Airline magnate Tan Sri Tony Fernandes has put up for sale his 18th-century Ayrshire estate in Scotland, which he is thought to have bought for £2.5million (RM13.55 million) back in 2013.
A view of Skeldon House, one of the three residences on Tan Sri Tony Fernandes’ 18th-century Ayrshire estate in Scotland.
The AirAsia Group CEO’s massive property is listed on the website of prominent real estate firm Savills, which described the place as an “exquisite private and secluded estate in the picturesque Ayrshire countryside”.
A view of the grand dining room at Skeldon House.
The listing was also reported by UK daily The Sun, which claimed Fernandes to be feeling the pinch of the Covid-19 pandemic for his decision to sell the 125-acre property on the South-west of Scotland after living there for seven years.
Savills said sale of the estate will include three residences on the land: Skeldon House, Castle Cottage and The Coach House.
An aerial view of Skeldon House, located on the 18th-century Ayrshire estate in Scotland.
It said the buildings sit on natural woodland and the banks of the River Doon, immortalised in the poetry of 18th-century Scottish poet Robert Burns.
The property also includes wine cellars, tennis courts, gymnasium and sauna.
The gym suite at Skeldon House.
Fernandes has regularly been listed among Malaysia’s richest men. He was listed as number 41 on the 2020 Forbes Malaysia Rich in March, after his fortune shrunk to US$335 million.
The AirAsia Group has seen most of its airline fleet grounded this year due to the pandemic and has been struggling to stay afloat.
Earlier last month, it was reported that he had secured a RM300 million loan from Sabah Development Bank Bhd, believed to cover its local operations, including paying employees’ salaries and aircraft leasing.
AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes reacts during an interview in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia October 8, 2020. REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng
On October 20, Fernandes in an interview with the Financial Times, said the budget airline has never had any necessity to ask for a government-backed loan in its 19 years of operations. – MMO