Qatari billionaires become Lords of the manor

The 545-acre Eilean Aigas estate, which sits on its own island and is known locally as the modern day Balmarol, has reportedly been bought by the Qatari royal family after nearly four years on the market.
The property, situated close to Beauly, is registered to an offshore company, based in Jersey. Savills, the estate agent which sold the estate, declined to comment, but a source close to the sale said the new owner was a Qatari royal. If the reports are correct, the sprawling estate becomes one of a number of famous British assets which have been snapped up by the tiny Gulf state as part of its ever-growing influence in the UK (shown on the graphic). Thanks to its sovereign wealth fund of more than $250 billion, Qatar already has Harrods, Canary Wharf and the Shard in its armoury, along with significant shares in Heathrow Airport, Sainsbury's and the London Stock Exchange.