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Scottish Sun
11-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Inside little-known Scots home once served as WW2 secret spy base now up for sale
The historic six-bedroom property dates back to the 19th century RURAL RE-TREAT Inside little-known Scots home once served as WW2 secret spy base now up for sale Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A COUNTRY lodge once used as a secret spy base during the Second World War has hit the market. Inverlair Lodge in Roy Bridge, Highlands, is nestled between the Cairngorms National Park and the Great Glen. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Inverlair Lodge in Scottish Highlands is on the market Credit: Galbraith 5 It comes with over 30 acres of land and is for sale for offers over £1.35m Credit: Galbraith 5 The property has been "sensitively" modernised in recent years Credit: Galbraith 5 There are six large bedrooms throughout the building Credit: Galbraith 5 There are four bathrooms Credit: Galbraith The historic six-bedroom property dates back to the 19th century and was once the shooting lodge of Lord Abinger of Inverlochy Castle. Inverlair Lodge was used by the Special Operations Executive during WWII. The organisation was formed in 1940 to carry out covert duties, including espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance. It also helped resistance movements in occupied regions across Europe and other parts of the world. The SOE was disbanded after the war and Inverlair fell into disrepair. But it was renovated by new owners in the 1970s and it was then purchased in 2008. Inverlair is up for sale for offers over £1,350,000 and sellers Galbraith have hailed it as "an outstanding compact estate of historical note". The house has been "sensitively" modernised by the current owners. The sprawling grounds and outbuildings have also been upgrade. Inverlair features six spacious bedrooms, four bathrooms and a spacious living area, including a roomy conservatory. Unassuming corner shop was seen by millions on classic 70s sitcom - but would you recognise it? The heating system has recently been zoned, with double glazing added to all the living spaces. There is also a new utility room, a new second staircase to the first floor, and the kitchen has been renovated to make a spacious dining room with a spacious sitting area. Some original features have been kept, restored or replicated, including the curved inner wall, cornicing and fireplaces. Set over 30 acres of pristine countryside, Inverlair Lodge lies close to the River Spean, and Creag Meagaidh and Ben Alder mountains. The property is located away from the touristy hustle and bustle of Fort William but is still close to outdoor faciltiies, such as the Nevis Range Mountain Resort. The single-track road that passes the house terminates in a car park and from here there are waymarked walks and access to three Munros. There are also excellent spots nearvy for those interested in fishing, stalking and shooting. Inverlair Lodge itself also has a network of tracks and paths throughout the grounds, as well as a wetland area and magnificent mature woodland. Spean Bridge is around eight miles away, where there is a primary school, train station, general store and a hotel. Fort William also has several major retailers and supermarkets, secondary school, a leisure centre, and cafes and restaurants. There is also a train station 1.5 miles away at Tulloch Bridge, with an overnight train service direct to and from London Euston.
CNN
11-06-2025
- CNN
Remote Scottish lodge used to house foreign secret agents in WWII up for sale
A remote Scottish lodge used to keep foreign secret agents far away from trouble during World War II is now up for sale. Nestled deep in the Scottish Highlands, Inverlair Lodge was requisitioned by the Special Operations Executive (SOE), an espionage and sabotage organization Britain created during World War II, before transforming back into a family home – now on the market for offers over £1.35 million ($1.8 million). Surrounded by countryside and 17 miles (27 kilometers) from the town of Fort William, it is far from prying eyes. Known as 'Number 6 Special Workshop School,' the lodge was used to house foreign agents who 'had fallen by the wayside,' according to its former commander, Alfred Fyffe, who detailed his three-year tenure in interviews with London's Imperial War Museum in 2002. These were agents who had gone through initial training but, for whatever reason, could not be deployed, according to the 2008 book 'British Intelligence: Secrets, Spies and Sources,' by historians Edward Hampshire, Stephen Twigge and Graham Macklin. The agents were housed 'under surveillance, not under guard,' Fyffe stressed, adding that they were sent there 'to forget what they learned about our subversive business' because they had 'certain information which, if they were released outside the services, could be dangerous to this country.' Housing agents of different nationalities like this 'under one roof' was an 'experiment' said Fyffe. He was charged with occupying their time and set aside one room – the larder – to use as a cell if there was any trouble. 'If you have to use it, use it within reason,' his superiors told him. Fyffe kept the agents busy by sending them to salvage metal scattered all over the countryside and getting them to mend boots. Just three agents were there when he took over the lodge, one of them an Italian engineer who had been a lieutenant to the country's fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini, until they fell out and he fled to France, where he worked with the Communists. Before Fyffe arrived, the first two people housed there tried to run away, though he said he 'never had any trouble' – apart from a Dutchman who hit someone in the jaw and broke down the wall outside his office. Rudolf Hess, a top Nazi who secretly flew to the UK in 1941 as a self-appointed negotiator, was briefly held at the lodge, too, while he was being interrogated by intelligence officers, real estate agent Galbraith said, though Fyffe does not mention this. The SOE ceased to exist after World War II and Inverlair became derelict until it was renovated in the 1970s. Few traces of the lodge's history remain. Nowadays, it is a large, comfortable family home like many others in Scotland – many of its rooms have woodburning stoves, and its kitchen island is painted a jaunty yellow. There are four reception rooms, six bedrooms, outbuildings – including a separate two-bedroom cottage – and 30.88 acres of land. The property listing can be viewed here.
CNN
11-06-2025
- CNN
Remote Scottish lodge used to house foreign secret agents in WWII up for sale
A remote Scottish lodge used to keep foreign secret agents far away from trouble during World War II is now up for sale. Nestled deep in the Scottish Highlands, Inverlair Lodge was requisitioned by the Special Operations Executive (SOE), an espionage and sabotage organization Britain created during World War II, before transforming back into a family home – now on the market for offers over £1.35 million ($1.8 million). Surrounded by countryside and 17 miles (27 kilometers) from the town of Fort William, it is far from prying eyes. Known as 'Number 6 Special Workshop School,' the lodge was used to house foreign agents who 'had fallen by the wayside,' according to its former commander, Alfred Fyffe, who detailed his three-year tenure in interviews with London's Imperial War Museum in 2002. These were agents who had gone through initial training but, for whatever reason, could not be deployed, according to the 2008 book 'British Intelligence: Secrets, Spies and Sources,' by historians Edward Hampshire, Stephen Twigge and Graham Macklin. The agents were housed 'under surveillance, not under guard,' Fyffe stressed, adding that they were sent there 'to forget what they learned about our subversive business' because they had 'certain information which, if they were released outside the services, could be dangerous to this country.' Housing agents of different nationalities like this 'under one roof' was an 'experiment' said Fyffe. He was charged with occupying their time and set aside one room – the larder – to use as a cell if there was any trouble. 'If you have to use it, use it within reason,' his superiors told him. Fyffe kept the agents busy by sending them to salvage metal scattered all over the countryside and getting them to mend boots. Just three agents were there when he took over the lodge, one of them an Italian engineer who had been a lieutenant to the country's fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini, until they fell out and he fled to France, where he worked with the Communists. Before Fyffe arrived, the first two people housed there tried to run away, though he said he 'never had any trouble' – apart from a Dutchman who hit someone in the jaw and broke down the wall outside his office. Rudolf Hess, a top Nazi who secretly flew to the UK in 1941 as a self-appointed negotiator, was briefly held at the lodge, too, while he was being interrogated by intelligence officers, real estate agent Galbraith said, though Fyffe does not mention this. The SOE ceased to exist after World War II and Inverlair became derelict until it was renovated in the 1970s. Few traces of the lodge's history remain. Nowadays, it is a large, comfortable family home like many others in Scotland – many of its rooms have woodburning stoves, and its kitchen island is painted a jaunty yellow. There are four reception rooms, six bedrooms, outbuildings – including a separate two-bedroom cottage – and 30.88 acres of land. The property listing can be viewed here.
Daily Record
11-06-2025
- Daily Record
Inside the Scottish Highland house that served as secret base in WW2 now for sale
The historic Highland home that once held secret agents during World War Two is now for sale at over £1.3 million A remote Highland retreat with a top-secret wartime past is now on sale for offers over £1.3 million, according to a listing by Galbraith Group. Inverlair Lodge, a six-bedroom estate near Tulloch in Inverness-shire, once played a hidden but vital role in the Allied war effort. In 1941, it was taken over by the Special Operations Executive (SOE), Churchill's shadow army of saboteurs and spies, not for training, but to quietly house foreign agents too dangerous to release yet unfit for duty. Known as No. 6 Special Workshop School, the lodge offered these 'troublesome' operatives a secluded exile, keeping them occupied with tasks like mending boots and salvaging scrap metal under watch by British soldiers. The house's secretive past has inspired everything from the 1960s spy drama The Prisoner to Guy Ritchie's 2024 film The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Now restored, the lodge sits amid unspoilt Highland beauty, with views over the River Spean and access to walking trails, Munros, and the Nevis Range resort. Despite its seclusion, Tulloch Bridge station is nearby, with sleeper trains to London, and Glasgow Airport is two hours away.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
World War Two secret agents' house put up for sale
A Highland house where "troublesome" secret agents were kept busy during World War Two has been put up for sale. Inverlair Lodge was taken over in 1941 by the Special Operations Executive (SOE), an army of saboteurs and guerrilla fighters formed to fight behind enemy lines. Inverlair's residents were foreign nationals who had been unable to perform their duties but needed to be kept safe because of the dangerous secrets they knew about the Allied war effort. Supervised by British soldiers, the agents were kept occupied with a range of tasks including mending boots and salvaging scrap metal from the surrounding countryside. Estate agents Galbraith has put the 18th Century property on the market for offers over £1.3m. More stories from the Highlands and Islands News from the Highlands and Islands on BBC Sounds Six-bedroom Inverlair Lodge, near Tulloch, about 20 miles (32km) from Fort William, was chosen because of its remote location. During WW2 it was known as No. 6 Special Workshop School. In interviews with the Imperial War Museum, Dundee-born Alfred Fyffe told how he was put in charge of Inverlair for 30 months. He said the residents, who included Italians and Dutch, were supervised but not kept under armed guard and were even allowed to make trips into Fort William. Mr Fyffe described the lodge as an "experiment" with agents of different nationalities living under one roof, and working on tasks designed to distract them from the secrets they knew. One of their jobs was salvaging metal, including railway track, abandoned by British Aluminium which operated a smelter in Fort William. Inverlair Lodge and similar SOE properties are said to have inspired the plot to 1960s TV drama The Prisoner, which starred Patrick McGoohan. War-time prime minister Winston Churchill enthusiastically supported the formation of SOE, and ordered its agents to "set Europe ablaze". Its history was an inspiration for film director Guy Ritchie's 2024 action-comedy The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. SOE was disbanded after the war and Inverlair Lodge was vacated and fell into disrepair. It was restored in the 1970s. Lochaber was a key training area for Allied forces during WW2. Achnacarry Castle, the ancestral home of the chiefs of Clan Cameron and about 15 miles (24km) north east of Fort William, was used as commando training base. The elite troops were from Britain and the US as well as France, the Netherlands, Norway, former Czechoslovakia, Poland and Belgium.
