IT is a little-known 16th-century castle which attracted the likes of Sir Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, Hans Christian Andersen and Alfred Tennyson to its exclusive literary soirées. Craigcrook Castle, in Edinburgh's Blackhall area, played a huge role in Scotland's cultural life thanks to the highbrow gatherings held by its well-connected tenants, who included publishers, writers, politicians, judges and newspaper editors.

Dating back to 1542, the castle has been occupied by publisher Archibald Constable, lawyer and literary critic Lord Francis Jeffrey and Sir John Hall, a Lord Provost of Edinburgh. Now it is to become one of Scotland's most important artistic treasure troves after the veteran impresario Richard Demarco revealed he had made a rental deal to relocate his vast archive there.