"We are running out of space at home" - Andy Murray finds surprising problem with new hobby after accumulating too much artwork

Following retirement from the sport after the 2024 Olympics, Andy Murray has gained a surprising new hobby, collecting artwork. Whilst it seems to be a harmless activity, it has brought up problems in the Murray household.

With more free time on his hands, the former world number one has taken up a range of hobbies, with golf one of the more talked about. He has attended charity tournaments and even considered trying to qualify for professional events in the future. Aside from sport, art has found a fond space in his heart, although he is no good at it.

While this seems as a harmless way to spend free time off the court, his wife, Kim, revealed that it has gone over the top, with a bunch of his possessions having to be moved back up to his five-star Cromlix Hotel, Scotland, away from their luxurious mansion in Surrey, England.

The three-time Grand Slam winner has grown an interest in art, owning pieces from such artists as David Shrigley, Damien Hurst, and Maggi Hambling. The stuff being moved up north is not a disaster for Kim, who gets to enjoy more free space.

In an interview with Homes and Interiors Scotland, she said: "Andy is constantly buying large-scale artwork and we are running out of space at home. So we end up bringing a lot of it to Cromlix on a sort of rotational basis so that our guests can enjoy our personal collection as much as we do. Freeing up space at home is, of course, an added bonus for me."

A reason Murray may be collecting art is so that he does not have to hang his on the wall. Back in 2019, he touched on a painting that he attempted, which did not go to plan, and left his wife confused and not impressed with the finished result.

"It's like most things, really," he said. "You think, 'I could do that' or, 'That's not difficult'. My wife was out that night. I was by myself in the house. She came back from dinner and was like, 'What the hell have you done?' I ended up with paint on the ceiling and all over the floor. It was horrific."

Some of his treasured art purchases now live in Cromlix, the hotel they purchased back in 2013 for £1.8 million. They have since had their wedding there in 2015, and refurbished it into a highly regarded hotel. It does not come cheap, with it costing £950 a night if you choose to stay.

It is not all fun and games for them, with their future plans for the place going up in smoke due to bats.

They had planned to develop the stable and kennel in 2022 when they took full control. However, with bats and birds finding homes nearby, the Scottish Wildlife Trust voiced their concerns about the project, interjecting with warnings that the animals could be disturbed, and that a survey must be commenced prior to any activity.

The trust said: "Bats and their roosts are fully protected by law from damage and disturbance," the trust said. "The reason this protection includes bat roosts which are not currently in use, is that bats use different roost sites at different times of year. Bats may be disturbed by movement, noise and outdoor lighting during work, and by movement, noise and outdoor lighting even afterwards. A bat survey should be carried out by a suitably qualified ecologist or bat specialist before decisions are made. All recommendations about minimisation of damage/disturbance and about mitigation measures should be followed."