Upgrade approved for 'most magnificent barn in the Borders'

Plans to upgrade a building once described as "the most magnificent barn in the Borders" have been approved.

Torwoodlee House was built in 1783 near Galashiels on the estate which has been run by the Pringle family since 1500.

Scottish Borders Council has given the all clear to plans to make its east wing habitable once again.

The current owner, James Pringle, the 14th laird, said it was about "rejuvenating the whole place but in a liveable style".

The Torwoodlee Estate spreads across 3,000 acres (1,200 hectares) in the Scottish Borders.

Improvement works have been carried out to the rest of the building over the years but the east wing has remained largely untouched since the 1980s.

Now an upgrade will take place including removal of internal partitions to enlarge existing living space, and moving both the kitchen and ground floor bathroom, while adding a first floor shower room.

The building was described - most likely in the local press in the late 18th Century - as a "magnificent barn" due to its "pretty square-looking design".

Its east wing has been derelict for decades but will now be restored to a liveable space.