Viewings have opened at "one of Scotland’s most exclusive castles", the former home of a Glasgow merchant.

Dalnair Castle outside the village of Croftamie near Drymen, offers buyers "the chance to live in a prestigious nineteenth century Scottish baronial mansion, equipped with its own lift".

Five units are available and prices range from £325,000 to £575,000.

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The castle forms the centrepiece of the prestigious Dalnair Estate and is set within acres of rural landscape just on the edge of world-renowned Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, with access to both Glasgow and Stirling within 25 minutes.

Apartments have en-suites to the master bedrooms and come with full double glazing, gas central heating, Brooklyn kitchens and visible appliances by Siemens. There is also access an electric charging point for vehicles.

Potential purchasers will have the chance to view the view flat and remaining apartments through arranging an appointment in advance.

Since its purchase by FM Group in 2016, the castle is being extensively refurbished to the highest standard through a £3.3 million investment programme, with only the highest quality products and materials used throughout the development.

Built in 1884 by Glasgow merchant, Thomas Brown, on the site of the former much smaller Endrickbank House’ the castle has a tower and Tudor-arched doorway.

The Herald:

It sits in established woodland within parkland setting with views over surrounding countryside and the Endrick.

Robert Croll of FM Group said: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for purchasers to live in luxury in a stunning location, at a truly affordable price.

“Despite its rural setting, on the edge of world-renowned Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, Dalnair Castle is highly accessible, and both Glasgow and Stirling can be reached within a mere 25 minutes.”

Housing services and construction firm Mears has warned over job cuts amid an overhaul as it expects to slide to a first-half loss.

The firm is set to consult with up to 10% of its 5,000-strong workforce, with fewer than 200 jobs expected to go.

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Chief executive David Miles told the PA news agency that the bulk of the losses will affect the company's new homes development businesses and housing management arm.

Its 3,500 social care workers will remain unaffected, with the firm recruiting in that sector.

Mears, which provides accommodation and support for asylum seekers in Scotland, said the cuts would come as part of a restructuring of the business over the second half of 2020 as it warned that Covid-19 will "inevitably have a lasting impact on the company".

It has mothballed residential new homes construction work amid the lockdown, though its work on new social homes has remained unaffected.

Mr Miles added: "Whilst it has been essential for the group to maintain a sharp focus on short-term operational and financial management, it is pleasing that the group has also taken positive and considered actions during this period to drive improvements."

Mears said it is set to swing to an underlying pre-tax loss of around £6 million for the six months to June 30 from profits of £16.7 million a year earlier after seeing revenues slide 7.7%.

It saw revenues tumble 23% to £250 million in its maintenance arm, though it said this was partly offset by new asylum accommodation and support contracts.

Mears said the rest of the year will be "particularly important" for contract renewals, with around a third of the group's maintenance business coming up to be re-bid.

But it warned that new order intake is likely to be low this year.

Shares fell 4%.

Energy giant Scottish Power has revealed power usage among businesses has tumbled by 19% in the first six months of 2020 as the Covid-19 lockdown saw offices, factories and shops shut across the UK.

The group - owned by Spain's Iberdrola - said total usage by volume, including households, was 11% lower for electricity and 8% down for gas, also caused by milder weather.

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Despite this, half-year underlying earnings for its division including retail energy supply surged 130% to £112.2 million after results a year ago were hit by the UK energy price cap.

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