A highly ambitious attempt by a student group to take over a £6 million Perthshire castle has failed.
A team from Aberdeen University had hoped to buy the historic Dall Estate, near Rannoch, and turn it into a safe space for asylum seekers.
The group, who called themselves the Comrades of the Glen, appealed for donations for their crowdfunding campaign which, if successful, would have been the largest online-funded project in Europe.
However, their self-imposed deadline has now passed with a little more than £4,000 less than 1% of their target raised.
The castle, which was built in 1855 as a seat for the Robertson Clan, has 38 bedrooms across several onsite properties as well as tennis courts, a golf course and an army assault course.
The students, who run the Shared Planet Cafe in Aberdeen, said they wanted to turn the 265-acre site into a haven for asylum seekers who were affected by UK policy that banned them from working while they awaited a decision on their application.
It was believed the estate would eventually become self-sufficient and could ultimately be run by the residents.
Darroch Bratt, who studies anthropology and archaeology, said he was against the idea of the estate being turned into “another playground for the mega-rich”.
As an incentive, potential donors were offered a range of perks including having pheasants named after them.
For £1,500 contributors would receive a video of the Comrades singing the Game of Thrones theme with their name in the lyrics, while £3,000 would see the benefactor’s portrait hung on one of the castle walls.
A spokeswoman for campaign coordinators the Shared Planet Society said the proposal “would turn the castle into quality, humane housing and community space for asylum seekers”.
She added: “A big estate like this should be used for the common good, not for some rich old man’s summer holidays.”
The Dall Estate, which also boasts its own loch, went on the market in September.
Kyle Cockburn of Asset Properties, who is selling the estate, said the owners had taken the bid “in the right spirit”.