The Edinburgh brothers who founded House of Gods hotels have bought Shieldhill Castle near Biggar and plan to redevelop the historic property.
Mike and Ross Baxter, who established the boutique hotel brand in Edinburgh before expanding to Glasgow, have acquired the country house hotel at Quothquan in South Lanarkshire.
The purchase takes the brothers into a rural setting following their city centre ventures. Full details of their proposals for the castle are still to be confirmed.
Shieldhill was marketed by Graham + Sibbald in June 2025 with offers around £1.5 million invited.
Set in around 6.5 acres of grounds, the property was offered with 30 bedrooms spread across the main house, converted stables and two chalets. The estate also includes a three-bedroom house, a wedding marquee, lawns and an ornamental pond.
The Baxter brothers opened their first House of Gods in Edinburgh’s Cowgate in 2019, creating a 22-bedroom hotel with theatrical interiors, four-poster beds and a cocktail bar.
Their route into hotels came through different careers. Mike worked in property development after promoting club nights and running a bar in Aberdeen, while Ross was an offshore engineer in the oil industry.
They launched The Baxter hostel in Edinburgh and subsequently Kip hotel in London in 2016. At House of Gods, Mike led the interior design, combining the feel of traditional luxury hotels with music, cocktails and elaborate décor.
A second House of Gods opened on Glassford Street in Glasgow’s Merchant City in April 2024. The 28-bedroom property brought the concept to a five-storey Edwardian building, with a rooftop bar called the Sacred Garden.
A third House of Gods hotel is under development at Canary Wharf in London.
Shieldhill is a category B listed property with medieval origins. The oldest surviving section is a square keep from the 16th century.
Its history is closely connected to the Chancellor family. George Chancellor was granted the lands of Shieldhill and part of Quothquan in 1434. Shieldhill later became the family’s principal home after their house at Quothquan was destroyed following William Chancellor’s support for Mary Queen of Scots at the Battle of Langside.
Substantial additions in 1820 created new wings and an entrance, helping shape the building seen today. Further alterations followed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Shieldhill became a hotel in 1959. Its best-known guests include Nelson Mandela, who stayed while attending the Commonwealth summit in Edinburgh in 1997 and planted an oak tree in the grounds to mark his visit.
The castle underwent an extensive refurbishment before reopening in August 2020. Its acquisition by the Baxter brothers now sets up another chapter for the historic country house.