incredible 19th century castle is on the market for £3.8million - and, alongside an equestrian centre, tennis court and full Scottish pub, comes complete with an ultra-secure 'panic room'.
Ormiston Castle in West Lothian is a mere half an hour drive from Edinburgh, making it the perfect location for a luxury commute into the city.
Set in 15 acres of prime countryside, the newly renovated six-bedroom property offers the potential buyer the chance to purchase their 'very own Balmoral Castle '.
The castle is shown on tonight's episode of Britain's Most Expensive Houses on Channel 4, where viewers are given an inside look at the country's 'super-prime' property market, which is 'the envy of the entire world'.
During the episode, real estate guru Mark Coulter gave journalist Kirsty McLuckie and her friend Pam an exclusive look inside the castle.
But after gushing over the glamorous renovations and period features, there was one bizarre room that left Kirsty and Pam baffled.
During the tour, Mark explained that one of the many bookcases was in fact a cunningly disguised heavy duty door, revealing a secret staircase, which led to another military-grade door.
Taking Kirsty and Pam up the stairs, he revealed that the castle has a secret safe haven - or 'panic room' - if ever any trouble arose.
'This is a panic room,' Mark explained. 'This looks like a bookcase, but actually is a door.
'Behind you is an iPad, and you're completely secure. You can phone the police, and control the whole house.'
A panic room is a secret room where people can go to protect themselves if there's danger in the building. They are sometimes used by celebrities, or those who require an extra layer of security.
However, the two visitors were left baffled and didn't seem completely onboard.
Kirsty admitted: 'I was slightly confused by the stairs and the sort of panic room. It's kind of panic stairs, rather than a panic room.'
She joked: 'I think I prefer the idea of escaping from boring guests, rather than masked intruders!'
They were significantly more impressed when they were taken into the home's 'principle suite' taking up a whole wing of the house and including a living room, dressing room and marble bathroom.
For after dinner entertainment, the property also boasts its own bar and cinema room, which an astonished Kirsty dubbed 'bonkers'.
No details had been spared, with the 15 acres of grounds recently benefitting from £150,000 worth of new planting and high-spec security cameras.
In their rooms, Kirsty and Pam were able to open their wardrobes to see the castle's turrets.
The next morning, they spoke to current owner Juliet Bentley, who had purchased the property back in 2020 for £1.65million.
She explained that though she'd given herself a £350,000 budget for renovations, she had ended up spending a whopping £3.7million.
But, she explained, it was exactly the result she wanted, even installing glass chandeliers from Venice's Murano costing £100,000 apiece.
She previously told The Times: 'I'm making no money out of it. I literally spent £3.7million renovating it. But it's mega inside.
'It's like a brand new house but with all original features, and it operates really smart.
'My bills are actually less than my friend's house down the road because we made it so energy efficient.'
The property was previously listed in November 2023, and came on the market once more in April 2025.
Last week, viewers were taken inside a London penthouse dubbed one of Britain's most expensive properties, on sale for eye-watering £80million.
The five-bedroom apartment is nestled in the heart of Knightsbridge, often described as 'the playground for the rich', and is a stone's throw away from the luxurious department store, Harrods.
The almost 9,500 sq foot property boasts a sauna with a television, two reception rooms, a roof terrace with undisrupted views of Hyde Park and a 10m pool.
Estate agent Josh Marks has been involved in selling multi-million pound properties before, but to date, this is the highest priced property in his work portfolio - and he has six months to find a buyer.
Speaking on the show, Josh said: 'Everyone around the world wants to own a piece of London and the first postcode they come to is Knightsbridge. You've got some of the most expensive properties in the world.'
The complex, called Knightsbridge Apartments, was built 20 years ago by Hong Kong billionaire Samuel Tak Lee who saw the value in London real estate.
But despite all these elegant features and the hefty price, an international buying agent admitted that it is likely this will sit empty most of the time, as a billionaire's second home.