Lording it over SW locals
Margaret River may be home to a member of the Scottish landed gentry after a local resident bought a tiny plot in a Highlands reserve via the internet.
Winemaking student and Morries Anytime supervisor Grattan Joyce, 26, intends to style himself as Lord of Glencoe after buying land in Glencoe Wood to become a laird - or lord - from charity website HighlandTitles.com.
Mr - or perhaps Lord - Joyce said buyers received identification documents to prove their landowner status.
"Once you get the paperwork, you are entitled as a Lord or Lady of Glencoe," he said.
"I have the option of changing my personal information, bank cards, etc."
He said bearing a noble title had its drawbacks.
He said the effort of addressing his friends as Lords was "exhausting at times".
"It's a heavy burden to bear," he said.
"If the cops pulled me over, they would be happy to give a lord a fine."
The website sells plots starting at one square foot to buyers around the world to spread ownership and help conserve the traditional landscape.
Lord Joyce said his new name cost about $150 and was transferrable to his children and any lucky future Lady Joyce.
