It was built as a luxurious shooting lodge for the son of a Lancashire textile mill owner and boasts a golden ballroom,, Steinway grand piano and vintage dental surgery.
Now, after a 26-year campaign to save it from demolition, the future of Kinloch Castle, on the Isle of Rum, has been safeguarded by one of the UK’s wealthiest businessmen.
NatureScot, formerly Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), which acquired the 19th century A-listed building in 1957, is in final discussions about a potential sale to Jeremy Hosking, a prolific political donor with an estimated net worth of around £375 million.
Subject to requisite approvals being obtained, it said the castle will be placed into a charitable trust to allow conservation work to be carried out before the building is opened up as a tourist attraction.
This will benefit the island, its community, and the Small Isles.
NatureScot said it would ensure than an “irrevocable pledge is made in favour of the Trust” by Mr Hosking,who was ranked number 351 in the Sunday Times Rich List 2019 and co-founded private investment firm Marathon Asset Management.
He was part of a four-man consortium that bought Crystal Palace F.C. out of administration on December 18 2015 and has contributed millions to political parties including the Conservatives and the Brexit cause.
Local councillor Angus MacDonald said the sale of the castle was “great news for the island” and would bring job opportunities for local people.
The castle is of national significance as a unique example of a 19th century shooting lodge with its ostentatious exterior matched only by its remarkable interior, which retains all the Edwardian fittings and contents.
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NatureScot acquired Kinloch Castle when the Nature Conservancy Council purchased Rum as a nature reserve from its original owners – the Bullough family.
It was sold to the state by the widow of the aristocratic playboy Sir George Bullough.
By day it served as a playground for Highland sports such as deer stalking and fishing while at night decadent high-society parties were hosted by his wife Lady Monica, who is said to have been a lover of Edward VII.
The English poet John Betjeman described Kinloch Castle as, “an undisturbed example of pre-1914 opulence” and its interiors have remained frozen in time.
It features a galleried grand hall with a Steinway piano and sumptuous bedrooms with four-poster beds.
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The two-storey turreted red sandstone castle is set within seven acres of woodland and fields near Kinloch village at the head of Loch Scresort.
However of the years it has been plagued by leaks, damp, woodworm and dry rot despite huge sums of money spent by NatureScot and SNH.
Previously, the castle was used as a hotel and hostel and continues to be a visitor attraction.
The hostel closed in 2015 and since then NatureScot has had “no operational need for the building”
Robbie Kernahan, NatureScot’s Director of Green Economy, said:“Kinloch Castle is a fantastic asset, but it isn’t a good fit for NatureScot with our strong focus on protecting and restoring Scotland’s nature.
“So we’re delighted that a new sustainable future for Kinloch Castle has been found and that the castle will continue to play an integral role for the community on Rum.”
Bids by BBC2’s Regeneration series, the Prince of Wales’s Regeneration Trust and a community buyout all failed to raise enough money to fund restorations.
The price of the castle was not listed but is said to be in the region of £70,000.
Professor Ewan MacDonald of the Kinloch Castle Friends Association added: “For us this marks the culmination of 26 years of hard work fighting for the restoration of this special building.
“We thank the good offices of Kate Forbes MSP who has provided timely support, Cllr Angus Macdonald who has been tireless in his seeking for a strong future for the castle and Hugh Garratt, Heritage Surveyor, who has given not just his advice, expertise and support but also imbued our team with the confidence that the castle is worthy of saving and still sturdy enough to be saved.
“This will benefit the island, its community, and the Small Isles.”
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