AN aristocrat who made headlines when he put a Lake District mountain up for sale has died aged 72.
Lowther Estates have confirmed that Hugh Lowther, the eighth Earl of Lonsdale, died on Tuesday after a short illness.
A spokeswoman for the estates said: “Hugh will be sadly missed by many.”
In 2014, the earl put Blencathra, near Keswick, on the market for £1.75 million to help pay off a £9m inheritance tax bill, sparking public outrage.
The mountain had been owned by his family for 400 years, but in 2016 he revealed he had no intention of parting with Saddleback.
Speaking in 2016, he said: “It will remain in the Lowther family for generations to come.”
Lord Lonsdale has no sons capable of inheriting his titles and his half-brother, William James Lowther, 63, succeeds to the earldom.
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