AN Antiques Roadshow guest received a whopping offer for a rare painting – but refused to sell for a heart-breaking reason.

The latest episode of the BBC show visited Culzean Castle in Ayrshire, Scotland and saw one lady bring in a watercolour painting of a pheasant.

Expert Charlotte Riordan was delighted to see the item, and told viewers the picture had a connection to the castle.

The lady explained: "Yes, this watercolour was left to me by my mother after she died, about three years ago.

“And I found the inscription on the back ad then delved into the history of my grandmother who it turns out was the great, great, probably great-granddaughter of the Great Kennedy that last lived here.” 

Written on the back of the painting was the inscription: "Painted for me by Archibald Thorburn on the occasion of my marriage, 10th March 1923."

Charlotte then gave a little background on artist Archibald, saying: "He was actually a Scottish-born artist, which is why it’s so nice to see it up here in Culzean today.

"[He was] born in Midlothian, spent a lot of his life down there in Surrey. 

“He’s regarded as one of the finest watercolourists of his period and probably one of Britain’s best painters of birds so I recognised it straight away."

She then commented on how vibrant the colours in the painting were, despite being nearly 100 years old, before moving on to the value.

Charlotte said: "In terms of value at auction, this would be worth around £4,000 to £6,000 in its current condition.” 

But considering its history and connection to the castle, as well as being a beloved family heirloom, the guest said she would never sell it despite the price.

She told Charlotte: "Well, that’s lovely, very nice. Though it won’t be going anywhere, it’ll be staying in the family."

Antiques Roadshow airs on Sundays on BBC One and is available on BBC iPlayer.

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