Hong Kong lawyer buys Scottish castle and title

Mr Ma Ching Nam has paid around #330,000 for 353-year-old Mounie

Castle near Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire, and the right to call himself

Baron Ma of Mounie.

He will also be able to apply to the Lord Lyon, King of Arms for the

grant of armorial bearings. The arms can then be inherited by the

baron's heirs.

But Mr Ma, from Hong Kong's Happy Valley district, said he was not

interested in the title. ''Quite the contrary, actually.'' He was more

interested in the castle's history, he said.

''I have lived and travelled quite extensively in the UK and obviously

Scotland. There are some very nice parts which was the reason behind

buying the castle.''

The sale of Mounie, with 15 acres and the barony, created a flurry of

interest when it was put on the market in Hong Kong by Scottish

solicitors acting for the seller, Mr Jim Martin, the local vet.

It was believed that the title was likely to be of particular interest

to Hong Kong Chinese after Hong Kong businesswoman and politician Lydia

Dunn was created a baroness in 1990.

Some excitement was generated in Scottish newspapers when it was

learned that a woman had approached the sellers with an eye to buying

the castle and title for her 13-year-old son, who was dubbed Baron Ah So

Young.

But in spite of all the press interest and publicity there were very

few potential buyers according to Mr Ma. ''Some of the reporting put

people off.''

Both Hong Kong Chinese and expatriate Scots have been looking for

houses in Scotland as hedges against difficulties following the handing

over of the colony to China. Edinburgh's Georgian New Town has proved

particularly attractive.

The price of #330,000 for Mounie and title is not excessive in Hong

Kong terms, say property experts, where a flat in a sought after area

can change hands for #500,000.

Mr Ma, in his mid 40s, inspected Mounie last year with his wife. The

couple have a small child. The castle has five bedrooms, a main hall,

library, sitting rooms and two bathrooms. He is expected to spend

holidays at Mounie, and has shown interest in keeping a horse .

''They were particularly nice. I am delighted to have sold to Mr Ma

rather than to an American,'' said Mr Martin, who served in Hong Kong

and the Far East with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.

While there he learnt some Cantonese. ''I did not feel confident

enough to use it to him at first but when Mr Ma told me he might want to

keep a horse I said to him: 'You don't want a horse, you are a horse.'

His name means horse in Cantonese. His wife was amazed I knew the

word.''